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."

Neloth climbed to his feet, bittering snapping out through clenched teeth. "You're crazy! Keeping a beast like him alive. He's not human anymore. He's an animal! Wild and bloodthirsty! He'll turn on you for a good meal!" Mark's eyes opened, his wolf eyes back as he growled. Jack moved closer to Mark, answering warmly. "Push anyone to their breaking point and they become beasts. If you don't want to fight a beast, then don't corner it." Jack leaned in to kiss Mark's lips lovingly. Almost instantly Mark was calmer. Mark's free hand raised to touch Jack's cheek, brushing his knuckles along his cheekbone. Jack smiled at him. Mark's claws were gone, and his teeth were back to normal. With another brief tender kiss, Mark's wolf eyes faded back to his teddy bear brown. Neloth stormed past them, muttering something under his breath out beastiality. Mark started to turn to follow Neloth, but Jack stopped him with another kiss. Prying himself reluctantly from the kiss, he told Mark sweetly. "You're getting better. I'm proud of you."

Mark huffed, grumbling out. "I don't think so. I still swung at him. I wanted to cut off his hands so badly... Took everything I had not too." Jack kissed Mark's temple, whispering to him sweetly. "Just a bit longer. Then we can go home." Mark took a deep breath, exhaling it through his nose loudly. Jack brushed a hand through Mark's wet bangs with a grin. The floor suddenly began to rumble, causing both Mark and Jack to look out at the water. The water level was falling. From above them in an open room, Neloth had put a cube on a pedestal. Neloth grinned to himself, uttering out. "That should do it. Now let's get the last two cubes." Neloth strolled down the steps, muttering out as he past them. "What a mess. I'm getting tired of wading around in this muck." Neloth strolled on by, strutting across the bridges to get back to the stairs that led down to the unflooded level. Jack took Mark's hand and followed at a distance. He took note that the cube was still on the pedestal. Which may come in handy if things went south.

The open area below wasn't much to admire. It simply appeared to be a hallway that broke off to the left and right. To the left, an area barred off by golden bars. To the right, another door protected with golden bars. Neloth moved up to the pedestal beside the door and placed a cube on it for a few seconds. The bars moved and the doors swung open on their own to reveal a broken stairway in a narrow hall. Neloth fearlessly made his way up the ramp with Jack pulling Mark behind him. Turning at the end of the hall, they came to a small room with lots of pipes and a simple golden gate at the far end. Neloth started to move inside, but Mark lazily warned him. "I wouldn't do that if I was you." Neloth turned, dryly stating back. "Well, you're not me. Thank the divines for that." Mark kicked a rock across the room with a dark expression, causing two blades to shoot up from the floor. The blades began to spin, following back and forth across a floor track. A clever trap. Neloth took an anxious step back, while Mark dryly stated out. "A genius, huh?"

Neloth flashed Mark a dark grin. Jack shrugged, saying lightly. "The blades are offset. We might be able to make it through them?" Neloth nodded, boldly stating out. "Great plan. I know how to make it even better." Jack yelped as Neloth shoved him into the room with the blades. Stumbling onto all fours, Jack winced as a blade whizzed past his cheek mere inches from cutting him. Mark let out a deep threatening growl. Jack sat up to look at them, seeing that Neloth had a hand that was sparking electricity pointed at Mark. Neloth glanced between them, ordering him sternly. "Go get the cube and I won't put your dog down. Refuse and not only will I kill him, but I'll dissect him before your eyes. Slow and painful. I'm rather good at paralyzation spells." Jack stood up slowly, telling Neloth calmly. "You don't have to do this. We're on the same side." Neloth narrowed his eyes on Jack, sneering out. "Are we? I get the strange impression that your dog wants me dead. And it's clear that your affections for him will play in his favor if it should come to that. So, consider this as me defending myself."

Mark started to move into the room, but Neloth cut him off, snapping out. "Oh no you don't! Tell your dog to stay put or I zap him!" Jack raised a hand to gesture for Mark to stay where he was. Mark scowled at him, but Jack told him reassuringly. "It's ok, Mark. I can do this." Mark took a step back reluctantly. Jack turned to face the blades with a heavy sigh. Watching the blades closely, he timed out the perfect time to pass between them and quickly slipped through. Standing before the golden gate, he saw the cube resting on a pedestal between the bars. Examining the door, he set Sam on the wall and gestured to the pedestal by the gate, telling Neloth. "I need a cube." Neloth's face contorted with mistrust, but he removed a cube from his bag with one hand. Jack turned to face him, holding out his hands to catch the cube. Neloth clenched his jaw in defiance but tossed him the cube. Catching it, Jack placed it on the pedestal. The golden gate swung open and the blades deactivated.

Neloth inched closer, gesturing with his hand greedily. "Give me the cube!" Jack tossed him the cube he had given him. Neloth caught it, quickly stashing it away. While Mark shared a confident look with him. They still had their cube as leverage. Jack moved into the room at a slow pace. There was a weird tile set before the pedestal. Bending down, Jack dusted the tiles lightly with his fingers. In the center of the tile was a golden square with a strange symbol on it. Instinct told him to avoid it. So, he did. Stepping around the tile, he reached out to carefully remove the cube. The second the cube left the golden prongs; the whole room began to shake violently. Jack staggered on his feet, slipping the cube into his bag and snatching Sam off the floor. Dashing across the room, Jack screamed out. "RUN!" Behind him the pipes burst, gushing water into the room. Mark grabbed Jack's arm, running around the corner to see the way they came was flooding fast. Neloth cast two spells on himself, then dived into the water.

Mark cursed, but Jack told Mark over the rushing water. "Don't worry about him. WE have to get out of here before the water collapses the exits!" Grabbing Mark's arm, they both dived into the water. Swimming out into the other room, Jack swam up to the surface with Mark. Neloth was racing up the stairs to get the cube as the water continued to rise by the second. Neloth saw them as he reached the top of the steps, asking them in a rushed voice. "Do you still have the cube?" Jack nodded and Neloth uttered out loudly. "Good! Then I'll take this cube and we can be on our way!" Mark spit water, yelling out desperately. "WAIT! DON'T TOUCH THAT!" Neloth didn't listen, he removed the cube. Jack's eyes widened in horror as the pipes in the room started blowing out the water it had drained from the room, filling the chamber faster! The water took them up to the high ceiling in a matter of seconds. Jack quickly cast water breathing on himself and Mark just as the water removed the air from the chamber.

The water was so dark that Jack couldn't see anything. Mark grabbed his hand pulling him farther down into the depths. They had to find the door to get out. Jack didn't have the heart to tell Mark that the spell for water breathing had a limited time. They didn't see Neloth anywhere and hunting for the door was a challenge in dark water. Everything looked so different when you could swim above everything. Jack hefted Sam, conjuring a mage light underwater and regretted it. Now he knew why Neloth refused to swim before. As the light lit up the water, it illuminated the glittery scales to a swarm of Slaughterfish. To Be Continued...