With the beacon now in Brynjolf's possession, they returned to Mount Kilkreath. Brynjolf walked straight up to the pedestal and placed Meridia's beacon back in it. A brilliant white light streaked down from the heavens, through the space between the statue's hands, and struck the cream sphere. It began to rise up into the light and they rose with it.
Karliah gasped in shock and Macayla could tell her husband fought to hold in his bewilderment; Macayla herself wasn't surprised because of Nocturnal expecting some display of power from Meridia. Nocturnal scoffed at the ridiculousness of the display.
The Nightingale Trinity floated high above Skyrim. Many clouds drifted under their feet—they could see Solitude to Dragon Bridge and beyond. The beacon had now become a glowing ball of white light hovering in front of them.
"It is time for my splendor to return to Skyrim," Meridia's booming voice echoed out of the light. "But the token of my truth lies in the ruin of my once great temple, now tainted by a profane darkness skittering within. The Necromancer Malkoran defiles my shrine with vile corruptions, trapping lost souls to do his bidding. Worse still, he uses the power stored within my token to fuel his foul deeds."
Macayla felt the Daedric prince finally notice her. "Nocturnal... How surprised I am at having you at my feet, and how disgusted I am at seeing you inhabiting this mortal."
"I had no other choice," Nocturnal said.
"I will not hear your excuses. You, Nocturnal, are known to make an option when one does not suit you. You should not have interfered in these mortals' lives."
Macayla's chest swelled with Nocturnal's irritation. "These three have chosen to become my agents, and this one offered herself to me. I have 'interfered' hoping to help them protect what they love. I could've stayed safe in my realm, like you, but I chose to risk all I am to help them repel Mehrunes Dagon once again. I care for my servants, unlike you."
"Look at my temple lying in ruin, Nocturnal! So much for the constancy of mortals, their crafts and their hearts. If they love me not, how can my love reach them?"
"You know mortals are forgettable! That is no reason to abandon them. I had my temple desecrated and my Skeleton Key stolen by one of my own agents; these three before you fought to restore it." Macayla took in a breath as Nocturnal calmed herself down. "You cannot tell me you have not sensed Mehrunes Dagon's intent."
"I have felt the stirrings in Oblivion," Meridia answered a breath later.
"And you chose to ignore it," Nocturnal spat.
"What use is it of warning mortals? They are so weak and frail. How can they possibly stand against a Daedra?"
"They did it once; they can do it again."
"Without one of Dragonblood?"
"That's why we have come seeking you, my Lady," Brynjolf inserted. "Nocturnal herself told us you may be more willing to listen to our need. We are determined to drive back this threat, but we require your help."
Meridia didn't respond, mulling over what he had to say.
"You have distanced yourself from humankind for too long, Meridia; you have not seen how resilient and admirable mortals are," Nocturnal said. "We look down upon them, but they remain strong."
The Daedric prince remained quiet for a while; finally, her attention turned back on Brynjolf. "I see what Nocturnal is attempting to do; since you touched my beacon, you shall be my champion. You will enter my temple, retrieve my artifact, and destroy the defiler."
"What is this artifact?" he asked.
"Mortals call it Dawnbreaker, for it was forged in a holy light that breaks upon my foes, burning away corruption and false life."
A sword? Nocturnal couldn't believe it. All Meridia's power resided in a sword? It better be more than just a sword if they hoped it could help them.
"Malkoran has forced the doors shut. But this is my temple, and it responds to my decree!" Meridia declared. "I will send down a ray of light. Guide this light through my temple and its doors will open."
The trio descended and softly landed back down on Meridia's temple. The beacon—still glowing brightly—came down after them and levitated in its pedestal. Macayla could feel the power resonating from it and transferring into the stone under her feet.
"Come on," she told the others as she headed down the stairs to the front doors. They offered little resistance as she pushed open the doors and stepped inside. It was immediately obvious that something was wrong: withered and blackened corpses littered the floor and a black haze drifted in the air. Macayla tensed as Nocturnal felt the dark power thickening the air and raising the hairs on her neck—it was black magick.
Macayla heard the others unsheathe their weapons out of precaution as she did as well. They began down the crudely crafted steps and cautiously advanced through the winding tunnels.
"Lass, what did Meridia mean when she said she knows what Nocturnal is doing?" Brynjolf whispered.
She took a heavy breath to explain. "Since I am affiliated with Nocturnal personally, it will be up to you two to become champions—Brynjolf, you as Meridia's, and Karliah, Azura's."
They continued creeping through the temple, nerves on edge at each defiled corpse and the black haze lingering in the air. They came into a large room, mostly empty except for broken pews and crumbled arches. In the center of the room, on a raised platform, sat a pedestal holding another sphere, identical to Meridia's beacon outside.
"Touch it, Brynjolf," Macayla said. "That's how you'll guide her light."
He stepped up to it and did as she said; the sphere reacted to his touch by rising up. A beam of light shot down from high behind them and struck it. It glowed as it absorbed the light—eliminating the haze in the room—but also reflected it toward an opening high above the shut door. As soon as it soared through, the doors opened.
The doors opened onto more stairs and a room at its base, but two black ghostly-figures with red eyes, resembling soldiers, patrolled it. They emitted a more evil aura than the mad Nightingale Sentinels. Macayla and Karliah had no trouble shooting them.
Their advancement deeper into Meridia's temple remained the same: kill ghosts, Brynjolf activate the pedestal to open the next room, and repeat. Their opposition also grew in number the further they went. In one room, they had to solve a puzzle to gain access to the adjoining chamber.
