Jack stayed back with Mark, following Neloth at a cautious distance. He didn't like the idea that they were being used or tricked. Neloth stomped down the wet stone steps, grumbling over his shoulder at them. "Oh, do keep up will you! Honestly, I thought you were hardened adventurers. Not scared little children." Mark made his way down the steps slowly, huffing sarcastically as he muttered out. "Ya... As wise adventurer is a cautious one. Only fools rush in." Neloth didn't appear to hear him as he strolled up to a pedestal that sat nestled before a door that was out of their reach. Mark raised an eyebrow, removing his sword to have it at the ready. Jack lifted Sam at the ready, asking Mark discreetly. "The door wasn't underwater... Why did we have to drain this place?" Neloth chuckled, clearly overhearing him in the empty hall, because he answered clearly. "We drained it, because we can't reach the door unless we do this." Neloth carefully set the second cube on the pedestal.

The cube whirled to life, causing stone walls to rise from the opening under the door at odd heights. Forming a set of stone stairs up to the door and once they were in place, a loud solid 'Clang' rang throughout the room. Jack held his breath, listening intently for any other sounds to follow. He was sure that the golden doors had unlocked... but what else had unlocked with it? Mark had the same idea. They both glanced around the room for even the tiniest things that moved. There were stone table with bits of Dwemer spiders, but none of them moved. Jack was only slightly impressed by the fact that the Dwemer metal didn't appear to be rusted, despite the pieces being under sea water for so long. Neloth huffed at them loudly, mocking them dryly. "Look at you cowering like a couple of dogs beneath a master's boot. Honestly, what did you think was going to happen. Let's go." The lower part of the stairs was blocked by a golden bridge, but Neloth quickly pointed out a set of stairs that would take them across it.

Neloth reached the stairs first, then suddenly his paced quickened to a brisk jog. Mark dashed after him, cursing under his breath. "Son of a bitch!" Neloth made it to the bridge, just as Mark raced up the steps. Jack's heart dropped to the floor as one of the Dwemer Centurions stepped away from his wall mount with burst of hot steam. The Centurion raised its massive hammer hand, knocking Mark clear off his feet and back down the floor. Mark hit the stone floor with a painful grunt. Jack ran forward to stand by Mark just as the Centurion lifted its other hand to aim its fist at them. From the Centurion's arm a set of huge metal crossbow limbs popped out. Jack swallowed hard, barely catching a glimpse of Neloth running up the steps toward the golden doors as he called out to them. "That's it, boys! Keep them distracted! I'll get the cube!" Mark stiffly sat up, clutching the chest of his armor as he winced out breathlessly. "Did he say 'them?" Jack pointed Sam at the Centurion, casting a ward from Sam's mouth as the Centurion released a large bolt at them.

The bolt struck the ward, clattering to the floor. Jack exhaled in relief that the ward had been strong enough, when Mark shoved him to the floor, yelling out. "GET DOWN!" Jack hit the wet stone floor with a yelp, seconds before another large bolt pierced the stone where he had been standing. Mark rolled to his feet, hefting his sword as he glanced between the two Centurions. Jack's heart began to race in his chest. Just one of these things had almost killed them last time. Now there was two?! Hot steam burst from the Centurions joints as they careful descended the steps. The second their heavy metal feet touched the puddled floor, the water burst into thick steam! Getting close to them was not an option. They were radiating enough heat to be their own forge and the hot steam was scolding! Mark gritted his teeth, growling out angrily. "I HATE these things!" Jack took a deep breath, shouting out at full force toward one. "FUS RO DAH!" The blast of power cleared the water from the floor and hit the Centurion square in the chest.

However, the Centurion was so heavy that it merely slid backward across the floor a few inches. Jack's jaw dropped as he uttered out in horror. "Holy shite..." Mark backed up into Jack's back, asking him hopefully. "Jack? Know any cold spells?" Jack braced his staff before him, answering shakily. "Ya... but they're both generating too much heat... I'd kill myself trying to overpower just one of them." Jack pointed Sam at the ground, shooting a frost rune circle at the foot of the approaching Centurion, then turned to do the same on Mark's side. Both Centurion's stepped on the rune circle without hesitation. The rune exploded in a burst of frost to case their foot... but just as quickly melted away. Mark reached back to grab Jack's free hand, telling him boldly. "What about heating up the room to melt them?" Jack chuckled darkly, replying seriously. "You wanna kill us too?" Mark's grip on his hand tightened, upon answering. "Might be a faster way to go..."

