The Dead End

I have failed yet again. Kiya was not in the college, or so the mages there tell me. In a few days' stay in the College, I did not gain any information about her whereabouts. I forgot that mages tend to keep what they know to themselves. All of them seemed not to know who she is. I have suspicions that some of them do. Kiya must have learned all those magic somewhere, and the College is the only place in Skyrim where she can do so.

Even the College members thought my wings were unusual, even by their standards. I walked up the steep steps towards the gates receiving stares and glares from members and apprentices alike. I asked them if they had seen a pale woman with long, black hair, red paint on her face, and wings like mine. They said "no" one way or another, and hurried in their way. They all averted from my gaze.

I met with Mirabelle Ervine, the Master Wizard of the College. She told me she has not seen any mage named 'Kiya', and she confirms that she knows everyone in the College. Either she used illusion on me or I lost all hope of finding her here that I did not doubt anything she said. She told me to talk to the Arch-Mage Savos Aren if I had any more questions.

I have only one question when I entered the College and it has been answered by all of its members. All that remains are two requests from the Arch-Mage. I found him in his study (which was incredibly easy to access--he must trust all his students and faculty that much), and asked that he provide asylum to the woman with the description I gave, and that he let me train for a week under Phinis Gestor, who I met earlier. 

Sometimes, it's hard to speak to a bookworm.

He pondered on it, and agreed hesitantly. He told me he will keep Kiya in mind, and that I was to train under Phinis under the condition that I report to Tolfdir so he could have a closer look at my wings. I agreed, even thinking that if they could take it off me, all the better. 

For one week I trained and trained, summoning different creatures under Phinis's instructions. I kept up with his tests, and I improved greatly with each passing day. I reported to Tolfdir, an old man whose role in the college is unknown to me, and let him study my wings. I do not know what results he obtained, but he apologized, saying that he will not be able to remove it. At the end of the week, Phinis told me he only had one test remaining: Summon an unbound Dremora and make it submit to me. I have never seen a dremora before, much less know what it is. He told me that Dremoras are weak versions of Daedra, their underlings, the ones who roam Oblivion. They are more powerful than any mortal, and those without the willpower to make them submit, died. Only after I had defeated the Dremora shall Phinis grant me master conjuration spells.

Come on, Dremora, be nice.

Phinis directed me to go to the top of the Hall of Attainment and summon the Unbound Dremora there to keep everyone else safe. He told me to come back to him once the Dremora submitted itself to me.

I summoned the dremora immediately once I got to the tower. It had black-and-red armor, a red face, and some horns. It spoke, "Who are you mortal, and why have you summoned me?" I took out my sword, and said, "Submit to me." It only laughed, lasting for a few minutes before it calmed down. It took out its sword, and started charging towards me. I dodged once and slashed it in half. It disappeared to wherever it came from. That was easy. 

I called it out again twice more, and defeated it both times. It appeared after its third defeat, telling me I had power over it. I banished it one last time. I sheathed my sword, and went down the tower.

Hi there. Mind if you bow down to me?

I was on the way to Phinis outside the Hall of Attainment when I noticed the Arch-Mage speaking with a hooded mage. I have not seen her before, but it would seem that she has been here long enough for the Arch-Mage to discuss something with her. I decided to speak with the Arch-Mage about my progress; however, they ended their discussion and the hooded mage approached me. She spoke, "Ohhh, a Redguard! I don't suppose you're here to share your disdain of magic with the Nords, eh? Why are you here, handsome?" She did this in a sultry way, like a woman in a tavern would ask a stranger. I could not smell anything on her aside from the smell of burnt flesh. I said, "I came here looking for a woman who is certainly not you. Leave me alone." She did not seem to hear my last words to her. As I turned and started walking away from her, she kept up pace with me and asked, "This... woman. Is she your wife? Why are you looking for her here?" I stopped. I had distracted myself enough from Kiya by training, but this woman mage's questions snapped me back to reality. I spoke, "She... I betrayed her. I loved her, but I betrayed her. I am searching for her because I want to atone for my sins and for everything I did, and... and because her daughter wants her back." 

If it's Magic they're discussing, count me out.

She seemed content with my answer, so I started walking again. I expected a barrage of questions from her as she walked with me, but she did not follow me. It hit home in some way, I guess. I could not tell. Her faint smell of burnt flesh left my nose altogether, and that was a relief. 

You're like one of them Dark Brotherhood people.

Phinis greeted me a few paces away. I immediately asked him if he knew anything about the hooded mage. Yisra is her name, he said, and she was gone for a long time before returning to the college a few weeks back. She went on a study outside the College, and returned with her face and half her body burnt. The College healed her as much as they could, but the scars cannot be removed. All she could do was wrap herself up to avoid stares from people.

The Master Conjurer congratulated me on conquering the dremora, and gave me a few spells to take with me. I thanked him, and said that I should be on my way. "I have dragons to fight", I said, shaking his hand. I went to the gate and looked back. I expected Phinis or the Arch-Mage to look over my departure from the College; instead, I saw Yisra, the hooded mage, staring at my direction. She was far from the gate, but she held her gaze as I thought of where she might be looking. There is something up with her. She might have lost someone too, for all I know, and sympathizes with me. Or she knows about Kiya, but that is one thing I cannot justify, given the events that led me here.

It did not end well, did it?

And so I turned my back on her gaze, and started walking down from the College. I have done everything in my power to keep Kiya safe; now is the time I dealt with the dragons.