The stone floor was cold beneath Jack. He could feel it through the torn and ripped remains of his clothes. Shivering a little, he snuggled into Mark's damp thick dark brown fur. When Mark pulled him closer, Jack could barely feel the sharp tips of Mark's claws touch the exposed skin of his back. Mark was being careful not to hurt him, making Jack smile. Listening to Mark's loud thundering heart, he told him quietly. "I'll need new clothes... I can't go back to Skyrim's cold climate like this." Mark tilted his head enough to bring his muzzle close to his ear, before his warm tongue licked his whole ear. Jack shuddered at the weird feeling but giggled out. "Eh... Don't do that. That tickles." Mark adjusted his head off him, huffing out a heavy sigh. Jack ran his hand through the thick fur of his chest, telling him in a loving voice. "Mark... Something occurred to me after I thought you died. I didn't have time to think about it, but... I can't stop thinking about it now." Mark's tail dusted the floor, when he lifted his head.

Jack couldn't bare to look at him as he told him. "If I had lost you just now... I'd never see you again." Mark let out a soft whine, but Jack continued in a numb voice. "Hear me out, Mark. You made a deal with Hircine... You've become one of his hunters. When you die... you won't go to Sovengarde... You'll go to Hircine's hunting ground. A place I can't follow. I'd be separated from you for all of time..." Mark's furry hand moved to touch a knuckle to his cheek. Finally looking into Mark's large yellowish gold eyes, Mark's eyes lowered to look at something. Jack followed his gaze to see his own hand on Mark's chest, their wedding glinting in the low candlelight. Jack stared at the ring, telling Mark softly. "I don't understand. Why would the ring make a difference?" Mark nuzzled him with his big nose, his whines pitching at weird times to sound almost human. Listening carefully, he heard Mark repeat it a few times, before asking him confused. "Mara?" Mark nodded his head, then laid his head down.

Jack pet Mark's chest, asking still confused. "Mark, I don't understand...?" Mark's body started shifting back but it was so different now. He was changing back, but it looked more painful. The bones broke and shrank in size, causing Mark roll onto his back and cry out in agony. Arching his back, Mark let a scream that made Jack bolt up onto his knees. Something was wrong. Mark had never changed back this violently before. Panicking, Jack extended his hands over Mark, starting to try and heal him. The magic was being absorbed into Mark's body aggressively with a hunger that made Jack gasp in shock. Jack couldn't end the spell, something ancient and powerful was forcing him to keep it going. Absorbing more and more mana from him. Mark's human body arched back against the floor, letting out a calmer groan one last time. As Mark's body fell limply to the floor, the connection on Jack broke. Jack fell back across the floor, panting heavily. He felt like his magic had been completely drained from him.

It was a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time. Mark slowly sat upright, groaning out bitterly. "That fucking sucked. Jack? You ok?" Jack couldn't move. His body was too weak. Mark rushed to him, leaning over him as he almost shouted out. "Jack?!" Jack managed a slight nod, groaning out in a strained voice. "What... was that?" Mark put a hand on Jack's chest, telling him seriously. "Apparently, that is what happens when I try to change back without eating... Jack... The wolf was eating me from the inside... It was killing me..." Jack didn't want to laugh, but he couldn't stop himself. Staring up at Mark with a defeated look, he chuckled out. "Daedra lords sure do know how to hide that fine print..." Mark chuckled, leaning his head down to rest it on Jack's shoulder as he told him lightly. "You were right. I should have eaten Neloth's heart out... but the wolf saw him as so cowardly that he was unworthy to be eaten. How's that for insult..." Jack reached up to run a hand through Mark's hair, lightly chuckling back. "I bet he tasted terrible anyway."

Mark sat up a little with a smile that faded away when he looked over all the holes in Jack's clothes. Jack patted Mark's cheek, sitting up stiffly as he told him gruffly. "One thing at a time. Let's get the fuck out of here." Jack weakly staggered to his feet, while Mark collected Neloth's bag and Sam. Removing the cubes one at a time, Jack placed the cubes out on all the boiler pedestals carefully. Pipes roared to life, but nothing too dangerous happened. While placing the cubes around, Mark told him in a serious voice. "Jack, about what you said before... That won't happen. It's true that Hircine owns my soul now and that Sovengarde will no longer welcome me to its great hall. However, before either of us did any of those deals... We got married under Mara. This life or the next, her blessing will help me find you. I promise you that Jack. Mara will bring us together and if not... I'm stubborn enough to find my own way to you." Jack set the last cube on the stand with a warm smile, answering lovingly over his shoulder. "I believe that."

