14: The Dark One

The next morning was uneventful. I ate a good sized breakfast with the rest of the guild, and we discussed various things, many of them centering on Falcar. I hadn’t really known him, but apparently not many of the guild members were surprised about his departure or his affiliation with the darker side of magic. I felt lost in this conversation about his past, so I excused myself from the table and went out on a stroll.

The morning air was once again refreshing and moist, and as I made my way through the city I breathed deep. My lungs had recovered from the wounds I had received in Oblivion, and the fresh air was very welcome. As I passed the chapel, I realized that I had not prayed in the last few days, so I quietly pushed open the large wooden doors to the chapel.

The inside was dark and smelled of incense. I bowed my head, and walked up to the large, circular altar. I knelt and prayed to the Nine, asking for forgiveness of any sins that I may have committed. I continued to pray, but such things are not fit for a journal. I felt the Nine bless me, and their warmth filled my bones for a moment. Smiling, I stepped out of the chapel and into the mountain air. Compared to the musty air of the chapel, the outside air was like the first breath of spring after a long, grey winter.

I walked back to the guild hall, and when I entered I heard the last bits of breakfast being finished off. I went up to the second floor, where there was a good deal of alchemical apparatuses. I pulled out a sack of reagents that I had collected over the last few days, and sat down to begin my work. I didn’t have much to work with, but I was able to make a few restorative potions in case I got tired during a long day. I still had a small amount of ingredients left over afterwards, so I wrapped them better and rebottled several of the more fluid reagents.

Just as I finished packing away my ingredients, the main door of the guild hall slammed open. A robed figure stumbled in and managed a gasp before collapsing. I immediately ran to the crumpled form and called for help. I placed my hands on his torso and released a small healing spell, and the cool blue glow passed through his form. I did this several more times before rolling him onto his back and lifting off his hood.

Beneath the dirty green hood was the darkest Dunmer I had ever seen. His skin was not the usual dark blue of the Dark Elves, instead it was pitch black and he appeared to have red sores on his face. I wondered if his was naturally that way, or if some cruel enchantment was upon him. Deetsan descended on the Dark Elf and cast a much more powerful Restoration spell on him. When she had finished, she asked me to help her get him into a bed. We took him up to my bed and lay him upon it.

I left Deetsan to watch over him for a while, and cleared some of my belongings to an open bed in the basement. When I returned to check on the patient, I relieved Deetsan and assured her that I would watch over him. She seemed satisfied and went back downstairs, but returned soon after with a warm, damp cloth.

“Sometimes the simplest ways are better than magic.” She gave the cloth to me, as well as a bowl full of more warm water, and I started mopping the Dunmer’s face. I dipped the cloth back into the water and wringed out the excess water, and then placed the cloth on the Dunmer’s forehead.

I watched over the Dark Elf for much of the night, but when Deetsan came to relieve me, I gladly went to my new bed in the basement and collapsed. I fell into a deep sleep, but something awakened me before dawn. I was extremely groggy, but I made my way up to where Deetsan was watching the patient. She had fallen asleep, but the patient was beginning to stir.

“Who are you?” The Dunmer spoke in a voice even deeper than was usual for his race. His eyes were pure red, except for the iris, which was black. I was startled by these glowing orbs, and my eyes immediately drifted to his teeth. They were normal, not fang-like in anyway, but one could never be entirely certain…

“I am Will Syras. You are in the Cheydinhal Mages Guild. We are taking care of you, don’t worry.”

“Ah! The Hero of Kvatch. I am pleased to meet you.”

I wondered at this curious title, I had never been to Kvatch after all, let alone done anything heroic there. “Who are you, exactly?” I asked this question gently, not wanting to make the patient feel pressured.

“I am the Dark One. Do not be puzzled by me. Things will become clear in time. Now, go and sleep, I can tend to myself.” He certainly proved this to be true, as he cast a healing spell upon himself of extreme power. The after effects washed over me, and suddenly my weariness caught up with me. I made my way down to my bed and fell into the deepest sleep of my life.