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."

Neloth strolled back behind his desk, continuing to say seriously. "I've not been standing idlily by while this fascinating madness has engulfed Solsthiem. I've been working. The college would only waste time bickering over my theories. I'm close to something. I can feel it... but my book is missing something. I'm quite sure it is unconnected to this Miraak you are looking for." Jack shrugged, asking bluntly impatient. "What are these books? What do you know about them?" Neloth picked up one of his journals, informing him with a smile. "I've learned that these books are gateways between our world and the realm of Apocrypha. The realm of vast knowledge. With these books, a person can travel to the realm and acquire knowledge in anything their heart desires. However, the books only allow a select few to use them. Those deemed worthy. Those that Hermaeus Mora deems worthy, that is." Neloth dropped his journal onto the table, before adding softly. "If you seek to learn what Miraak knows and then some... You'll need to find another book and go there."

Mark stormed away from the table, snapping out loudly. "NO! We can find another way. ANY other way!" Neloth shot a sarcastic glare at Mark, upon leaning on his table to say dryly. "There isn't. Half the knowledge in Apocrypha has been lost to this world. The other half would take you years to master. Centuries even. A short trip to Apocrypha and you will have everything you will need. I leave the choice to you." Jack swallowed hard, listening to Mark tell him sternly. "Jack, don't! If the books are selective on who goes... I won't be able to protect you... This could be a trap! Miraak got trapped in those books! The same thing could happen to you." Jack took a deep breath to think rationally. Locking eyes with Neloth, he asked him seriously. "You said we'd need another book. Why? If they're all portals..." Neloth placed a hand on his journal, replying grimly. "I discovered this recently. According to my black book. Every book is slightly different from another. Pieces of a puzzle for different reasons. My book contains locations of the other books. In conclusion, I know where to find a black book that can help you."

Mark's tone was full of mistrust, when he asked him doubtfully. "So, you know where to find a black book that is connected to Miraak. Just like that...?" Mark inhaled sharply, reaching out to grab Jack's arm as he discreetly growled out. "Jack, we need to go. I don't trust him! Something is not right! If he knows their locations, why doesn't he have the books already?!" Neloth cleared his throat awkwardly, stating aloud firmly. "The book you want I happened to find a while ago. It's got a stronger pull than the other books. The only reason I do not possess it, is because I haven't been able to get it. But maybe together we can finally unlock the secrets the Dwemer left behind." Mark glared at Neloth, growling out. "What do the Dwemer have to do with the books?" Neloth rolled his eyes unfazed, muttering out in a bored tone. "They were the last people to have possessed them. They protected them and it is unclear if they were able to use them. Now will you help me or not? I don't have all day."

Mark shook his head, but Jack boldly answered. "Alright. We'll help each other." Mark turned to gawk at him in disbelief, but Jack quickly told him. "We don't have time to argue. Let's just get what we need first and figure out what to do with it later." Neloth clapped his hands together excitedly, telling him happily. "Very good. Will you require anything before we set out?" Mark shook his head, trudging toward the platform in silence. Jack didn't like butting heads with Mark, but sometimes the roughest route was the only sure route. Neloth began to gather up a few things from his shelf, asking Jack curiously. "You're a mage, yes?" Jack nodded silently; his eyes were on Mark. Watching him lean on the wooden railing with a tense look. A loud whistle drew his attention to Neloth mere seconds before he tossed him a staff. Jack barely caught it before it hit the ground. Neloth pointed to it, telling him nonchalantly. "You can have that. Found it in the ruins. It might serve you better than that sword."

Jack looked over the staff closely. He had never owned one. They were always so expensive. This one was probably worth more than most people's entire farms. It was made of black dwarven metal and cast to look like a dragon head on the top. The neck of the dragon was arched like a snake about to strike. The eyes and open mouth began to glow a bright green as he held it. Jack could feel it vibrating in his hands softly. Somewhere nearby, Neloth chuckled and told him in slight surprise. "How fascinating... It likes you. I've been working with that useless thing for months with not even a whisper of its magical properties. I'll have to make a note of this." Jack stared into the eyes of the staff, feeling his magic flow through the staff. The open mouth of the staff began to puff out a green mist and Jack grinned. He could almost feel how happy the staff was. Most staffs were powered by a strong soul. The stronger the soul, the greater the power it helped to cast. The tricky part was finding a staff that worked well with a mage.

They had to share a bond that took time to develop. Not this staff. It already liked him because it could feel what he was. It could feel the dragon blood running through his magic. Inside the dragon staff, a young dragon soul pulsed with excitement and pride. Grinning more brightly at the staff, Jack whispered to it sweetly. "Nice to meet you, Sam." Sam's glowing green eyes flickered, and Jack chuckled to himself. Mark ventured over to him, curiously asking him. "Who's Sam?" Jack turned the staff so that the eyes of the dragon could look at Mark. Mark flinched, eyeing the staff wearily. Chuckling just a little, Jack told him honestly. "It's his name. Say hi." Mark raised an eyebrow, then put the back of his hand to Jack's forehead to check his temperature. Jack swatted Mark's hand away playfully, mumbling out. "Mark... Don't. I'm serious." Mark rested his hand on Jack's shoulder, telling him in a soft loving voice. "I'll take your word for it." Jack rolled his eyes, grabbing Mark's wrist and forcing him to hold the staff.

Mark's fingers anxiously curled around it. Jack placed a hand over his, feeling the staff warm up. Mark's hand jerked, but Jack kept his hand to the staff, whispering. "It's ok. He's just shy." Mark smirked, his eyes meeting Jack's as he whispered to him. "You make the weirdest friends." Jack leaned in to kiss Mark. Just a brief tender kiss, but it meant so much to him. It warmed his heart that Mark wasn't mad at him. Neloth cleared his throat loudly, shoving between them to separate them as he told them in a strict voice. "I'll have none of that now. We can't afford distractions. Now if you are ready. Let us be off." Mark let out a throaty growl in response. Jack nudged him with his shoulder, telling him warmly. "Keep it together, Mark. Let's just get this done." Jack made his way to the platform, watching Neloth step off the edge fearlessly. The gust of magical wind caught him, lowering him gracefully to the ground. Jack took a deep breath, then did the same with Mark following along behind him.

As they strolled out the door, Sam began to vibrate excitedly with a sense of adventure that made Jack smile. Ahead of them, Neloth began to yammer out proudly. "I found their 'Reading Room' in the ruins of Nchardak. The book is there, but it's sealed in a protective case which I wasn't able to open. Perhaps together, we can change that. Now do keep up. We've wasted enough time. To Nchardak!" Mark nudged Jack's shoulder, playfully whispering to him. "The guy likes hearing himself talk, doesn't he?" Jack giggled, nudging Mark back innocently to shush him before Neloth overheard such talk at his expense. To Be Continued...