They reached Mzulft before lunch and unlocked the door. All seemed quiet. Someone had disposed of some automatons already. Soon they came upon the first body: a mage, possibly from Cyrodiil.

“Mages Guild?” – Lena looked at Hauk. “No, these are not our robes. The Synod – a new group. They must have mounted an expedition, then things seem to have gone very wrong.”

“Those machines back there were pretty broken” – noted Stenvar. “So what killed the mage?”

“I give you two guesses” – said Lena, fingering the sack with falmer ears.

“Oh.”

“And let’s not forget their insectoid friends!” – reminded Hauk. “There’s one right there!”

“Well, you wanted to fight something that would bleed. Green blood ok for you?” – teased Lena.

Following the first flying chaurus, they came to a chamber where the mages had set up camp. Alas, all they found were more corpses. Falmer and chaurusses were lurking in the rocky passage ahead.

“Falmer are blind” – Lena turned to her companions. “So let’s take advantage of it. Be very quiet and you can easily sneak up to them.”

She cast a muffle spell and crouched, Hauk did the same. Stenvar shook his head and crouched. Lena went ahead, signalling them to wait. One, two, three falmer hit with poison arrows, not dead, but no longer at full strength, and they still couldn’t hear her. She summoned a dremora and ran back.

The battle was sharp and short, with the dremora taking the heat with archery support from behind.

“There can be no other end” – the Churl returned looking pleased with himself.

“Thank you, my friend” – Lena said, patting him on the arm. He smiled but didn’t answer.

“You talk to him?” – Hauk asked when the dremora was banished. “I thought they despised mortals.”

“They do” – Lena confirmed. “But it doesn’t hurt being polite. Besides, it is usually the same one that keeps turning up.”

“I never paid attention to the ones I summoned” – admitted Hauk.

“Well, may be that’s why they despise mortals” – smiled Lena.

…

It was nearly midnight but they were still wandering through Mzulft. They were getting tired and hungry.

“We should make camp or find a quiet corner to rest” – said Hauk. “This ruin goes on and on.”

“What – sleep here? Among these machines?” – Stenvar didn’t sound enthusiastic.

“Not among the machines” – Hauk corrected him. “I did say find a quiet corner. The Dwemer had living quarters here too.”

They entered what looked like a town square with doors leading in four directions. All was quiet, someone killed the falmer and destroyed the automatons.

“The Synod mages” – Lena pointed at another dead mage. “They’ve put up a good fight!”

In one of the corridors between two locked doors stood a Synod mage over a falmer body. The first living Synod mage.

“Hello” – Lena greeted him. “I am so sorry for your friends. Come with us – you’ll be safe now.”

But he just stared at her and shook his head.

“There’s an Imperial camp nearby” – said Hauk. “We’ll send some Legionnaires to get you out. Stay here.”

The mage looked up at the mention of Legionnaires and nodded.

“Let’s go” – Hauk beckoned them on. “He’s in shock.”

They walked away. They would explore the door behind that mage later, first they needed rest. One of the other doors from the central square led to what looked like living quarters. There was a table there and a bed – all made of stone. They decided to spend the night in that chamber.

10 Rain’s Hand

Sleeping on a stone bed was as uncomfortable as sleeping on the floor, so they didn’t argue about places. Still, it was safe and they were tired. In the morning they went to investigate the last remaining corridor behind the Synod mage.

The mage wasn’t there – he seemed to have found a quiet corner for himself too. They unlocked the door – and found another mage, and a camp. Behind it was a huge Dwemer sphere – a mechanism of some sort.

“This must be what the mages came to study” – said Lena. “Impressive!”

The second mage didn’t want to leave either, so they let him be. There was another corridor branching off – and another locked door.

“Blessed be Farengar and his curiosity” – muttered Lena putting on the Ring of Unlocking again.

The lock clicked. The door led outside.

“What?!” – Stenvar couldn’t believe it. “We could have been out already last night! I would have preferred to sleep with the bears rather than among those machines!”

“We didn’t know where that corridor led” – Hauk tried to be reasonable. “It could have very well been another falmer infested passage, and we were tired and needed rest. Sometimes you just have to know when to stop.”

Stenvar had to reluctantly agree than another long fight with the falmer could have turned out badly for them at that point.

They climbed down the cliff and found their horses waiting where they had left them – they were directly above the entrance.

“Well, where to next?” – asked Hauk looking around. “We’ve cleared this area, I think.”

“The Imperial camp” – said Lena pointing up the mountain. “We promised those mages to send help. Then we’ll see.”

…

“And you are sure those ruins are not haunted?” – the soldiers that the Legate sent to the ruins wanted confirmation.

“I guarantee you – they are not. And we and the mages before us have cleared out all of the falmer and chaurusses too” – Hauk sounded reassuring. “Most of the mages died doing it, sadly.”

“When Optio tells you it’s safe – it’s safe!” – said the Legate glaring at them. “And you’ve got your swords, don’t you? Off you go now, bring those mages here if they want to come, but don’t insist if they don’t.”

“I don’t blame them” – said Stenvar. “It’s nothing like fighting bandits.”

They sat by the fire recounting to the others what was inside Mzulft. Somehow fighting Stormcloaks paled in comparison.

…

“Should we be returning to Cyrodiil?” – asked Hauk looking at Lena. “See how Jowan is getting on with Volanaro?”

“Yes, I think it’s time” – she looked pensive. “I’ve got a job to do in Skingrad, too… and another one also in Skingrad – that one’s for the Mages Guild. Something for which the Count had asked specifically for me!”

“Vampires – it must be” – concluded Hauk. “He knows you can be trusted.”

“Well, we can go together, and even bring Jowan – it isn’t as secret as that.” Lena turned to Stenvar: “I guess we part ways then. Take care of yourself, Stenvar.”

“Come and find me again next time you’re around” – he got up. “I’ll be getting bored at the Candlehearth Hall.”

Lena and Hauk got up too, headed back to Helgen and over the border to Cyrodiil.