A pedestal raised high on a platform with multiple candles around it and three defiled corpses gave them pause. With the obvious significance of this room, the shut doors probably led to the main chamber and Malkoran. They made sure they were ready before Brynjolf activated the pedestal and opened the door.
They stopped halfway down the steps when the final chamber came into view. A tall man with neck-length blond hair in a black Necromancer robe faced something glowing on a dais. About seven ghosts hovered near him, watching whatever ritual he was performing. Many defiled corpses littered the floor and the dais.
Without speaking, Macayla motioned that she and Karliah would shoot at Malkoran; with him dead, the ghosts shouldn't be too much of a problem.
The Nightingale Trinity snuck to the entrance and the two women took aim. Like before with the bandits, the arrows were released consecutively. The missiles dug into Malkoran's back and he staggered to his knees, but he didn't die—his use of black magick had strengthened him.
Now all the ghosts turned toward the entrance; locating the intruders, they charged with drawn swords. Macayla, Karliah, and Brynjolf rushed out to meet them. She quickly shot down two ghosts and brought Malkoran into sight, who had a hand glowing with healing light. Just as she turned her aim on him, the Necromancer saw her and threw the other hand out at her, sending a flurry of ice.
Power suddenly swelled inside of her—Macayla recognized Nocturnal's presence. Controlled by the Daedric Lord, Macayla stepped back, vanishing into the shadows grouped behind her. She re-appeared through the shadows on the other side of the room. The wall behind her where she had been standing had been struck by the Frostbite spell—the wall was blue and had ice stuck on it.
She aimed at Malkoran again, who was turning his attention on the fighting Brynjolf or Karliah. This time, her arrow drove through his head, killing him instantly.
The room fell quiet and the Nord and Dunmer came into view. Her husband looked at the ice-encased wall, then to her.
"How did you do that?"
"It was Nocturnal; the shadows are hers so they shield her."
Brynjolf began to say something else, but Malkoran's body suddenly moving cut him off. A dark specter rose up out of his back, nothing but a black skeleton in tatters and red eyes—it held a staff of destruction, though.
It immediately shot out a fireball at their feet—Macayla jumped back into the shadows to appear a safe distance away; Brynjolf and Karliah were blown back. She saw Malkoran's ghost charge up the staff again for another blast at a still dazed Brynjolf. Her heart stopped—he wouldn't be able to get away; he would be burned.
Nocturnal reacted again. Macayla felt weightless as she soared across the distance in the shadows, grabbed him, and pulled him with her into the darkness. Heat singed their arms before they appeared at another spot.
Malkoran's ghost now flew around the room, firing off fireballs at the quick Karliah as she shot at him and ducked behind columns. Macayla added her missiles as she ran in to help and dropping into the shadows when the specter turned on her.
The fight continued with the women firing at it, Brynjolf slashing at it when it flew around a column, which he slipped around to hide, and Macayla slipping in and out of the shadows to rescue the others. Still, the thing didn't slow from all the attacks.
She grew frustrated at this—Nocturnal was fed up, too. Her chest grew hot—the Skeleton Key. Macayla reached into the pocket to grab it and stepped into view of Malkoran's ghost. She pointed the Key at it and the power she felt in her chest transferred into the Skeleton Key. It responded by heating up even more and a dark energy of black, blue, and purple shot out at the specter.
Malkoran's ghost jolted as the power struck it in the back, then disintegrated into a pile of ash.
After it disappeared, nothing made a sound—no one much less breathed.
"He's truly dead now, right?" Brynjolf asked.
"Yeah, I think so," Macayla said as she stored the now cooled Skeleton Key in her breast pocket.
"It is done; Malkoran is defeated," Meridia's voice suddenly boomed around them. "Take the Dawnbreaker from its pedestal."
They turned toward the dais to realize the glowing object was a sword absorbing and reflecting the light hitting it. Macayla could feel the power radiating from it, a righteous supremacy—she wanted to shy away from it... at least Nocturnal did.
Brynjolf ascended the dais to it then pulled the sword out of its pedestal. Immediately, they felt weightless again as Meridia pulled them out of her temple and up in the air, where her glowing ball of light waited.
"Malkoran is vanquished. Skyrim's dead shall remain at rest. This is as it should be; this is because of you three."
She turned toward Brynjolf. "Take the mighty Dawnbreaker and with it purge corruption from the dark corners of the world. Wield it in my name, that my influence may grow. May the light of certitude guide your efforts."
"We're not using it to spread your religion," Nocturnal spat. "You know why we're here."
Meridia's light flickered with irritation. "Yes, I remember; you do not need to lecture me, Nocturnal. But neither will you be able to wield it without others knowing who's favor you have won. My religion will spread with or without your assistance."
She looked back at Brynjolf and included Karliah, too. "That dark one may dim your light, but let it keep burning. May you succeed in your quest and find no loss at the end."
The trio descended again; when their feet touched the ground, Meridia's beacon came to rest in its pedestal.
Brynjolf considered the sword in his hand—Dawnbreaker seemed to shine on its own, emitting the light captured in the hilt. He had grabbed its scabbard in the final chamber before Meridia pulled them out and now attached it to his hip, then sheathed it.
Meridia's ending remark about her dimming their light infuriated Nocturnal. She wasn't planning on doing anything other than helping these three save their lives and the world—she didn't have an alternative motive. The Daedric prince of infinite energies didn't know her.
"We're going to need more than a little sword," Nocturnal said.
Brynjolf looked at her. "I think it's more than just a sword; hopefully it will help us out, but I think Meridia allowing us to keep it means we have her backing too."
"That's what I hope by us doing this, but they can always prove me wrong."