I opened the tomb door with all my strength. It was dark inside, so I lit a torch with a small fire spell. My breath caught in my throat, the air was thick as mud down here. The air smelled of death, and even worse I smelled burning flesh. I ventured forward a little more, my footsteps echoing off the hallowed, dark walls. As I continued, the smell of burning flesh knocked me to my knees and I began to vomit. I heard a clanking and moaning sound, but when I picked up my head I saw something quite disturbing. It looked like a superhuman who had been stitched together from different body parts. I scrambled for my weapon, but the creature simply roared and slammed his giant fist on my head, knocking me out cold on the ground.

--

"Oh dear, I was afraid that you had killed her. She's been out for weeks."

I hissed between my teeth as I immediately recognized that hideous voice. I tried to move, but something was keeping me down. I picked my head up slightly to see that I was locked down my iron clasps, with my stomach stitched closed. I panicked at first, trying to writhe my way out of the clasps, but nothing budged. I tried desperately to remember a spell I had been practicing to turn my body to water, but I remember I could only get as far as my hands. Relmyna stepped closer with a dagger in her dark blue hand just as I freed one hand and sat up awkwardly.

"Oh my dear, just what are you going to with one hand?" She taunted.

She may have been a better sorceress than I could ever hope to be, but that wouldn't keep me from trying. I hurled fireballs in her direction, but she lazily deflected every one. I couldn't use two spells at once, so I tried again to turn my hand to water, cursing that I couldn't do it when it mattered most. Luckily, my entire arm turned to water just as Relmyna attempted to stab it. I gave my arm a shake and it melted back into flesh, but was disappointed to see that my ankles were still locked down. I tried pulling them out until I thought my legs would pop off, but nothing happened. I couldn't wait for a miracle to happen, so I began hurling fireballs at one lock while Relmyna simply laughed distastefully.

"Silly girl, your spells are not nearly hot enough to melt the iron!"

"Then I suggest you give me the key. Now." I growled.

I wasn't expecting her to hand it over easily, so I had to think quickly. I didn't want to seem like a tattling child by threatening her with Sheogorath's rage, but it was the best I could do for now.

"Sheogorath will be hearing of this if you do not let me free."

She laughed again.

"How will he know considering you're locked down? Silly girl." She cackled with that disgusting voice of hers and drove the dagger deep into my thigh.

The sound that came out of my throat could barely be considered human. She smiled and walked away with her somewhat-human catastrophe that hit me on the head earlier. First things first, I had to remove this dagger before my skin grew around it. I placed both hands on it weakly, my stomach was sore from whatever she had done. I slowly removed the dagger from my leg, wincing and biting my tongue to keep from screaming. Blood squirted slightly from the wound, so I cupped my hand, and using it as a cup I poured some of it onto my ankle. I worked the blood on my foot and pulled hard until it slid out. I did the same process for my other leg and managed to get that one out with a tug as well. I reached under my armor and cut a piece of fabric with the knife I took from my leg and wrapped my wound. I limped into the next room which was bright with light from torches along the wall. Relmyna stood in front of a cage with a book in her hands, whispering something that made the person in the cell scream with agony.

"Relmyna, stop this."

It took all my strength to simply utter those three words. She turned to me with fire in her eyes, slamming her book shut. My entire body was beyond in pain, my stomach was cut open, I had a deep stab wound in my right leg, I was losing blood fast. This wasn't brave, this was completely foolish. I collapsed to my knees and fought to keep consciousness. For once, Relmyna's laugh actually came in hand. She dropped to my level and her eyes were almost glowing as she waved her hand ever so slightly. Suddenly, the pain was gone from my body and I felt…normal. The cloth around my leg was no longer deep red.

"Illusion spells can do far more damage than you could ever hope to do physically."

I didn't take time to go over what was happening, I simply tackled her to the ground and stood over her with the same dagger that was no longer caked with blood. Her flesh abomination roared once again and raised its giant fist, but it never came down on me. Relmyna held up her hand to stop the beast, and she was smiling wickedly. I quickly stepped off her, never letting my guard down as she brushed herself off.

"We cannot waste more time, I know you were sent by Sheogorath." She said bitterly.

"Yes I was, I would have told you this but you were far too busy torturing me."

"I could not have passed up on the opportunity." She laughed gently.

--

After a few menial tasks, Relmyna asked me to gather the body parts I wanted to use for the new Gatekeeper. Time was growing short, so I picked an armored head, a torso, a mace hand, legs and a heart. Relmyna explained the importance of the body parts I had chosen, and we quickly made our way to the gate, with her explaining that there are six elements, the last one being flesh, all the way there. When we arrived, she opened a portal in the center, which I thought was a mere ornate circle. She chanted and instructed me to place the body parts into the pool. I tossed in the head, arm and dragged the torso and legs in. Lastly, I tossed in the heart which seemed to beat in my hand.

"Now step back!" Relmyna called over the roar of thunder above us.

I stood next to her as her chanting became louder and louder, and the color of the pool was beginning to turn purple. Relmyna's hands began to glow as she cast a spell onto the pool and it turned an ugly flesh color. Relmyna took one step back, covering her head and holding her ground. I looked at her strangely, but the pool exploded and I was thrown backwards down the stairs. For once, I was knocked unconscious as Relmyna smiled warmly down on me and teleported me back to Sheogorath's castle.