Wanting to count the number of how many skeletons he took down, Esbern wanders about in the chamber, collecting the skulls of his defeated opponents, tossing them together in a pile.
I on the other hand were hung up on the two people from earth. Wide eyed I walk over to them and crouch down.
Both of them had their throats slit—just above where Esbern's blade had struck when he decapitated them. The woman's body, at least, looked fresh. She might have died recently… maybe even as late as last night.
I close her still open eyes and let out a deep sigh. If I had been ready yesterday, then maybe she wouldn't even have been in Skyrim now.
"You ok?..." Esbern says while he tosses the final skull into his pile.
"Yeah..." I say lowly, even though my eyes were watery.
"Did you know them?" Esbern asks gently.
I shake my head. "No."
"Well that's good..." Esbern points at his pile of skulls. "We've got eight skulls here. That could be the end of them."
I get up on my feet and grab one of the magicka potions I got from Farengar and gulp it down. The taste is bitter, the consistency thick, and it leaves a strange, tingly sensation in my mouth. But almost instantly, a surge of energy floods through me. It doesn't fully restore my magicka—but most of it returns in a flash.
"Let's get this asshole!" I say as I start marching further into the mine. My eyes are burning with anger, I wont have any qualms about killing necromancers anymore!
We head deeper in, returning to the corner where the skeletons had just lain in wait. Just beyond it, the tunnel stretches only a short distance before opening into a new chamber.
As we step inside, it feels more like a grand hall than a mere excavation site, it's wide and open, and lit by a massive bonfire at its center. The air smells better in here too, as if the undead haven't been allowed to enter.
A stone ramp winds along the side wall, rising to a plateau that overlooks the entire chamber, like a watchful perch above a place once meant for gathering.
"This place... This has to be it." I whisper to Esbern.
Suddenly, we hear someone clapping slowly.
*Clap. Clap. Clap*
"Bravo!" Someone says, but the echo of the hall makes it hard to locate where it's coming from.
"Show yourself!" Esbern shouts. "Don't hide like a coward!"
Light footsteps are heard approaching the center of the plateau up ahead. Just a few seconds later a figure appears there.
"Who says I'm a coward?"
A young man, barely twenty, steps into the light from the bonfire atop the plateau. His short blonde hair is slicked back, his bright blue eyes gleaming with confidence. Both his skin and hair are well kept—a stark contrast to the last necromancer I faced. One could even say handsome!...
"That's... That's the necromancer?!"... Esbern blurts out, clearly expecting something else entirely.
"It definitely is..." I say. He is after all wearing the big, pale skull embroidered into his black robes.
"So, tell me... How many men were you before you attack my mine?" The young necromancer says grinning.
Esberns narrows his eyes, before he grins back at him. "Just the two of us, actually."
Interrupting their little exchange, I yell. "Why the hell do you have that circle?!"
The necromancer's eyes widen in surprise, but the expression quickly melts into a sly grin. "So... you know what it's for?" he asks, voice laced with intrigue.
I clench my fists, trying to supress my anger. "I do… And I asked, why are you using them?!"
He grins even wider and throws his arms open. "Brother! I'm also a student of the one who created that spell!"
Esbern's eyes go wide as he turns sharply toward me. "Brother?! What's he talking about?!"
"I'm not his 'brother'! I was con—"
The necromancer chuckles and cuts me off. "Then how do you know what that circle is?..." he says, his tone dripping with smug satisfaction. "There's a man who made that spell, and he only passed it on to a very select few."
"Mordyn, right?..." I ask grimly, recalling the name of the master necromancer from the letter.
I turn to Esbern. "I'll tell you everything after this!..."
He still looks surprised, but he gives me a short nod. Still having a sliver of trust in me.
"Thank you..." I say.
The necromancer laughs heartily. "Muahaha! Yes!... Mordyn, the master genius! Creator of spells! " He says, praising Mordyn.
"Is a man considered a genius for conjuring up weak people?!" I shout at him, eager to know the truth.
The necromancer place a hand across his chest, his smirk still on his face. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Sandor, student of Master Mordyn." He takes a bow.
"Do any of you knuckleheads know what a black soul gem is?" He asks us.
"A forbidden soul gem, for human souls..." Esbern answers grimly.
I look at him, surprised that he would now.
"Gotta know what merchandise is illegal, every guard should know.* He answers plainly.
"That's right!" Sandor says with a playful tone while pointing at Esbern. "Only a black
soul gem can entrap the souls of men, mer and beastfolk. The Aedra made a distinct difference in our souls compared to animals, when they created us."
"And your point is?" Esbern asks, getting impatient.
"Whatever comes through that circle, isn't created by the Aedra." Sandor says plainly.
My eyes go wide. Does that mean that they can farm the souls of people from earth using regular soul gems?! "Why, what's the point? They're not powerful!"
Sandor chuckles and spreads his arms. "Indeed! They're not!" He says, before taking on a slow, deep and dark voice. "But, their souls are..."
There's a moment of silence before he chuckles again. "Souls—from common to grand—can all be harvested. And all it takes… is a single strike of the knife."
"Did you like the girl?" He asks.
"Wait… was she—?" I start.
"Yes," he says slowly, that proud grin spreading across his face like a stain. "She was."
Then, his voice hardens as he points at Esbern. "Now, if you're truly a fellow student of Mordyn—kill that guard."
I glance over at Esbern, meeting his eyes.
"Let's take this asshole down."
He smiles and nods.
In the corner of my eye I spot Sandor make a swift movement with his hand.
*Whoosh*
An Ice Spike is quickly flying toward me.