AN: A big shout for 'jack', 'Marius Arnesen' and 'Mehrdad Alizadeh Khorassani' for their support on Patreon. You guys are awesome
Also, I am sorry for not checking on Patreon lately because of technical internet issues in Egypt.
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I had to make peace with myself first before thinking of what really happened once again. My thoughts were all jumbled up because of what Nurina has just told me.
The 'Haven Cube' she said.
An artifact with a ridiculous ability that can be described as heaven-defying and earth-shattering. Not only a sub-dimensional storage but also a shelter.
No wonder Lord Fyr was reluctant to let me go with it at first.
Okay so let's sort things out.
A sub-dimensional storage is a term that can make the world go insane, if it was done by magic then people won't really think a lot about it as the mage who can just create that function by spell is just an entity one shouldn't mess with, but things will get a whole different turn when it comes to an artifact like the 'Haven Cube'. I dare to say that even Emperor Titus Mede II and the Aldmeri Dominion, as well as all the other powers and clans, will go after a weak character like me with all sorts of claims.
And that's just the start of it…
This is not just a sub-dimensional storage artifact, it is a shelter, a safe haven. Something that can be accessed with one's own body.
How ridiculous that is?
Well… it is very ridiculous.
The theory about it is probably very relatable to creating one's own realm like a Daedric Prince or and Original Spirit. Freaking Ridiculous!
And if that is not badass enough, then how about its size?
Nurina said that the inside of the Cube is 8000 square meters that can be divided into multiple floors and rooms. That's right, the owner can add and remove floors and rooms within those 8000 meters square.
Not enough? Then how about some history lesson?
This artifact was created by the one and only Sotha Sil, a ridiculous being among the ridiculous beings.
Who is the hell is Sotha Sil?
Sotha Sil, also called Lord Seht, was one of the members of the Tribunal, the divine rulers of Morrowind, alongside Vevic and Almalexia as the three were worshipped literally like gods.
For his feats, Sotha Sil was called an architect of time, a binder of Oblivion, and the Mystery of Morrowind. He is known by many other titles, such as the Clockwork God, Father of Mysteries, the Inspiration of Craft and Sorcery, the Light of Knowledge, Magus, Magician, Sorcerer, Tinkerer, and later a Saint of the New Temple.
He was said to be reshaping the world from his hidden Clockwork City, a mechanical city that was physically contained inside a person-sized Celestial-Drome.
Sotha Sil the Magus was the patron of artificers and wizards and the mightiest wizard and the wisest counselor of the First Council, and also spent time training the Psijic Order on Artaeum. According to the Tribunal Temple Cult, Sotha Sil was the Light of Knowledge and the Inspiration of Craft and Sorcery.
One thing to take note of was that Sotha Sil and Lord Fyr were best buddies, one was fond of puzzles and the other was fond of dungeons. For them to create a puzzle dungeon together and this humble Dragonborn beats it, I say I am going to brag about that in front of Alduin himself when I get the chance.
Putting all that aside, I kept looking at the Haven Cube while cleaning it with a cloth and laughing unintentionally, Jull and Wulf were looking at me as if I am sort of an idiot but I skillfully ignored them.
Oh, right! We returned to Winterhold and we held a meeting at my house.
"So, you went to Morrowind? Without me?" Jullanar didn't let one off.
"And met with your Grandmaster and Great Grandmaster who are some extreme beings." Wulf was also disappointed.
"Sigh! Wait until Alina hears of this, she will be heartbroken to not get that chance." Nurina was consoling them.
"Hooman, play with me!" and Nefertiti didn't let go of me since I arrived.
"I love this family atmosphere but can I please focus on how this thing works?" The Cube was left for me to figure out how it works so I took my time studying it, I mostly figured the whole idea about it but had to learn a few things first before fully utilizing it.
"I am afraid we are not that free. You have a meeting with the head of the Technology Department, Eliel. Then you will have to meet Elishka to sign the financial papers. Also, there is a shipment of horses that will be delivered by the Firemane's Skyfire Company. The Moonblades will send their people to talk with us regarding the future of Winterhold too. The most annoying thing you will have to deal with now is the Imperial Legion that demanded some supplies and the people from Solitude that accused us with tax evasion. The Construction Department wants to get some tasks too and there are some meetings you have to attend." Jull spoiled my mood by acting as my secretary.
"And we need some funds!" Wulf joined in.
"That too!" Jull confirmed.
I looked at them and felt how much they are happy at my misfortune, these cheeky brats were just at each other's throats a month ago.
"I think I created a department to manage all that stuff when I am not free." I said and returned to scanning the Cube.
"The Management Department? Yes, but we are short on employees." Jull said.
"I am not talking about the Management Department…"
"Huh?"
"I am talking about the Mercenary Corps and the Security Department."
I don't remember what happened after that but I am pretty sure I was knocked down and got dragged all the way to the office.
***
[Three Nights Later]
Still, working.
***
[One Week Later]
"LET GO OF ME!"
"Back to your office."
***
[Two Weeks Later]
I was finally released.
"You may take my life, but you will never take my FREEDOM!"
"Quit screwing around! There is a report from 'Team 0'." Jull whispered to me.
"Oh! Something happened?"
