Contagion of Madness

T W O

(track: "Suspense Clock Ticking Sound" which is an edited version of Hans Zimmer's Interstellar soundtrack)

The light almost blinds Jorin at first and all he sees is white, forcing him to squint and shut his eyes for a moment before he opens them again when the light disappears and he has stepped into a very small and dark room made of perfectly rectangular stones.

In the room sits an ornate dark grey table with two chairs on either side that match the style. On the corner of the table sits a metronome, one side a man with a large smile, the other a carving of the same face only sad, and the center stick swings from either side, creating an eerie sound in the room.

On the opposite side of the table, sits a pale and tall man in black with a clean and proper look to him, a red collar on his buttoned coat that looks like it would choke him as it comes up and out like a flower. He has a strangely robotic look to him. "Please, have a seat," he tells Jorin in an accent that matches his demeanor.

Jorin is shocked when he examines the room and the man, a brow quirks up while his blade drops slightly to his side. "Right..." The confused Breton drops his stance but his weapon never leaves his hand. "What is this exactly..?"

The man looks at him calmly for a moment and then eyes the seat in front of him...

Jorin purses his lips as his brow furrows in confusion before sitting down, his blade laying across his legs.

"Now... I assume you are speaking about the door...?" the man questions as he situates himself.

Jorin glances back toward the entrance, the strange glow still emanating, still open to the outside. "Yeah..." he replies hesitantly, still unsure of this very strange situation. He looks back at the man across the table from him, inspecting his still face. "...among other things."

"Hm... yes well. I'll take my questions one at a time. The doorway is an amazing thing. It takes you from there to here... Incredible, isn't it?" he says so plainly that Jorin knows he's being sarcastic with him, his tone constantly annoyed.

Jorin glares at him briefly, "and where is 'here' exactly?"

"You have approached the Shivering Isles. Through the door behind me lies the realm of Sheogorath. Prince of Madness. Lord of the Never-There." Jorin didn't notice until now that there is a door behind him, made of stone with patterns carved into it but it's so dark in here that he didn't spot it at first.

Jorin clutches the hilt of his blade for a moment. Something is so obviously off that it sends shivers down his spine. Fitting, considering where he is now. His grip on the sword loosens. Whatever this 'person' is, he has to have had some involvement with the madness the others had suffered. He is going to play this game as long as it takes for him to get his amulet back. Then, he will decide what to do.

"Well, perhaps your lord would be so kind as to allow me a tour of his estate, surely there are other guests as well? Maybe a place for all the guests to congregate and enjoy their host's benevolence?" Jorin says with a smile, the kind of smile someone trains themselves to put on when in the presence of reputable people.

"Hm," he starts and squints at him. "My lord likes to... test the newcomers. Too many travelers who aren't ready for the realms come through that gate and as a result... they... change. Enter into a different state of mind... But I'm sure if you succeed in getting through, my lord will be quite amused with you."