Neloth led the way at a surprising pace. Jack had to practically jog to even stay within sight of him. While the ashy terrain slowed Mark and himself, Neloth was unaffected. He wondered if it was magic, or just the fact that he was an elf. Jogging along behind him, Mark asked him curiously. "So, that staff... What's so special about it?" Jack faked a gasp, clutching it to his chest like he was trying to cover Sam's precious ears. Mark shot him a worried look, but Jack dropped the act to inform him honestly. "Staffs are the most powerful thing a mage can own. Using soul gems, a mage can capture a soul and craft it into the staff. The more powerful the soul, the more powerful the staff. When the staff and mage work together, they can cast stronger spells without using hardly any of their own energy." Mark pulled Jack to a stop by his arm, allowing them both to catch their breath for a minute. As Mark panted softly, he asked him seriously. "So, in other words... Mage's steal souls to enslave them and make them do all the work?"

Jack stiffened a little, feeling slightly offended. Mark didn't appear to have processed the sharpness of his own words. Inhaling slowly through his nose, Jack answered Mark slightly defensive. "Believe it or not, Mark. A lot of people volunteer for it. People that are in bodily pain volunteer for it. People we can't help or save. Being a mage's staff is a great honor. It's a bond that is shared. The mage may like a staff, but the staff CHOOSES who deserves to wield it. They are not slaves." Jack's heart twisted in his chest. Mark looked up from the ground to stare at him with sudden guilty eyes. From farther ahead, Neloth yelled back at them. "Oh, do keep up! It's not much farther!" Jack turned away from Mark to leave, but Mark grabbed his arm to stop him. Jack refused to look back at him. In his hand, Sam pulsed with a feeling of comfort. Mark moved closer, whispering over his shoulder apologetically. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out like that... I... It's just what it sounded like to me..."

Jack slightly looked over his shoulder, uttering back softly. "I know... I don't mind you asking... It's when you say it like... Like I should be ashamed of what I am that hurts." Mark wrapped his arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly as he told him sincerely. "I'm sorry. I don't know why it keeps coming out like that... I've never had a problem with mages before." From farther ahead, Neloth's impatient voice bellowed out. "What is the hold up?! Let's go!" Jack pointed Sam in Neloth's direction, mumbling to Mark. "You've been around mages like him. That's why. Skyrim mages are nothing like Cyrodiil's." Mark chuckled softly against his ear, retorting lovingly. "Thank the gods for that. I managed to marry a good one." Jack rolled his eyes, squirming in Mark's grip a little. Mark nibbled his ear for a second, making Jack giggle from how much it tickled. When he finally released him, Mark pulled up his cloth mask and told him sweetly. "Come on. Before Neloth blows something up."

Jack pulled his own cloth up over his nose as the wind blew ash into the air. Trailing up after Neloth again, Mark asked Jack curiously. "Just to be clear. A man named Sam lives in your staff?" Jack chuckled softly to himself, correcting innocently. "Sam is a young dragon soul." Mark skidded to a halt, asking perplexed. "Wait a minute... How is that possible? You told me before that soul gems couldn't hold a dragon soul... At least, until we saw that red one over the dwarven city." Jack patted Mark's shoulder, telling him happily. "You were listening to me. I'm so proud." Mark's eyes narrowed on him with a sarcastic look. Jack smirked, stating out sweetly. "I wasn't sure either until Sam told me." Mark took a deep breath with a look of concern. Jack waved a dismissive hand at him, saying confidently. "Don't give me that. It's the bond, I was telling you about. When I attuned to him, I got bits of his memory. Well, his 'soul gem' memory anyway." Jack turned to stop in front of Mark, holding up the staff to tell him excitedly. "Look at the staff. Notice anything?"

