Jack's body shook a little and he wasn't sure if it was from the power he lost, or the death of J'Darr. Mark rubbed his back soothingly, causing Jack to mumble out to him. "Mark... I don't feel good." Mark rubbed his back a bit slower, asking slightly worried. "What's wrong?" Jack sat up, glancing at J'Darr's body as he guiltily stammered out. "It just felt wrong... Using that spell... The look on J'Darr's face at the sight of him... Mark, I feel terrible." Mark wrapped an arm around his neck to pull him back against his shoulder, telling him in a low saddened voice. "I know... But Jack, he was too far gone. What you did gave him some peace." Jack swallowed past the lump in his throat, choking out. "I just can't see it that way. He seemed so..." Jack couldn't finish as tears ran down his cheeks. Mark held him tighter, whispering to him confidently. "Trust me, Jack. There was nothing you could do. Even if you had managed to save him... He would have gone right back to Skooma after realizing that he killed his brother." 

Jack sniffled and Mark added in with a slightly quivering voice. "Besides... You didn't kill him. I did. It's my burden to bare, Jack. I had to make a decision and I didn't want to run the risk of him attacking you. I thought that he'd see it as you killed his brother after the spell ended and I panicked. I killed him quickly. I don't think he felt any pain for too long." Jack sniffled again, siting back again to use his long tunic sleeve to wipe his tears away. Glancing down the tunnel to where J'Zhar's body lay. Jack told himself softly. "I hope his brother was waiting for him on the other side." Mark grasped his shoulder, telling him lightly. "He must have loved his brother a lot. Even in a Skooma fever... He didn't eat his brother." Jack weakly climbed to his feet. Slowly making his way into the next part of the tunnel, he examined another scene of blood stained bedrolls and another fire pit with smoldering coals and human bones. By the bedroll that Jack had seen J'Zhar on, he saw a knapsack.

Making his way to it, he dropped down in the snow to look through it. Inside the bag, he found eight empty Skooma bottles, Two potions of Healing, and a journal with a white feather quill and ink. Jack removed the journal and handed the bag to Mark. He was sure that Mark would take the Healing potions to heal his bleeding shoulder. He'd do it himself... but his magic was too depleted. He couldn't risk even a tiny spell at present. Opening the journal, Jack began to read in a quiet voice. "This one is at his wits end! I signed J'Darr and myself up for this expedition to try to get him clean of the Skooma. I brought a small supply to try bring him down slowly, but the storm has had us trapped in the glacier for weeks! The others have not yet caught on that the one with fur should not shake so much from the cold, but I've run out of the little Skooma I brought and J'Darr is getting pretty bad. He's started hallucinating creatures coming out of the ice and the ruins. The others are starting to think he may be behind Vaile's disappearance, but I know he would never do something like that!"

Jack closed the journal with a heavy heart. Taking a deep breath, Jack uttered out softly. "He was just trying to help him..." Tears brimmed his eyes again and he set the journal down to cover his eyes with his hands. Mark finished drinking down one of the potions, then kneeled down in front of him to brush his green bangs back and kissed his forehead tenderly. Jack couldn't look up at Mark. He felt terrible for them. It didn't seem fair. Mark took his wrists and pulled him to his feet, embracing him tightly as he spoke against his ear. "It's alright. It wasn't your fault. I don't think anyone knew they were here. You can't save everyone, Jack..." Jack knew he was right, but his emotions were already past the point of no return. He just had to cry this out and take a minute to gather himself back together. Mark held him close, letting him cry into his shoulder, before starting to hum softly. It sounded like a Nord lullaby and Jack found himself slowly calming back down.

The moment Jack felt calm enough, he stepped back with one last sniffle, telling Mark. "We should continue on. The others may still be alive and need our help." Mark nodded, gesturing past a tunnel loaded with supplies with his sword, saying confidently. "They most likely kept going in to see if their was another way out. So, if we keep going, than we should pick up their trail." Jack took one last look at the Khajiit brothers and forced himself to walk away. Mark stopped him at the end of the tunnel to hand him a handkerchief and Jack smiled. Accepting it, he blew his nose and headed toward the large stone desk he saw just ahead. All traces of snow were gone from here and the room doubled in size to reveal dark grey stone with gold pipes and bars. The desk was decorated with Dwarven bowls, cups, and silverware. The sight of another journal made Jack sit down in a golden metal chair. Mark moved closer to examine the Dwarven cup, while Jack read Unmana's journal aloud for him.