"The person you were looking for has appeared in Winterhold."
Oh! 'Team 0' is one of the mercenary teams in the 'Dare Dragon Mercenary Corps', the new military contractor in Winterhold. Team 0 is my personal guards on the surface but they are also my best men and the Private Intelligence Agency that I personally lead. Jullanar is the head of the team of course.
And by the 'person I was looking for', it means that someone has finally appeared. It is an expert researcher at the matter of Soul Gems, Nelacar.
Nelacar was a minor NPC in the game involved in a quest or two. Apart from that, he was also a magic merchant.
I had some important business with him so I took a small bag from my desk and went directly to the Frozen Hearth Inn.
Lately, as I started walking through the roads of Winterhold, some people would gather around me and start complaining about all sort of stuff. I had to create a small office and for the complains and the requests but they never quit. Jull forced me to be accompanied with bodyguards since then.
I can just teleport, you know! Still, I was refused on sight. Women love to take care of every single detail, man.
Anyway, I started walking the street with my bodyguards lately and… Damn, it feels so good to be a celebrity. I looked like a Boss walking with some Mini-Bosses that one has to beat before reaching me.
Anyway, as I reached the inn, I called for Dagur the innkeeper and asked for Nelacar so I was guided to a room in the side.
Who I saw was someone as tall as me, a High Elf with golden skin and all, he looked rather old in age too.
"Hello, am I speaking to the Wizard Nelacar?"
"Who sent you? Was it the College? The Jarl? We had an understanding that there would be no more questions." The man spoke to me with disdain before I even say anything.
I sighed inwardly, High Elves are all pain in the ass… except for Faralda, she is cool.
"My name is Jon Dare…"
The elf looked at me with his brows raised, he clearly recognized my name.
"The new overlord of Winterhold, I have heard about you. What is it? You want to question my presence in this town too?"
"Eh, no! You must have taken it the wrong way, let me welcome you back to Winterhold on behalf of myself and the Dare Dragon Company. The presence of an Elven Mage like yourself in our town is a welcome occurrence in our town."
Nelacar paused what he was doing and looked at me closely.
"Interesting! I'll listen to you but let me tell you this first, you are not to stick your nose into my business and we will be fine." The Altmer said with all the arrogance in the world.
I smiled and held myself from saying anything, I really wanted to experiment how much can the dragon language affect the mindset of a high elf. I will do it but not now.
"Then I will cut straight to the chase." I took out the small leather bag that I carried and put it on the desk in front of him.
"This is?"
"Me interfering in your business in a very rude way that I hope you would forgive me afterward. But it's of urgent importance."
Nelacar looked at the bag and opened it emptying its contents on the table.
What he saw made him jump from his chair and run to the wall as far away from me as possible. I was about to laugh at the scaredy elf but I think I should keep it to myself.
"The Star of Azura? Gods! It's all finally coming back to haunt me."
His expressions were that of an absolute terror.
"Calm down! It is isolated and contained." I said and stood up to calm him down.
It took a few minutes to comfort him back to the right mindset.
"So you want me to fix it for you? Impossible!"
"Please, don't be unreasonable. You know very well why I came to you of all people. And I know very well that you would hate to see anyone doing it other than you. Isn't this the thing you always think of as your mistake?"
"This… thing! Do you even know what are you dealing with?"
"I have the general idea."
"Tsk Tsk! General ideas are not enough. What do you know about Soul Gems?"
"... I am Nurina Aren's son. I know everything there is to know about them."
"Oh! Nurina Aren, an elitist in the mage community, so you are the Nord son I heard rumors about."
"Naturally!"
"Good then, back to our topic. As you know, Soul Gems are used for Enchanting but the gem is always consumed. They're frail. Except for one."
"Azura's Star."
"Correct! Azura's Star, a Daedric artifact that allows any number of souls to pass through it. Some of us wanted to find out how. I was working under Malyn Varen, then. If only we knew what he was really planning."
"Immortality!"
"You are well informed. Malyn wanted to alter the Star as he was dying. He thought he could store his own soul inside. Become immortal. It drove him mad. Students started dying. Eventually, the College exiled him. He took a few loyal disciples away and vanished. Look, I don't care how you found the Star but don't take it back to Azura. The Daedra are evil. They're the reason Malyn went insane."
"I understand, but what made him think he can alter the Star?"
"Sigh! Look, Azura is no ordinary Daedra. She commands an entire realm inside of Oblivion. The more Malyn worked on the Star, the more she was able to damn him. It started slowly at first. Malyn would see things that weren't there. Then he would yell at students over words they hadn't said. Then one day I walked in and Malyn had... killed a student, and in a horrific moment of inspiration, he started using her soul for his work."
"Hmmm! And now his soul dwells inside the Start, I thought if I isolated the star we can weaken him and cut his connection to the outside."
"Well done, you are not Nurina's son for nothing."
"So can you help me exorcize Malyn soul's away?"
Nelacar sighed and nodded.
"Maybe this is my chance to make things right. I can finish Malyn's work, the way we had meant to before his madness. It would mean cutting the Star off from Azura. Only black souls would be able to enter it once we finished."
"I understand, then let's hurry. Who knows if Azura is watching right now."
We both nodded to each other and started the preparations.