"I don't care if you're responsible or not! You want to show your worth? That you aren't out to hurt and corrupt us good folk!? FIND THE MISSING DEAD AND BRING WHOEVER RAISED THEM TO JUSTICE! DO IT OR ELSE I'LL MAKE MY CASE IN SOLITUDE TO THE HIGH KING!" he shouts and leaves without waiting for a response.
The Arch-Mage just watches the man leave and lets out a sigh. Afterwards, he turns towards the notice board and summons some parchment from somewhere, writing something onto it and stamping it onto the board before leaving to do his own thing.
Michael, the girls, and many other Apprentices arrive in his wake to see what he'd printed ;
HELP WANTED
TRACK THE RAISED DEAD OF WINTERHOLD AND CAPTURE THE MAGE RESPONSIBLE
REWARD : THREE HUNDRED GOLD AND A YEAR OF TUITION. FURTHER REWARDS WILL BE BASED ON CONTRIBUTION.
IF WILLING, MEET THE ARCH-MAGE AT DAWN OUTSIDE OF THE COLLEGE OF THE WINTERHOLD IN TWO DAYS. APPRENTICES ARE RECOMMENDED TO MAKE ADEQUATE PREPARATIONS FOR COMBAT.
"Heh, gold AND tuition!? I'm all in!" Borvir laughs but gets smacked in the back of his head by his brother.
"We'll be fighting a Necromancer powerful enough to summon the entire graveyard without anyone noticing them. Think about it more before you accept, fool." Rundi grouses.
Yisra who'd been listening to them looks over to Michael and the girls, "Are you guys going to participate? I'm personally not too sure yet..."
"If it's about our deal, do what you want, keep the gold and work for me or don't. It's not like Malyn is gonna bother you anymore." Michael shrugs.
She nods, "T-thanks. You're right." she looks at the board and nods to herself, "I guess I'll be there then..?"
"How about you two? I know we don't really need gold but we haven't really left the College in a while..."
"I'll go if you do..." Tiffania replies.
"You don't need to if you don't want to. I doubt this'll be that dangerous in any case."
"I'll go." Charlotte determines while Tiffania was lost in thought.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the end, the group decided that Tiffania would stay back with Maria so Illococoo could accompany them. The dragon girl had been eager to test out her Thu'um on live targets, and since Tiffania didn't really have a purpose for going, she'd stay behind and relax.
The days passed quickly, and soon enough Michael, Charlotte, and Illococoo, along with the other Apprentices were gathered outside the College of Winterhold.
Michael was wearing his Apprentice robes over his ebony scale-mail armour and had Derflinger attached to his waist. The sword had been kind of grumpy to be stuffed into his inventory for so long, but got over it fairly quickly... His inventory stopped or slowed the time for objects inside, so the sword was only upset that he'd missed out on some things.
Charlotte was dressed in her old blue Halkeginia robes and her staff. She was also wearing the magic resistance cloak he'd won from the Dota 2 roulette wheel, the purple fabric resting over her shoulders comfortably.
Illococoo was dressed in her Apprentice robes but wore furs over them to protect her from the weather. The other Apprentices were dressed similarly, Yisra, Borvir, Rundi, and a couple more that Michael didn't know the names of.
The Arch-Mage was already present, standing before everyone with folded arms, after Michael and the girls arrive he glances around for a moment before nodding. "Is this everyone...? Good. Well, you all know your task, get to it and don't disappoint the College." he casually says and gives a short wave before heading back into the College, confusing a few people.
"Ah-, sir!? Aren't you going to help us with this?!" one Apprentice asks causing the Arch-Mage to turn and face them.
"I am afraid not. Scraping my knees at the Jarl's command would set a poor precedent, not one I am keen on reinforcing in his mind. Besides, I wouldn't have you all out here if I was going to take care of it... Hmm, I suppose you do need a leader..." he trails off, standing on his tiptoes to get a good look at everyone, "Ah, Michael, yes you would be a fine pick. Everyone, Apprentice Michael will lead you on this task, listen to what he says and you'll probably come out alive." he states and walks away, leaving Michael to pick up the shit he'd just dropped in his lap.
"Why is that guy the Arch-Mage again?" Michael palms his face, already feeling a migraine from the irritated groans from the more Senior Apprentices.
"No, the question is, why did the Arch-Mage pick you?" a young-looking Breton woman asks in an accusatory tone. "I know you already, besting both Sorkas and Jernil in a duel, but that doesn't make up for your lack of experience. You've been here barely a month and you expect us to listen to you?"
"Are you stupid? I don't want to lead you bunch of retards either you know, but since the Arch-Mage put me in charge, you can either listen and obey or fuck off back to the College." Michael retorts while gesturing at the entrance of said College.
There are a few grumbles in response to him, but all in all, anyone who had a problem decides to stay quiet for now. Which suits Michael just perfect.
Not long after the group stand no far from the cemetery where many graves had been uplifted where the corpses had literally climbed out as if it were a shitty zombie flick.
"But where could they have gone?" one Apprentice asks, causing Michael to send a funny look at him.
