Chapter 40 -- Staff of Magnus
*****
"What the fuck is that?" I asked no-one in particular as we approached the college. My three girls had joined me as they now wanted to see what was happening through to its conclusion. Plus, I think they wanted to meet Mirabelle and make their own judgement.
Mirabelle was standing outside the Hall of Elements with nearly everyone else from the College, sensing my presence as she turned when I approached her. She smiled though didn't hug or kiss me in front of her colleagues or students. "What's going on?" I asked again.
"I don't know. It's like a ward or something, but who's casting it? Ancano? How?"
"I bet it's that Thalmor bastard," I growled, unsheathing my sword, "Time for him to die."
"I want this down now!" Savos demanded, finally acting like a damned leader, "I want to know what he's doing in there!"
"So it is that Thalmor bastard?" I asked.
Savos nodded. "He's in there, doing... something. We don't know what. We're trying to get in now. I will have his head for this, I assure you. Help take this down, will you? We're throwing everything we can at it."
I wasn't going to bother with magic though looked at my colleagues for help. Aela was probably the most adept of our group, though Delphine showed she had a little talent. With all the students and teachers joining in, the ward slowly but surely withered until it finally disappeared completely.
Charging towards the Eye, we gathered around Ancano, who was doing something to the enormous sphere. "Time for you to die, elf," I growled, though felt a hand on my shoulder to stop me swinging.
"Ancano! Stop this at once!" Savos ordered, stepping towards the elf. "I command you!"
As he reached out to touch him, there was an almighty explosion. I have no idea what it was, but my world turned black for a few seconds before I woke up, giving my head a shake, my ears still ringing, hearing someone call out my name. Faces appeared in my vision as I was helped to my feet by Aela and Mirabelle.
"You guys okay?" I asked.
"I think we're all fine," Aela replied.
Mirabelle didn't look well, and a cursory check of her robes showed a nasty wound. "Don't worry about me."
"Like hell I won't. I'll get Colette to heal you." She looked ready to argue so I kissed her softly. "Don't argue with me now."
"Okay, but we'd better find Savos. I can't see him anywhere."
"And Ancano?"
"He's somehow connected to the Eye and simply too powerful."
We found Savos, or what was left of him, on the pathway leading to the hall. He was missing his head, both arms, a leg, and his body had been torn to shreds otherwise. I could only guess that Ancano had focused the blast on him over everyone else. While I had no love for the man, I was still pissed off. He didn't deserve to die in such a brutal manner.
"We need the staff, Ragnar," Mirabella stated, "Only that will stop him."
Tolfdir appeared through the crowd, quickly inspected the body, before he noticed Mirabelle on my arm. "Something's happened to Winterhold. It must be whatever Ancano did. You need to get out there and make sure it's safe. Quickly now, quickly! I'll take care of Mirabelle and see if we can't put a stop to this!"
I handed her over, and this time she had no problem kissing me in front of everyone. "Be safe and come back to me," she said softly.
Gathering the students, I told them exactly who I was, though I think one or two already knew, and asked if they would help us defend Winterhold. A few of them grumbled but realised it was the right thing to do, and I suggested their magic would help my colleagues and I.
We ran as a group towards Winterhold, finding it under attack from some sort of magical... things, though Faralda called them wraiths, Arniel calling them wisps. Whatever they were, I left it to the mages to deal with, though swung my sword whenever one came too close for comfort. There were quite a few of the little things, but the mages worked together well, and most of the things were soon on the ground, creating small pools of... something where they died.
With the danger to the town now passed, I started issuing instructions to both students and teachers, finding it slightly amusing they were obeyed without question, assuming it was because they knew who I was. I took Faralda and my three girls back with me where Mirabelle and Tolfdir kept watch on whatever Ancano was doing. "It's sorted," I said briefly, Mirabelle glancing my way and smiling.
"We need to get our hands on the Staff of Magnus," she stated.
I heard it. So did my girls. "We? Are you sure?"
"Tolfdir can hold the fort here with the others. I've been sitting on the sidelines for too long. And I want to adventure next to the Dragonborn at least once."
I grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "Okay. We're heading to Labyrinthian." I swear her face drained of colour at the name. "What?"
"Are you sure that's where it is? That can't just be coincidence."
"What are you talking about?"
She looked at where Savos had been lying, though he'd since been taken away. "Savos. Before he died. He gave me something just a little while ago. He told me it was from Labyrinthian, and that I would know what to do with it when the time came. I think... I think he meant this for you, then. I'm not sure why, but there was something very personal about it for him. Also, I think you should take this amulet. It belonged to Savos, but I think it would do you the best now."
I took the first object she mentioned but gave her back the amulet, closing her fingers over it. "I think the next Arch-Mage should have this," I stated softly.
"I don't know..."
Turning back to my girls, I added, "We'd best return to Whiterun, gear up, and the five of us head straight for Labyrinthian. We get the staff, return here, and kill Ancano."
There was firm agreement to my plan, so after a quick conversation with Tolfdir, Mirabelle packed one or two things and we quickly made our way back to Winterhold. It was still light, but with only four horses, Mirabelle had to ride with me. Despite the situation, she seemed rather excited about the journey, riding as far as Windhelm, where we stopped for the evening, before continuing our journey the next morning.