Jack raised Sam to try something else, when the pipes all around them began to rumble and rattle. The Centurions stopped, bending over to stare at the floor. Jack did too and gasped. Sea water was starting to fill the room rapidly. The Centurions began backing up quickly, but there was nowhere for them to go. The water was rising too fast. As the water hit the Centurions chests, it flooded them, extinguishing their internal flames instantly. As the water rose, Mark and himself were forced to rise with it. Turning the room into a claustrophobic chamber as the stone roof stopped them from rising higher. Although, the water still kept rising. Mark coughed out water, straining out. "Jack, water breathing?!" The water rose up too high for him to say the spell, but he quickly zapped both Mark and himself with Sam. Out of habit neither of them tested the spell, until they could no longer hold their breath. Forcing them to gasp. Beneath the water Mark chuckled as they both relaxed with relief. The spell had worked.

The relief of it was almost overwhelming. Jack pointed toward the way they had come into the room, when the room rumbled, and a sudden current dragged them into a side room that must have opened. Mark kept ahold of his hand, swimming with the current. Mark was a stronger swimmer than he was. The spell for water breathing took away Mark's deathly fear of drowning, allowing him to simply focus on where the current was going. Jack stared at a set of open golden doors as the swam through them and understood. The Dwemer doors were sealed so tightly they were air locked. However, given enough pressure from the water, it had forced them open. Which caused the chamber to filter in large amounts of water. The room they were forced into was really small with a stone spiral staircase in the center. Unlike the other room, this room was still draining off somewhere, because the water didn't rise all the way up the staircase. Mark pulled Jack to the steps, causing the spell to wear off as they breathed in air.

Mark coughed more water from his lungs, telling him only half-joking. "I hope Neloth drowned in there." Jack shook his head, coughing some water out himself as he panted out. "I hope not. We need the cubes he had. Otherwise, how will we get that book?" Mark groaned loudly in disgust, then he suddenly chuckled to himself. Mark tapped his shoulder, pointing across the water as he asked. "Hey, Jack. Is that a cube?" Jack peeked over his shoulder and let out a chuckle himself. Floating on the surface of the water by a far wall was another Dwemer cube. Jack brushed his wet green bangs away from his face, answering lightly. "Ya. It must have been in this room somewhere, but the water dislodged it." They shared a laugh, before Mark slipped back into the calmer water to retrieve it. Bringing it back, he tossed it up to Jack. Jack caught it, slipping it into his bag, before helping Mark out. Mark flicked water off himself, following Jack up the spiral staircase as he said grimly. "Alright. So, what do we do now? Should we go back for Neloth?"

Jack stretched, before petting Sam's dragon head just for fun of it as he replied reluctantly. "Let's head back to the book and see if Neloth played us for fools." Mark nodded, peeking down at the water. Jack tapped him though, walking over to a pedestal at the end of the spiral staircase. Setting the cube on it, he grinned when a golden bridge fell to reveal the door leading back to the boiler room. Mark rested an elbow on Jack's shoulder, grinning brightly as he uttered out happily. "You know... I hate Dwemer ruins... but I do so love that they made other routes to circle back." Jack nodded, taking the cube off the pedestal carefully. Together they made their way to the golden door and pushed them open. Jack was going to say how relieved he was not to fight the Centurions, when he heard Neloth muttering to himself from somewhere near where the boilers were located. "Hardly a challenge now. It's almost too easy." Jack jogged to the control pedestals to see that two cubes had been put into place to drain the water down enough to reveal a stone path to a door below.

Neloth stood before a pedestal by the door, setting the cube on it to open the protective bars. Once they were opened, he removed the cube and leisurely strolled into the golden doors. Mark cracked his neck beside him, growling out. "Shall we go see what the snake is up to now?" Jack glanced at the boilers, answering softly. "He must be after what he believes is the last two cubes. Let's keep our cube a secret and investigate. Just in case there is more that he was hiding from us." Briskly walking down the stone path, Jack read the little sign by the door. "Nchardak Aqueduct." Mark grunted, pushing the door open slowly as he whispered back. "This should be a good place to bury him in." Jack shook his head, whispering back sourly. "Ha. Ha. Being a coward doesn't mean he deserves to die." Mark gestured back where they had come from, growling through clenched teeth. "No, but leaving us to die from Centurions comes pretty fucking close to murder." Jack slipped into the door, whispering back. "He must have removed the cube. It turned off the pumps and flooded the chamber. What if he did that on purpose? What if we were just- ?"

