The Dragonborn

Part 117

Jack stepped closer to Mark, getting ready to defend. The Dwemer Ballista's stationed on the far bridges, locked and loaded their arms. They'd start firing any second now. Neloth was the only one not worried about them. Neloth just carefully stashed his cube into his bag. Jack had just conjured a ward to protect himself and Mark, when they opened fire. Mark pressed closer to Jack's side as bolts struck the ward in rapid fire. Jack couldn't help putting his free hand to Mark's side. The ward was holding, but if anything broke his concentration it would get ugly. Glancing briefly to see if Neloth was dead, he found him quite alive. Neloth was being fired upon by the Ballista in front of him, but Neloth was able to zap the bolts to ash as fast as they came at him. When the Ballista had to reload, Neloth extended his hands out and engulfed it in powerful lightening. The Ballista let out whirling screeches as its body overheated and eventually began to melt. Just before the Ballista died, Neloth zapped it with a strong bolt that blasted it off the platform and into the water.

The Ballistas that fired on Mark and himself stopped. Their arms reloading, before they turned their attacks on Neloth. Jack started to remove his hand to help Neloth, but Mark snatched his wrist to stop him. Neloth took cover, forming a ball of electricity between his hands. When it became a solid mass, he leaned out to throw it at them. The ball sored through the air and stopped between the Ballistas. From the ball sparks of lightening shot out to electrify the constructs. Which in turn caused them to break down and lower their arms in defeat. Neloth chuckled smugly to himself, quickly making his way toward the quivering Ballistas. Jack ended his ward, lowering Sam as he watched Neloth start dismantling the Ballistas. As he dug around in one, it let out high pitched screeches and distressed whirling gear noises. Jack had never thought of Dwemer constructs being alive... but this hit him on a whole new level. Mark slid his hand down Jack's wrist to hold his hand.

Jack couldn't breathe. His eyes were locked on the distressed construct. Was he hurting it? Was it scared? Mark pulled him across the bridges toward Neloth. The moment they were close enough, Neloth didn't look at them, but muttered out. "I brought you two to help protect ME, you know. The least you could have done was... anything." Mark's eyes were as cold as his voice, when he answered shortly. "You were fully capable of handling yourself." Neloth yanked a few parts from the Dwemer construct, finally looking up at Mark with narrowed eyes. Neloth's voice was bitter sounding, when he shot back. "Don't push me, Nord. My life is worth far more than yours. A genius is only born once every few years, compared to the millions of unenlightened Nord brats born in a week. Brats that are much more like a plague than a species." Mark raised his sword faster than Jack could process. With a powerful roar of anger Mark brought it down over Neloth. Jack screamed, starting to reach out to stop him. He missed.

Mark brought down his sword inches from Neloth's hands, smashing the Dwemer construct down the center so much that the soul gem split. The Dwemer's distressed wailing ceased and Mark kicked it off the edge of the bridge. Neloth sat on his knees in utter shock. Neloth glanced at his hands for a few seconds, before he turned his head to snap out angrily. "Why did you do that?! Couldn't you see that I was investigating its secrets!" Mark didn't answer, he just raised his sword again and moved around Neloth to the other one. Neloth whirled to his feet, screaming out in frustration. "DON'T YOU DARE, NORD!" The construct let out a single whirl of glee before Mark smashed it with his sword. Jack gripped Sam closer to his chest. He had planned to do something more subtle... but this worked too. Neloth rushed Mark, shoving him back as he screamed out. "You ignorant, Bastard! How dare you-" Mark shoved Neloth to the ground with an inhuman growl, his eyes blazing a bright wolfish yellow.

Jack stiffened in fear, watching Mark's teeth grow out into sharp canines as he growled down at Neloth aggressively. "Touch me again and I'll tear your arms off!" Mark's nails grew out to black claws and he let out a thunderous roar that echoed off the stone walls. Neloth scooted back across the floor, muttering out. "He's gone savage! Kill him! Before he kills us all!" Jack watched Mark start walking toward Neloth, before he answered Neloth coolly. "He won't kill me. Just you." Neloth scooted back to the edge of the bridge, stating out. "You can't possibly know that! He has become a beast! Kill it!" Mark drew closer, but Jack confidently stepped out to block Mark's view of Neloth. Mark's features suddenly tried to repress the change, causing his eyes to shift back and forth from human to wolf. Jack reached out to touch Mark's cheek, watching Mark close his eyes. While Mark took deep breaths to calm himself, Jack told Neloth over his shoulder bluntly. "I do know. The wolf smells your fear. While I'm not afraid of him."