Mark took the staff to look it over, before answering casually. "I don't know much about staffs... but I'd say from looks... It's dwarven make and cast in the mold of a black dragon." Jack carefully took the staff back, informing him happily. "Exactly. We know the dwarves had a means to capture a dragon soul in that large soul gem. Now, do you remember what it said in the Dragonborn book? The dragon priests of old were given masks with power. They were more powerful than any Archmage. They commanded legions. What if that wasn't the only thing that made them powerful? What if-" Mark cut him off to say softly in shock. "The staffs were constructed from dragon souls to empower the dragon priests further. It would give them the power of a Dragonborn despite them not being one!" Jack nodded, adding excitedly. "Exactly. The dragons were trying to bridge the gap between them and humans long before anyone knew. Alduin simply dug his claws into unseen potential. Pinning human greed for power as a means for controlling the rest of the human race. Meanwhile, the other dragons had moved on to a riskier experiment. Creating a Dragonborn."

Mark scoffed loudly in disbelief, uttering out dryly. "They didn't learn from one mistake and made another. Leaving Akatosh to take things into his own hands in order fix the broken timeline." Jack nodded. Mark pointed to the staff, asking softly. "Now the question is... If the dragon priests were buried with their masks and staffs... Where did that one come from?" Jack smirked, answering Mark smugly. "Neloth said he found it in the dwarven 'reading room.' What dragon priest wasn't buried with his stuff and loved to read?" Mark pulled his cloth mask down to smirk wickedly as he leaned in to answer over Jack's lips wickedly. "Miraak." Jack pulled down his own mask to peck his lips against Mark's in a brief playful kiss, answering after. "Precisely." Jack grinned brightly at Mark, spinning around on his heel to continue after Neloth. Neloth stood with his arm crossed firmly over his chest, tapping his foot impatiently as he grumbled out to them. "Do you two enjoy wasting precious time?"

Jack walked up to him, wearing a bright smile as he stated out. "Time is irrelevant. When you're in pain, time lasts an eternity. But you fall in love, time seems to race by in a second. Time is what you make it. I chose to treat every second like my last." Neloth rolled his eyes, storming off as he retorted gruffly. "If you're done with your useless yammering. The ruins are just ahead." Neloth walked at a slower pace now to point out across the grey water by the shoreline as they crested a small hill. The ruins were half sunk in the water, but what they could see above the water looked simply weathered. Neloth took a second to marvel the ruins, stating aloud with admiration. "The Dwemer certainly knew how to build for the ages. These towers have outlasted their creators by millennia. The book is housed inside that dome. The door is locked, but I have the key for it. Come. Let's get on with it." Neloth started walking again to lead them to the slightly broken and crumbled stone bridge.

Mark withdrew his greatsword, giving Jack a swift nod before following him up the steps. Jack held Sam at the ready, allowing him to see the area too. Just in case Sam saw something he didn't. The place looked haunted. All the stones were faded and eroded by the saltwater. While the water and sky held a foggy grey sheen to everything. They moved cautiously across the bridge toward the smallest looking dome structure. The other domes were much taller and set farther back into the water beyond their ability to get to them without going for a swim. Neloth strolled past them like they were still wasting his time. Mark relaxed a little seeing that Neloth hadn't triggered anything, before telling Jack lightly. "This must have been a grand thing to see in its day. You think it was a castle library?" Jack shrugged, replying. "I don't know. Maybe." Neloth cleared his throat loudly to draw their attention. Once he had it, he removed a metal cube from his bag inside his robes and stated aloud. "The Dwemer of Nchardak appear to have been fond of these control pedestals. Luckily, I found a cube to operate it inside on my last visit."

Jack looked over the strong metal gate that was firmly shut over the door like iron bars. Neloth took his small cube to a little metal pedestal beside the door. Carefully, setting the cube on the little spokes, he told them. "I sealed the door when I left to keep out ignorant meddlers. Don't want them destroying or stealing important findings. The book is just inside." The cube whirled to life and the iron bars slide back like firm curtains to reveal the metal door. Neloth removed the little cube and pushed the door open without a second thought. Jack followed Neloth in at a distance, taking in the room for the first time. The room was made of solid stone with gold metal fixtures that held crystals that glowed as they moved inside. The room was large and circular with a strange circular design on the floor. Jack moved into the circle to try and read the runes etched on a circular golden ring in the very center... but his eyes were instead drawn to the dead center where a thick clear glass revealed a black book on a pedestal.