"It's been about a week since Valie went missing and now Endrast is gone too. We found blood leading over to the barred doorway, but Sulla seems to think that they found a way through and that they are trying to cut him out of the discovery. He keeps saying that we need to press on. We've managed to break through into another section of the ruins. An 'Animonculory', Where the Dwarves would produce their Automatons. We learned the hard way that the metal creatures are still alive in there and it hasn't improved Yag's mood at all. She hopes that the Khajiit brothers aren't involved with the disappearances and has been keeping a hard eye on Sulla. The rations have all but run out and we are going to have to decide soon whether to brave the storm, or try to push further into the ruins. I don't know if the echoes of screams I've heard in my sleep are those of our missing comrades... Or my own nightmares."

Instinctively, Jack silently closed the journal and listened closely. He expected to hear distant screams... but all he heard was the hiss and clank of machinery. Mark set the Dwarven cup down, grumbling out to himself. "I think I would have taken my chances with the storm." Jack smirked only a little, before asking Mark curiously. "What do you think the machines would do to a person if they got them?" Mark huffed, walking around the golden bar divide, answering casually. "I can't see machines doing anything, but what they were designed to do. In this case, it is like you said. They are guarding the ruins from intruders to protect what we believe is an Elder Scroll. So, my guess is that they'd just flat out kill you. After all, the one that jumped you didn't seem interested in taking you anywhere. It was trying to dig into your throat."

Jack followed Mark around the divide, adding in swiftly. "Do you think J'Darr really killed them?" Mark stopped, turning to look at him as he replied lightly. "No. I believe J'Zhar. He was close to his brother. The journal said that they were missing before J'Darr had gotten the worst of his shakes. It couldn't have been him, until after he killed his brother." Jack nodded as he thought about it more. Mark moved up onto a platform just ahead to examine some sort of caged light crystal, stating back to him. "No. I think there is another explanation for what could have taken them." Jack started to move closer to ask, when Mark raised his hand to stop him. Mark's grip tightened on his sword as he listened and turned his attention to a rattling golden pipe. A small circular disk opened on the end of the pipe and a smoking golden ball rolled out and landed heavily to the floor.

Mark didn't move and neither did Jack. The golden ball just sat before the pipe, its body producing a white steam. Mark took a single quiet step toward it, when the pipe just behind him began to rattle too. Jack gasp as another heavy golden ball dropped out and landed heavily to the floor. Mark glanced between the two of them, before looking over at Jack. Jack drew his sword and anxiously waited to see what Mark was going to do. Mark pointed to the one he had been moving toward, then at himself. He then pointed to the one behind him and then to Jack. Jack nodded in understanding. Mark wanted him to attack the thing behind him. Mark took one more step and the golden spheres popped open. They quickly unfolded into what appeared to be flat faced humanoids, but instead of legs, they moved on a gyrating ball. Jack swallowed, seeing the one closest to Mark raise its hands as they switched into golden short sword blades.

The one behind Mark raised its hands too, but they switched into what appeared to be crossbow weapons! The Dwarven Sphere fired the bolt at Mark's back and Jack used his Telekinesis spell to divert the shot. The Dwarven Sphere jerked its head in Jack's direction and rotated to face him. Jack's eyes widened as the Dwarven Sphere began to shoot bolts at him in rapid fire. Jack ran straight as the bolts pelted the wall and floor behind him. Mark was trying to fend off the duel wielding Dwarven Sphere and wouldn't be able to help him. So, he ran until he couldn't anymore. Jumping to push off the wall and slashing at the Dwarven Sphere's wrist as he flipped over him. Jack landed roughly on his feet, slipping forward to a knee as the Dwarven Sphere rotated around to face him again. The Dwarven Sphere raised its hand to shot another bolt, but it only clicked.