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe that way where all the tracks and footprints are... No, that's probably just a trick! Those dastardly undead!" he sarcastically says as he walks towards where the tracks were heading.
"You don't have to be a dick about it." the Apprentice mutters in a quiet voice which has a couple of his friends chuckling.
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Elsewhere within a dim cave, Malyn Varen and his student, Nalecar had just arrived with a hundred or so freshly raised corpses that the former had managed to steal from Winterhold's cemetery.
After his expulsion from the College, Malyn had immediately gotten to work in creating an army to snatch back the artifact that was stolen from him. It didn't matter who had stolen the Star of Azura, Malyn would make everyone in that misbegotten College pay for it if he had to.
His ambitions to attain immortality via soul trapping himself could only be furthered through the use of Azura's Star. Other soul gems were simply too fragile to hold his soul without taking away all of his free will.
Sure, the voices in his head kept telling him to turn back and to stop wasting his time, but what did they know!? Those voices were in his head, so they only knew what he did! They wouldn't realise his genius until he finally achieved his goals.
Unbeknownst to all, Malyn's mind had been so thoroughly warped by Azura due to his attempts at desecrating her artifact, that recognising normal from not, or reality from delusions had been getting further and further away from him. His mind was falling apart at the seams, and the only thing that was keeping him functional was the unifying concept of attaining immortality... It's for this reason that raising an army of undead to assault the College had struck him as stupid and insane.
There wasn't anyone to tell him otherwise either, most of his students had either abandoned him or been killed, and even Nelacar was simply too afraid to remonstrate him... How do you reason with a mad man?
"What is this place, Master?" Nelacar tentatively asks as they step into a cave that Malyn seemed far too familiar with.
Malyn gestures over at the wall, causing a multitude of torches to light themselves, revealing a hidden laboratory. Not only that, but there were skeletons wearing Apprentice robes scattered about, painting a very alarming picture for Nelacar.
"M-master... What are those?" the Altmer chokes out as he stares at the old corpses.
Malyn looks up from the enchanting table that he'd begun examining and crooks a brow, "What do you mean? The cave, the table, or my research materials?"
"Y-your research materials?" Nelacar parrots.
The Dunmer nods, "I'll take that as a question, my student... These are the fools who failed to meet my standards. At least they were useful in testing my theories regarding soul trapping and soul warping."
Nelacar's mind was swarming with questions now, but he simply couldn't voice them. If his master had killed all of these other Apprentices, what hope did he have!? Indeed, he'd been looking for a way out as soon as his master began plotting to create an army, but he hadn't had a single chance to leave... Even his toilet breaks were monitored by Atronachs that'd warn Malyn if something untoward occurred.
Despite how old and frail the man was, he was still an expert in multiple fields, Conjuration only being one part of his vast abilities. One wrong move and he'd have an army of Flame Atronachs chasing him to his death...
Fortunately, it looks as if he wasn't completely alone in this situation... Sorkas and Jernil, two of Malyn's students that'd been forced from the College, had just entered the cave from a side entrance and greeted Malyn on their knees. "Master, you've arrived!"
And they appear to have already known about Malyn's murder of the other Apprentices, judging by their lack of reaction to the bodies.
"Of course I have you fools! Now stop idling around and prepare more servants for the coming battle!" Malyn exclaims prompting the two Nords to begin working.
Malyn looks over his shoulder at Nelacar, "Boy! Once we've enough servants, we'll march to Fort Kastav and take it over. The pathetic mages that are holed up there will bend to us or die!"
"W-will that not just waste our resources, Master?" he asks, knowing that many of their raised zombies would be destroyed by the Mages... Many of their enemies would die in battle, and many more would simply refuse to serve them. It was a lose-lose scenario to Nelacar.
Malyn growls, "Are you questioning me!?"
"No! Master!"
Malyn continues to eye Nelacar for a couple more moments until the boy had sufficiently sweated enough. "Our undead would fall in droves against those amateurs in the College! Even if we gained the services of one mage for all of the undead, it would still be worth it! Do you understand!?"
Nelacar nods, and Malyn has him immediately get to work in creating yet more Atronachs, Familiars, and Undead for their steadily growing army. Usually, folk who'd attempt this wouldn't have the resources to fund it, but Malyn, in his warped mind, had anticipated a large scale battle occurring in the future and had already planned for it. There was enough Frost, Fire, and Void salt to permanently summon many Atronachs, along with a good amount of corpses from both animals and humanoids being prepared.
Nelacar could only hope to find a way to escape soon, otherwise, his fate would be sealed... He had no doubt in his mind that the Arch-Mage would utterly destroy them if it came to it. Against Savos Aren, an army of undead would only serve as meat shields. Which left Malyn, Sorkas, Jernil, and Nelacar to attack the Arch-Mage...
Not just attack the Arch-Mage... But all of the other Masters and Apprentices in the College... Yes, this plan was doomed. And the worst part? His master, along with Sorkas and Jernil actually thought they could win... What utter fools.
"Gods, let me live past this and I will become as pious as is possible!" Nelacar almost feverishly prays under his breath, making sure none of his 'companions' could hear.
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