The thrumming from the colossal Guardian of Time pulsed through the cavern, a low, resonant hum that vibrated in Jason's very bones. It was a sound that transcended mere acoustics, a deep, ancient chord that seemed to pluck at the fabric of existence itself. The air, already heavy with humidity, grew thick with a tangible magical energy, prickling Jason's skin. The cerulean light emanating from the Guardian's crystalline form cast dancing shadows across the submerged ruins, giving the spectral city an even more ethereal glow.
The Ayleid automatons, their violet-pulsing staffs now lowered, stood frozen in deference to the titanic being. Their silent, unblinking gazes remained fixed on Jason and his companions, but they made no move, their purpose seemingly overridden by the Guardian's awakening. This momentary reprieve from their relentless assault was a double-edged sword; it meant the immediate threat had shifted, but to something far more vast and unknowable.
"What is that thing?" Kaelen's voice, usually booming, was a strained whisper, his greatsword still held defensively. He was a Nord of action, used to clear foes and straightforward battles, but this… this was beyond his experience.
Elara, however, seemed entranced, her initial fear giving way to a scholarly fascination. "It's magnificent," she breathed, her eyes wide, "and terrifying. The 'Guardian of Time'… it's not a mere Golem. It's too complex, too integrated with the city itself. It feels… alive, in a way constructs rarely do. A living mechanism, perhaps?"
Marius, ever pragmatic, kept an arrow nocked, his gaze sweeping the enormous form. "Magnificent or not, it just stopped its minions from attacking us. Does that mean it's friendly, or just… processing?"
The Guardian's massive, crystalline arms, resembling segmented clockwork, slowly rotated, the inner gears glowing brighter with each revolution. A soft, whispering chorus of voices, ancient and resonant, seemed to emanate not from the Guardian itself, but from the very air around it, a chorus of echoes weaving through time.
"...intruders... disturbance... equilibrium... time... preserved..."
The words were fragmented, ethereal, yet they seemed to directly enter Jason's mind, bypassing his ears. This was a psychic projection, a direct communication from a being that likely communicated on a level far beyond spoken language.
"It knows we're here," Jason stated, his hand still tight on Dragonbane, but he didn't feel the urge to draw it fully. An instinctive understanding, a Dragonborn's sense for powerful auras, told him that direct combat with this entity would be folly. This was not Alduin, a beast of raw destruction. This was something different, something designed for preservation.
"It spoke of equilibrium," Elara murmured, her eyes distant as she tried to grasp the ancient whispers. "The Ayleids were obsessed with order, with cosmic balance. If we're disrupting something vital, it will act to restore that balance."
Suddenly, the Guardian's cerulean glow intensified, and the fragmented whispers coalesced into a clearer, more defined thought in Jason's mind:
"You carry a shard of disruption. A ripple in the stream. State your purpose, mortal, or be… re-aligned."
The last word, "re-aligned," sent a chill down Jason's spine. It didn't sound like a threat of death, but something far more existential, something that implied a forced correction, a stripping away of their very presence in the timeline.
Jason stepped forward, his voice clear and resonant, amplified by his innate Thu'um, though he didn't actively Shout. "We seek understanding! Knowledge of time, of the World-Eater, Alduin! We mean no harm to this city, only to prevent a greater disruption – the end of all things!"
He felt a subtle probing from the Guardian, a gentle, mental touch that delved into his intentions, sifting through his memories of Alduin, of the prophecies, of the very threat that hung over Tamriel. The sensation was unnerving, like an unseen hand sifting through the most private corners of his mind, but it was not hostile.
The thrumming lessened slightly. The whispers returned, a bit more coherent.
"...Alduin... anomaly... world-eater... cyclical... your presence... an intrusion... yet... necessity... foreseen..."
"Foresight?" Elara gasped, excitement now overshadowing her fear. "The Ayleids had orreries, devices for predicting the future, but on this scale? A Guardian capable of understanding the nuances of prophecy?"
The Guardian's glowing arms slowly shifted, one of its crystalline palms rotating to point towards a structure deeper within the submerged city, a grand, spire-like building that seemed to shimmer with an internal light.
"The Chronosymbrium. It contains... knowledge... of temporal flows... and the anomaly... but the path... is guarded... by trials... of discernment... and fortitude. Prove your worth. Disturb not the balance further."
The collective mind-voice faded, and the cerulean glow of the Guardian lessened to a steady hum. The Ayleid automatons remained motionless, their eyes still fixed on the group, but they made no further moves. It was an unspoken challenge, a pathway laid out, but one fraught with unseen dangers.
"Trials, then," Jason mused, looking at his companions. "It's not going to just hand us the answers."
"Typical ancient magic guardians," Marius muttered, relaxing his stance slightly but still alert. "Always with the riddles and the tests."
"But this is a good sign!" Elara interjected, her eyes alight with renewed purpose. "It acknowledges our quest, or at least the necessity of it. It's not attacking us outright. It's allowing us to proceed, provided we prove ourselves worthy."
Jason nodded. "It wants to see if we're capable of handling the knowledge it protects. If we're strong enough, and discerning enough, not to misuse it."
The path to the Chronosymbrium was visible now, a main causeway that led directly from their current position across the still, dark water. However, as they looked closer, they saw the water around the central structure was not entirely still. Strange, luminescent currents swirled beneath the surface, and distorted reflections hinted at unseen barriers or illusions.
"We proceed with caution," Jason commanded, drawing Dragonbane fully now, its light a steady presence against the ethereal glow of the city. "Elara, can you sense anything about these trials? Any magical traps or illusions?"
Elara closed her eyes, extending her senses. "There are layers of enchantments," she reported, her brow furrowing in concentration. "Some are protective, others… reactive. It's like the city itself is a puzzle box, designed to filter out those who aren't meant to reach its heart. And the water... it's not just water. It's infused with some kind of temporal energy. Touching it feels... odd."
As they began to move, taking the first tentative steps onto the causeway leading towards the shimmering spire, a low thrumming began again, this time from the water itself. Distorted images flashed across the surface of the pool – fleeting glimpses of other times, other possibilities, unsettling whispers of echoes from events that hadn't yet happened, or perhaps never would.
The "Sunken City" of Ceyatatar was more than just ruins; it was a living, breathing artifact, a testament to the Ayleids' mastery of the arcane, and a potent challenge to anyone who dared to seek its secrets of time. The Guardian had given them passage, but the true tests were only just beginning.
A.N. Sorry for not updating for a while, been busy with work and school. Just set aside some time, and updated the fanfic. Until next time.