Jack smirked confidently as adrenaline ran through him. He had managed to cut something important. The Dwemer Sphere switched that hand into a blade, then raised his other hand to switch it into a crossbow. Jack's shoulders slumped and he stated out sharply. "SHIT!" Jack rolled away as a bolt struck the stone where he was. Climbing to his feet, he conjured a spell for steel mage armor just in time for a bolt to bounce off his shoulder. Raising his sword, he charged the Dwarven Sphere and wailed on it until the Dwarven Sphere changed its weapon into duel wielding blades in order to defend itself better. Blocking with one blade, it tried to slash out with the other. Jack had no choice but to retreat for every slash. He wasn't experienced in fighting duel wielding opponents. It was even more of a challenge when your opponent didn't feel pain! He was sure that every swing he threw at this thing only dulled his own blade.

The Dwarven Sphere predicted his next retreat and tripped him up with his blade. Jack fell across the floor, his mage armor spell wearing off as he flipped over to look up into the Dwarven Spheres mechanical eyes. They were like tiny orbs... or were they tiny gears? He couldn't tell. Then a loud 'clank' rang out in the stony hall as Mark's greatsword collided with the mechanical joint that attached the upper half of the Dwarven Sphere to the lower. The force dented the spine and caused the thing to spark wildly. Mark swung at it again and the machine creature collapsed into pieces on the floor. Mark stood panting heavily as he growled out. "I hate these things. They freak me out." Jack nodded, slowly climbing to his feet. Mark looked over his greatsword, grumbling out. "Sons of bitches, scratched my blade... Look at that! That is more than a little scratch!"

Jack shook his head with a soft chuckle. It felt good to laugh, even at something so stupid. He was just thankful to be alive to enjoy a laugh. Mark slapped his shoulder, his eyes narrowing on him as he asked curiously. "Since when do you flip off walls? I've never seen you do that before." Jack rolled his eyes, answering nonchalantly. "I've always been able to do that. I grew up in a house with a lot of siblings. You learn all kinds of things to escape." Mark flashed him a wicked grin, leaning in to whisper playfully. "That was sexy. I didn't know you were so... light on your feet." Jack playfully shoved him, starting to walk down a winding tunnel as he teased over his shoulder. "Now is not the time, or the place for that." As they made their way to the next room, Mark replied back just as teasingly. "I've always found that if you want it, than you make the time for it. Wouldn't you agree?"

Jack narrowed his eyes on Mark unable to think of a counter for that. With everything he had gone through and seen... Mark's argument had weight to it. You just never knew when your last moment was up. In the next room, they beat down the three Dwarven Spiders that were lingering around and digging into the collapsed walls. After which, Jack looked around for a way to continue on... When his stomach growled loudly. Biting his lip, he turned to face Mark with a slight blush. Mark grinned, dropping his bag to the floor as he told him sweetly. "This seems like a good spot to relax for now. It's not stained in blood and it has a crystal glowing light thing. The only thing we lack is a fire to cook." Jack glanced around with Mark. Everything here was made of stone and metal. Mark sank to the floor, telling him grimly. "Well... That leaves us with bread and cheese. Without a fire-"

Jack snapped his fingers to ignite a small flame, then put it out saying. "You get a pot ready and I'll handle the rest."  Mark crossed his legs with a grin, mumbling to himself. "Aren't you handy." Jack moved to kneel behind Mark, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. Keeping Mark in his embrace, he watched him prepare the food and purred out into his ear sweetly. "Can you hum something for me?" Mark glanced over his shoulder briefly to lock eyes with him, asking curiously. "Something on your mind?" Jack let his hand stoke Mark's chest, answering in a loving voice. "I don't like the silence. It puts me on edge... So, I was hoping that you'd hum a little something for me. Like you did earlier." Mark cut vegetables with a dagger, thinking for a moment, before he started to hum.

It was like listening to a cat purr. It made his insides melt and his heart swell up with affection. While Mark cut and hummed, Jack rested his head on his shoulder. On occasion, he would lift his head to kiss Mark's shoulder or neck tenderly. He loved moments like this between them. Moments that made nothing else matter. Mark suddenly took Jack's wrist off his chest, placing it to the pot as he stopped humming to tell him with a smirk. "Work your magic, Jackaboy." Jack kept his eyes on Mark, letting the spell warm his palm gradually. Mark stirred the pot as it started to boil and Jack refused to resist anymore. Moving his lips to Mark's ear, he nibbled it for a brief second or two. Just enough to get Mark's attention. Then when Mark turned to look at him... He kissed him. To Be Continued...