Steam began pumping hard from all the boilers, causing them both to grin brightly. Mark patted Jack's back, telling him proudly over the hissing steam and clanging metal. "I knew you could do it. Come on. Let's get that damn book and go home." Jack nodded, rushing back out toward the stairs and through the narrow hall toward the elevator. Mark pulled the large level to bring them up, while Jack moved closer to gently tell Mark. "Mark, you know I don't agree with Neloth right... I only stood between you because-" Mark took ahold of his jaw to stop him, pulling him closer to kiss his lips passionately. When Mark finally let him go, he whispered over his lips in a deep purring voice. "Don't ever say his name again. I know why you held me back. You were wise too. I need to get better control over myself. You help me think rationally and I'm your muscle." Jack licked his lips, savoring the taste of Mark on them. He didn't entirely agree with him. Sure, Mark was really strong now... but he was smart too. The elevator hissed to a stop and they walked out into the room with the book.

The book was still beneath the floor and incased in glass, but the pipes around the ceiling were hissing and rattling now with steam. Mark moved into the circle, telling Jack cautiously. "The room looks powered up. Go ahead and push the button and see if it opens the case now." Jack jogged over to the button, hesitating only a second or two, before slamming his hand down on it. Above them a gold sphere rolled over to position a glowing crystal down over the glass case. Lights turned on, shining onto the crystal and reflecting rays down onto crystal discs around the case. Mack stepped back out of the circle cautiously, watching the glass slide back into the floor. The small circular platform rose up, revealing the book was resting on a little golden Dwemer pedestal. As the platform aligned with the rest of the floor, Jack slowly walked up to the pedestal. Mark walked up beside him, uttering out softly. "Be careful. The last one was a bitch to deal with. I doubt this one will be any different."

Jack nodded, mumbling out. "I just want to take it someplace safe and open it there." Mark nodded, watching Jack reach out carefully to grab it. Before his hands touched it, the book flipped open on its own and two thick black slimy tentacles shot out to wrap around his neck and torso. Jack screamed as he was dragged toward the book, a loud deep voice billowing out into the room. "You're not going anywhere, my champion. We need to talk... NOW." The tentacles tightened around him, squeezing him as it lifted him off the ground. Mark dropped Sam, running up to grab Jack's wrists. Struggling against the strength of the tentacles; Mark's strength actually stopped the tentacles from pulling him into the book.  However, Jack could see the effort it was costing Mark. Mark's eyes were flaring into a bright wolfish yellow and growls thundered from him. A slim tentacle slithered out off the book, heading for Mark and popping open its claw like end to reveal a long jet-black stinger. From the book, Hermaeus Mora told Jack in a dark careless voice. "Tell him to let go. Or he'll be dead by the time you come back."

Jack watched the stinger creep closer to Mark. Mark couldn't defend himself. His feet were braced firmly against the ground and his arms were holding Jack's wrists. Jack looked up at Mark, desperately ordering him. "Let me go!" Mark didn't answer nor do as he was told. The stinger leveled out with Mark's chest, oozing a green liquid from the tip. Jack released Mark's wrists, shouting out desperately in a frantic tone. "MARK, LET ME GO!" Mark's eyes turned back to normal and he released him reluctantly. The claw around the stinger clamped shut again, but punched Mark in the balls. Mark fell to the floor writhing in pain and cursing insults as Jack was pulled into the book. Jack shivered as he was pulled again into the cold and empty void of nothing. He could barely breathe from how tightly the tentacles were holding him. The tentacles unsettled him more than ever, because he could feel them through the holes in his clothes. The tentacles felt cold and watery against his skin, giving him goosebumps.

Braking through a surface that felt like water, he was dropped against a stone floor. Coughing loudly and taking deep breaths, he rose up onto all fours to get his bearings. He was in apocrypha again, but a different location. Miraak was nowhere in sight and he was on a circular stone platform in the middle of a slimy black ocean. Sitting back on his heels, he saw Hermaeus Mora's eerie green mass appear high above him. His large sickly eyes glaring down at him as he bellowed out in a lighter creepier tone of voice. "Oh, my Champion. Our dealings are far from over. The Oghma Infinium was only the beginning. Welcome to Apocrypha, where all knowledge is hoarded." Jack climbed to his feet, shouting up at him. "Why did you bring me here?! This wasn't apart of our deal!" Hermaeus Mora's eyes blinked slowly, his bellowing voice still eerily calm and light toned as he informed him. "Oh, but it is... You are not strong enough to defeat him. You need my knowledge. And I am in a... gratuitous mood."

