The Dragonborn

Part 113

Jack trudged through the ash toward the stairs made from the mushroom's thick stalk. Mark moved his hand over the smooth thick railing, uttering out with a small chuckle. "He lives in a mushroom? No wonder he's crazy..." Jack looked back at him seriously, but a smirk pulled at his lips. He had been thinking it... He didn't plan to say it. At the top of the steps was a round wooden door that had been fitted to the rest of the mushroom perfectly. The whole place emanated with magic. Old and powerful. Approaching the door, Jack knocked. When no answer came, he started to tell Mark. "Maybe he's not-" Mark kicked the door open before he could finish. Jack flinched, then shot Mark a scowl. Mark shrugged in response, stating aloud. "What? We don't have time for subtle. Miraak could be arriving any day." Jack shook his head. He hated to admit that Mark was right. However, he couldn't help feeling like Mark was just holding a grudge with Neloth. Sighing heavily, he moved into the room first.

It was so small and cylinder like the stalk going straight up to a room above. As Jack stepped up to the rune circle on the ground, it whirled to life with a strong gust of wind. Jack bit his lip, mumbling to Mark discreetly. "A levitation rune. This stuff is illegal..." Mark kicked a pebble into the rune circle and watched it float up to the next floor. Clenching his jaw, Jack held his breath and stepped inside it. The magic whirled around him and lifted him weightlessly off the ground. Slowly he rose into the air up the stalk tube to a wooden platform above. Walking across the platform a little to make room for Mark, he took in the larger rounded room. They were in the large cap of the mushroom and it was set up like any normal room. In one corner was shelves of books with tables loaded down with potions and papers. On the other side were more tables loaded down with Dwemer spider parts and other animal parts. At one large table facing the platform, Neloth stood leaning over an old dusty book and was busy consulting fresh scrolls.

He appeared to be translating something or documenting the different Dwemer pieces laid out before him. Mark landed on the platform behind him, dropping to a knee shortly after to groan out. "Oh, that was the worst... I think I'm gonna be sick..." Neloth glanced up from his work, taking them in for the first time. Neloth's eyes narrowed on them in turn, his quill leaving his hand to continue writing on its own as he asked them curiously. "You two again. Didn't I see you in Raven Rock?" Jack strolled up to the table, deciding to make this quick. "I was told you know about Black Books." Neloth straightened himself up from the table, proudly stating out in a know-it-all tone. "Do you refer to the tomes of esoteric knowledge that old Hermaeus Mora has scattered throughout the world? Or just some random black book you picked up in some backwoods dirt farm..." Mark stormed up to slam a heavy cloth wrapped item down on the table. The action caused an ink bottle to spill over the blank scrolls on the table, but Neloth remained calm and unimpressed.

Mark carefully unwrapped the cloth to reveal just the prominent symbol on the cover. Only then did Neloth's expression change to curious fascination. Staring at the book with wide eyes, Neloth asked them with a peeked interest. "Is this somehow connected to your search for Miraak?" Mark quickly covered the book back up, shoving it back into his bag. Jack gave Mark a cautious side glance. He hadn't realized that Mark was carrying that thing around. Trying to stay focused, Jack tore his eyes away from Mark's bag to answer casually. "We need to know more about these books." Neloth crossed his arms over his chest, replying just as casually. "What you're looking for is dangerous. Still... Dangerous knowledge is still knowledge and therefore useful. Usually turns out to be the most useful, in my experience." Jack shifted nervously on his feet, stating out more confidently than he felt. "I have to know what Miraak knows if I want to stop him. Can you help or not?"

Neloth drummed his fingers on his arms, answering with pride. "Yes. I can. However, that is a dangerous path indeed. Hermaeus Mora gives nothing away for free. You may end up like Miraak. Two power mad Dragonborns... It could be very interesting." Mark grunted with distaste. Neloth ignored him, gesturing to a bared off room. Within the golden bars that radiated magic aura was a podium with another black book like theirs. Neloth moved closer to the bars but didn't remove the enchants as he told them coolly. "The books themselves are not hard to locate once you know how to look for them. As you can see, I have one here. I've been using it to try and locate more. It has proven to be a... challenging task." Mark huffed loudly, retorting sternly. "You've had a black book this whole time? Why have you not reported this to someone?! The College of Winterhold-" Neloth cut Mark off to exclaim over him sternly. "I'd never trust such a thing to the college! Besides, what help would they be? I'm on the verge of unraveling its secrets. The college would simply take that honor from me. NO! This is MY research. I'm saving valuable time."