Jack stopped talking as Neloth finished for him from farther ahead. "A distraction? Yes. Glad to see you boys are still breathing. I told you that you could take them." Jack cleared his throat, understanding now. Neloth had a spell that allowed him to hear things at a distance from him. Elf ears weren't THAT good at hearing whispers from around corners. Neloth moved into their sight, giving them a bright smile as he said nonchalantly. "Come along now. The last two cubes should be in here somewhere. I do hope that it won't require more swimming around in this filth. Wouldn't you agree?" Mark snorted with mistrust and Jack carefully took his arm to calm him. They had one of the cubes. For now, that was just enough leverage to keep his own mixed feelings under control. They were so close. They could deal with Neloth for just a bit longer. Neloth beckoned them with his slender fingers, strutting off out of sight.

Jack pulled Mark down to the open chamber to get a better look at the place. The place was large and still partly flooded. Half the beautiful stairs around the room were partly submerged, leaving only the golden bridges as a means to cross them... Unless you wanted to swim. Neloth pointed to a shadowy staircase in the distance, telling them self-assured. "You see that place there? I'd bet that must be the pump activator up there. But how to reach it?" Mark moved to the edge of the platform, kicking a small stone into the dark water as he mumbled out dryly. "Swim over." Neloth shot Mark a fowl glare, retorting coldly. "No. We'll need to get all three of these bridges down in order to reach that pump control. It's safer." Neloth moved to another pedestal, while Mark bitterly snarled back. "Like draining the hall back there and leaving us was safer?" Neloth carefully set a cube on the pedestal, his voice distant as he answered. "You're still alive, aren't you? You're serving your purpose. Isn't that what you brute types do? Charge into battles without any thought? A worthy distraction."

Mark stormed closer to Neloth, but Jack slipped into his path to stop him short. Staring into Mark's eyes, Jack shook his head ever so slightly. Mark turned away hefting a powerful sigh to calm himself. Jack smiled at him. Mark was getting better at calming himself down. He didn't like or trust Neloth either... but what was good for the goose was good for the gander. Neloth was using them. That much was clear. It was only fair that they used him to get this book. Neloth grabbed Jack's arm, causing Sam to vibrate angrily in his hand. Jack let Neloth turn him a bit forcefully as he showed him with a smug grin. "There is the device for lowering the bridges. Wait here. Don't touch anything." Jack waited for Neloth to stroll off, before fixing his sleeve. Neloth walked up to the three pedestals and began using the cube on each in turn. The cube lowered one bridge but raised another. The more he used the cube, the more offset all three bridges got. Mark found it funny, but Jack was cringing internally. It was a Dwemer puzzle and Neloth wasn't seeing the pattern.

When he couldn't take it anymore, he handed Sam to Mark and quickly jogged up the ramp. Neloth started to tell him to go away, but he yanked the cube off a pedestal before Neloth could touch it. Shoving Neloth aside, he told him frankly. "You're doing it wrong. You have to get all the bridges up. Then use this one to lower them all at once." Neloth crossed his arms, grumbling out. "I knew that. I was just testing something." Jack rolled his eyes without looking at Neloth. He was focused only on the task at hand. It took him three tries, before he did it. Mark cheered for him, making Jack grin brightly. Neloth wasn't so impressed. Neloth quickly snatched the cube off the pedestal, telling him sternly. "Yes. Yes. Very good. Quickly now." Jack followed Neloth down and joined up with Mark to take Sam back. They were just crossing the first bridge, when a large sphere rolled out to block their path. The sphere quickly transformed into a Dwemer Ballista, taking aim at all of them at once.

Jack raised Sam to defend. While Neloth suddenly uttered out a little stunned. "Oh, how fascinating. I didn't know you'd be down here." Mark nudged Jack discreetly, pointing with his sword to the three others stationed by the other two bridges.  They had their weapons trained on them and were waiting to fire upon them. To Be Continued...