Jack flinched as long slimy tentacles rose from the water to slither across the platform toward his legs. He tried to avoid them, but they were quick. Lashing around his thighs like powerful snakes to hold him in place. Hermaeus Mora lowered down slowly over him, smaller tentacles reaching out to hold his jaw as he told him still sickly sweet. "Sate your thirst for knowledge in the endless stacks of my library." Jack clenched his jaw, sneering out through his teeth. "No! I want out! Let me go!" One of Hermaeus Mora's smaller tentacles holding his jaw, began tracing over Jack's lips as he told him coolly. "It is your fate. Stay here. Expand your mind. When you are ready, I can take you to Miraak." Jack jerked his head, trying to stop him from touching him. Shuddering when he couldn't stop him, Jack shouted out disgustedly. "I know. I don't need your knowledge. I know who I am! You won't corrupt me like you did him!" Hermaeus Mora chuckled darkly, informing him softly. "So naïve... I corrupted your heart once. I can do it again. Your soul belongs to me. You, My Champion... Will spread my madness across the land."

Jack's body shook from the sudden fear that seeped into his bones. Staring into Hermaeus Mora's double pupil eye, he became paralyzed by what he saw. Within in his eye, he saw a man that looked just like him approach Hermaeus Mora with a cold murderous look on his face. Only... half of his face wasn't human. Half of his face was covered in small green scales with a single bright yellow dragon eye standing out from his other ocean blue eye. Miraak brushed his dark brown bangs away from his face as Hermaeus Mora's voice ghostly stated within the vision. "Have you opened your eyes? Have you seen their true nature?" Miraak's voice ghostly rippled through the image, sneering out darkly. "I have. You were right. Everything I was told was a lie. They hold me back from my potential. They treat me like a child! They fear me! THEY USED ME!"

Hermaeus Mora drew closer to Miraak, touching his face with his tentacles as he cooed to him sweetly. "But I didn't. The dragons created and use you for their selfish reasons. While I, am your friend. Ask what you will of me. My knowledge is yours. Together, we will end the dragons reign. And you, my Champion. Will have anything your heart desires. This world will be yours to command." Miraak lifted his chin proudly, stating out in a firm heated tone. "I want vengeance. I want power beyond what any dragon in the world has never seen. I want to make them gravel and fear my very name!" Hermaeus Mora stroked Miraak's scaly cheek, answering him proudly. "I can do that and more. However... I need... something from you. Your soul in exchange for the knowledge to bring your enemies to their knees." Miraak didn't hesitate as he uttered out. "It's yours." Hermaeus Mora's tentacle slithered down Miraak's leg to remove a dagger from his boot, slipping it into Miraak's hand as he told him. "Cut it out for me. Remove your weakness and the power is yours."

Miraak raised the dagger's blade to his throat, watching Hermaeus Mora's tentacles coil hungrily around his wrists. Miraak fearlessly cut a line across his neck, fresh blood pouring down the front of his black tunic. After the deep cut, Miraak's eyes rolled back and he dropped the dagger to fall limply back across the ground. Hermaeus Mora's tentacles crept over Miraak's body, peeling the skin back away from his neck to slip a tentacle inside his body. A sudden dark pulsing light was sucked up the tentacle into the mass of Hermaeus Mora's body. Then he removed the tentacle, allowing Miraak's body to gasp with life as he sat up with wheezing breaths. Hermaeus Mora stroked Miraak's throat tenderly like he was pet, stating to him in a dark bellowing voice. "You'll need time to heal and then... Vengeance shall be yours, my Champion. My Dragon Slayer." As Jack was pulled from the memory, he gasped in horror. Hermaeus Mora on the other hand, chuckled deeply, telling him smugly. "I see all and I see you... obeying. Or shall I visit your husband and send him to Hircine?"

Jack shook his head, meekly pleading with him. "Don't... What do you want?" Hermaeus Mora released only Jack's face to say casually. "For now. You need to stop Miraak. So, let's discuss my price." To Be Continued...