Dark Anchors and Mages (Story)

Krist

(Inspired by the "Just Before You Arrived in Coldharbour" thread by Druachan)



"I am not here to help you with a talisman," Hughe said, and rolled his eyes a bit, but regretted it immediately.
Gabrielle Benele was a good woman, a very intelligent woman as well. She had written many books and was very well learned. She was also quite pretty. Hughe held no contempt for her, but also had no patience for the work she was doing. She was there to assist in destroying Angof the Gravesinger, a noble enough undertaking. However, as far as Hughe was concerned, there were far more pressing matters with the dark anchors of Molag Bal.
"No, I suppose you are not Hughe. You are here for the dark anchors, and you are hoping I will assist you," she said, her face no longer the friendly kind face that normally shown through.
Hughe looked Gabrielle over a moment, even as she sat back in the hard wooden chair she spent so much time in.
"Look, I...." Hughe began, but she waved it off.
"No matter. The Guild seems to worry so much over so many things, but seldom over the things that can cause great harm, day to day, to the very people it is worrying such a great deal over."
Hughe could not completely argue with her, but he also could not stomach being chided like a child by her.
"You pour over your books Gabrielle," he said with disdain, "I will worry about the anchors."
"Hughe, it is not that I am not worried about the anchors," she finally said before sighing.
Hughe looked around the library of the Daggerfall Mage's Guild, but was really thinking of a way to apologize. It was not something he was use to doing.
The books were neatly placed in their spots along the wall shelves, from the floor to ceiling, with sliding ladders strategically positioned to reach the higher ups. If he read ever book in there in one day, the next day more would pour in for the reading. All neat, all in order, always there.
Hughe thought of all of this, and failed to find any words of apology for the woman. All that remained for what seemed like an age was silence.
"If lycantropes take over the region, then we have nothing to fight over. One Daedric Prince ruling in the place of the other," Gabrielle said, breaking the silence, noting the purple clad mage did not turn and storm out as she expected. Hughe seldom did what people expected him to do, this she knew.
All of Nirn can be werewolves, but when the dark anchors secure us to Coldharbour, it will count for little, Hughe thought, but did not say.
"I have two Journeymen that are bored with keeping me company. Maybe they can help you," Gabrielle said.
"Won't you need them for your mission?" Hughe asked in earnest.
"I do not know when I will even start this mission, you are already well on yours. Return them here safely when you are done," she said.
"It should not be very dangerous, just a study of a dormant dolmen," Hughe said, with a nod of thanks.

Krist

You could die, Hughe, the voice said.

Hughe chuckled ever so slightly. Kemyzene was the being trapped in the golden ring around his middle finger, a lesser Daedra that he could call upon whenever he so chose. She also had insight to many things, and he could speak to her, or hear her, whenever he so chose.

You worry too much, Hughe thought, allowing Kemyzene to understand the thought. He was not completely sure how it worked, and chances were Kemyzene did not understand it either. However, after some time of him wearing the ring, they were able to communicate without speaking, as long as her essence was still within the ring.

I have a right to worry, I am bound to you, she said. However, you misunderstand. I am not telling you this to frighten you, or because I am frightened, I am telling you this because I sense it is the truth.

Hughe shrugged it off. He closed the link between him and the daedra, where their active thoughts were no longer connected. She had already been making her worries known, ever since he took the mission to investigate the dolmen. Worm Cultists had been seen around it before, but was dispatched quickly by locals when they understood what was going on. Since then, the place had been vacant, and nothing magical had been taking place.
While it was true that Hughe was sent on the mission, it was also true that it was he that requested going to investigate it. Of course the Mage's Guild would not resist such an offer of study, and Hughe was allowed to go. It was now his mission.
What the leaders of the Mage's Guild did not know, though may have suspected, was that Hughe was more interested in the powerful magic that was used to open the dolmens, and let the dark anchors through.

The daedra, known as Kemyzene sighed to herself, because to herself was all she was without the aid of the mage Hughe. She would throw a tantrum were she on the mortal plane, and in true form, but stuck within the ring wrapped around the mage's finger she could only seethe to herself.
She knew little of what Molag Bal was up to, as she was not high enough in the hierarchy. Yet still she had been trapped by the mage since he was but a child, somewhere around 30 years now. Time meant little to Daedra, as it had little effect on them. However, it meant that she missed out on information. She had no idea what these Dolmen were for, and stuck in the ring, she never would know until Hughe knew.
For now, she slept, or something akin to it. It paid little for her to be conscious, stuck as she was, and the mage having broken their link.
Still, fear nagged at her. If the ring was lost, or worse found on the mage in Dark Harbour, then she would remain trapped in this state for eternity, or until some other mage found the ring and understood it.