Jack kneeled to touch the glass, searching for a seam. He didn't see one. Mark moved up, holding his sword up in a way that suggested he was going to try piercing the glass with his blade. Mark jerked his head, telling Jack seriously. "Back up." Jack quickly moved away, watching Mark stab the glass. The sword struck the glass but didn't even leave a scratch. Neloth scoffed with disappointment, uttering out dryly. "Did you really think that brute force would work? Please." Neloth lazily glanced at Jack, muttering out sternly. "Incase you plan to try using your magic. Don't. The glass is heavily warded. It will just make whatever you throw at it bounce off. Trust me, if it were that easy. I'd have the book already." Mark lowered his sword, asking sharply. "Alright. What do you suggest, Wizard?" Neloth held up the small cube with his fingers, telling them bluntly. "We'll have to do this the hard way. I need more of these. If I can restore power to the steam room, we'll have enough energy to open the case the way it was designed too with that switch over there. I'm certain of it."

At the mention of the switch, Jack turned to look for it. In the back corner of the room was a small metal podium with a big blue button on it. Just for his own curiosity, he walked over to the button. He knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't help himself. He discreetly pressed the button. When nothing happened, he glanced around the ceiling to the metal pipes. Unlike, the Dwemer ruins he had been in before, the place was eerily quiet. Not even a wisp of clanging or hissing steam. Neloth moved toward another barred off door to stand by another cube stand. With a sour look, Neloth told them both. "As you can see, that is easier said than done. Come on. I'll show you why. This way to the boilers." Neloth set the cube on the pedestal and the cube made the bars move away from the door. Neloth took the cube under his arm, pushing the doors open to an elevator. Reluctantly following him onto the platform, Neloth flipped the large metal lever. There was a loud metal clang, before the elevator started to go down.

Jack observed the elevator closely. He could hear hissing pipes, but if the power was down that didn't make sense to him. Neloth noticed his look and told him matter-of-factly. "Fascinating, isn't it? The power is down. Yet, this little cube was able to generate enough power to make it work. I've been studying it for months and I still can't understand how the Dwemer managed such a tool. Imagine what the potential of such technology could mean for our future!" Mark glanced at all the metal gears along the walls, muttering out under his breath. "You see potential. I see more wars and death over it." Neloth puffed himself up, snapping out. "You wouldn't understand. You're not a mage. You can't imagine anything beyond your powerless existence." Jack shook his head, saying softly. "No. He's right. This technology could be turned against magic. Used to start a war against the mages." Neloth snorted, retorting sourly. "No. Impossible. These very machines are powered by magic. The mages would be more powerful than ever."

Mark turned cold emotionless eyes on Neloth, answering bluntly. "If that was true, then why does their very existence baffle the college? Why are they so dangerous that a mage would seek OUR help to go looking for cubes that he could clearly get for himself?" Neloth locked stony eyes on Mark but said nothing. Mark flashed Neloth a tiny disgruntled smirk, adding shortly. "That's what I thought. You can't work with these things anymore than us 'powerless' beings can. They are constructs designed to keep people out. Used the wrong way and they become constructs of war. Why do you think the Dwemer are gone? People grow powerful and then their kingdoms come crashing down when others don't agree or want what they have." Neloth snorted as the elevator came to a stop, muttering back out. "I don't need a history lesson from the likes of you. You Nords are the biggest threats to yourselves for that same reason." Mark puffed himself up, laying his sword over his shoulder as he shot back seriously. "Which is why I know what I'm talking about. You'd be wise to listen." To Be Continued...