Krist

The air was cold, though there was a fire. The funny thing was Hughe could barely feel it, and worse than that, he could not really remember exactly why he was here.
He did not know where here was.

The rags he was wearing added no comfort, a white shirt with holes in it, and tattered britches cinched with a rope. He had no shoes on, his bare feet almost numb from the cold.
Hughe looked about the cell he was in. The room was gray, in fact, everything was kind of gray and cold. The fire did not seem to even be giving off any warmth. His body did not feel as if it was giving off any warmth.

"Hello," Hughe called, but found his voice was strained and very raspy. He was not even sure someone in the same room as him would have actually heard him.
Hughe pulled himself up to his feet, using the bars on his cell to assist him. His eyes strained to see around, but he still had not gained his bearings.
Kemyzene, where are we, Hughe thought, but knew right away she would not answer. Looking down to his hand, Hughe saw the ring was gone.
Hughe tried to speak a spell to create light, but he found he could not. Something was stifling it. There was a very depressing air about the place, and nothing seemed natural.
"Hello," he called again through the bars. "Anyone there? I need water."
While Hughe really did desire water, more than that he desired know if anyone was actually there. Someone created the fire that was not exactly warming him. Somebody stuck him in this strange cell.

Someone had to be around.

"This way," he heard a woman's voice say, but Hughe could not see who it was.

Krist

"Hey, over here," Hughe called, though still could not see the woman who was speaking.
"One moment," he heard her say, but he was not sure if she was saying that to him or not.

A very large woman then appeared before the cell. She had a huge double bladed long sword in her hand.
"Stand back so you do not get hit with shards," she simply said, no kindness in her voice.
Hughe did as she said, and watched as with one mighty swing she destroyed the lock on his cell.
"Good luck," she said, and ran off toward another that he could not make out.
"Wait," Hughe yelled, but the two ran out of the door.

There was nothing to it, these two seemed to know where they were going. He just needed to follow them .
It was a good plan, however, as he tried to head out of the door they had just exited, it seemed close on it's on, with a loud thud. Seemed to, but now the Daedric that was behind the door was visible. It had a great wound on it's head, but seemed to still have intent to destroy him. It was black and red, with dark spiky armor covering it. The mage did not recognize what kind of Daedra it was.
"I did not do this to you," was all Hughe could think of saying, as the creature lifted it's axe, swinging at him with all its might. It spoke, but Hughe could not understand the language of which it spoke, if it was an actual language and not the result of the damage to it's head.
Hughe was able to dodge the initial swing, but even though his opponent was injured, it was still fast, and still strong. Hughe considered trying to rush under the next blow, and attacking the creature, but it was too fast and all the mage could do was back up, just in time for it to miss him.
"Wait," Hughe said, as it was moving to attack again. Hughe once again backed up, but the bars to his recent cell were not behind him, and Hughe had nowhere to go. The axe came down, and Hughe sunk to the floor, covering his head. The axe struck the cell bars, sending sparks and causing the mage's ears to ring.
The creature stopped, and showed it's teeth now. Hughe knew it must be smiling, as it now prepared for a more deliberate attack. The mage had nowhere to go.
Hughe was preparing himself for the final blow, as much as anyone that never considered he would ever die could prepare himself. It was then that a small shiny blade came from behind the Daedra, it quickly crossed the creatures throat, then slid cutting it.
The creature looked to be in shock, and dropped it's weapon immediately, before falling on Hughe.

Krist

Hughe looked up to Kemyzene, who moved the dead daedra from off of Hughe. She tossed something to him, which hit him on his chest and fell to his lap.
Hughe was still too stunned to take his eyes off of her.
"Keep better care of that, Hughe, as I am bound to it," she said, a frown on her face. She looked almost ready to cry. "I am just lucky I found you in time."
Hughe recovered from his shock of almost being killed, and looked to the ring in his lap. He picked it up and put it on. Just as Kemyzene was about to fuss some more, he willed her back into the ring, with her tantrum finishing as thoughts.
If a more powerful daedra had found this, she thought, but let the thought itself trail off without finishing.
Hughe kept his own thoughts well guarded from her, not wishing to share the fear of almost being killed. Hughe picked himself up from the floor before he opened his mind up to the deadra.
How did you escape, he asked, wishing to change the subject.
The fool that took me from you was not very powerful, and I killed him when he accidently summoned me, before he could control me, she said.
Well done, was all Hughe would respond, before shutting his mind off from her again.

Kemyzene could possibly help him get out, but he did not wish share thoughts with her. It was quite taxing already to keep his fear from her, something he did not wish to share with anyone, but he also needed to concentrate. He could let her back out, but there was no telling what influence other deadra could have over her. Hughe was not even sure where he was, but wherever it was, it was not Nirn.