The story so far:
Skavild has been ordered to attend the College of Winterhold to learn some spells, but after several months he has only managed to uncover a terrible Thalmor plot involving the Eye of Magnus, the advisor Ancano, and Second Archivist Eldaline, the very person who sent him to the college.
Skavild has made friends with Lylinar, a spy from the Psijic Order who is also Eldaline's long-lost brother but refuses on principle to reveal his presence to her. After Skavild retrieved the Staff of Magnus from Labyrinthian, Eldaline stole it from him to deliver it to Ancano. Skavild is now very angry and is chasing her with a stick.
On a cold, snowy night, a man ran into the town of Winterhold, screaming angrily and waving a stick.
Skavild was very angry. Despite his best efforts, Eldaline had taken advantage of his good nature and stolen the Staff of Magnus and run away to give it to Ancano so that he could destroy reality. Or something. Skavild wasn't sure. Whatever may have been happening, Skavild didn't want to stop screaming angrily and waving the stick.
He didn't even stop for a drink at the Frozen Hearth.
He had to stop screaming as he approached the College of Winterhold, though, as he was now out of breath.
And anyway, something terrible seemed to be happening to the college.
"Do you have the staff?" Cried Toldir.
"I, err, lost it." Said Skavild.
"But we need th..." The wizard began.
But at that moment, three dark-robed figures burst through the energy field surrounding the college, with apparent difficulty, as they all said 'Ow' as they broke out.
"Have the staff, have the staff!" Eldaline shouted. "As it turns out, Ancano is the very worst person at Sharing at the entire college. I was wrong. There. Are you happy?"
"Is there a problem?" Said Skavild.
"Skavild, help. I have been drained of all my magicka, and so have Muril and Estormo. Ancano is not supposed to abuse his colleagues in this way. Please, take the staff and go in and prevent whatever is happening. You are the only hope for the college, and possibly all the area around it for quite a long way, including all of existence, which was not supposed to end while I am still in it."
"I'll go in there with the staff all right, and you'll come with me. This is your bloody mess and you left me standing in Labyrinthian like an idiot."
"Do you want me to come in with you and watch you? Very well, if you insist." Said Eldaline.
"Do you need any help, Second Archivist Eldaline?" Said Estormo, or perhaps Muril.
"Yes. Make sure Skavild does not throw me off this bridge, and do not otherwise interfere." Said Eldaline.
"My collar has a hole in it." Said Muril, or Estormo.
"Ready?" Said Skavild, at the door. "Say Yes."
"Yes." Said Eldaline.
"You've come for me, have you? You think I don't know what you're up to? You think I can't destroy you? The power to unmake the world at my fingertips, and you think you can do anything about it?"
"How dare you threaten to unmake the world without permission, Ancano?" Eldaline cried. "I am relieving you of your authority in this place."
"You mean, you could have done this at any time?" Said Skavild. "Anyway, Eldaline, I should probably remind you that your magic has been drained again, before you try to start a fight with a wizard in control of a divine artifact."
"You dare approach me here? Are you mad? You cannot hope to defeat me!"
"Enough! Your fun with this orb is finished." Said Eldaline. "Muril, are you hiding behind a pillar?"
"I'm Estormo." Said Estormo.
"I am beyond your pathetic attempts at magic. You cannot touch me."
"I am master of the arcane!" Said Eldaline. I should not be treated in this manner!"
"Neither should we!" Said Muril and Estormo, in no particular order.
"And I am tired of you, your pet human, your unauthorised field trips, and your alterations to your uniform."
"Now you die!"
"Hey!" Said Skavild. "I've got the Staff of Magnus!" He waved it, as if to reinforce the point.
"Use it, Skavild! Use the staff!"
"And as for you, pet human, who cannot cast a simple spell, you have no idea how to wield a thing of such power!" Said Ancano.
"Don't I?" Cried Skavild. "Aaargh!"
He charged at Ancano and bludgeoned him on the head with the staff.
"Ow!"
"By the gods!" Said Estormo. "Ancano's dead!"
"Ha! Yes, he is, and I killed him!" Said Skavild. "I told him I knew how to use a staff, and he didn't believe me!"
"This is a disaster." Said Eldaline. "I'll never be a High Inquisitor once the Archon of Wisdom hears about this."
"You've saved the College, Skavild!" Said Tolfdir. "All of Winterhold owes you a debt!"
"I suppose this means that you are now the Arch-Mage, Tolfdir." Said Eldaline. "Your first task is quite obvious. Explain to me what you intend to do about..."
"Ooh, ghosts." Said Arch-Mage Tolfdir.
"Psijics!" Said Eldaline. "Ancano wasn't mad! There really were Psijic Monks skulking around the College!"
"The Eye is leaving." Said a monk.
"No, it bloody well isn't." She growled. "Arrest those monks! And arrest the Eye of Magnus too, to be on the safe side!"
"No, it's all right, Eldaline." Said Skavild. "The Psijic Order is here to protect us all from the power of the Eye. The Eye is leaving, like they said."
The monks said: "Farewell."
"Fools!" Eldaline said. "I'm surrounded by trusting fools and incompetents! Those unscrupulous wizards are stealing the Eye of Magnus from under our noses!"
"But, Second Archivist Eldaline..." Muril began.
"Silence!"
Eldaline approached the last remaining Psijic monk.
"Stop right there, criminal... monk." She said.
"The Eye has left." Said Lylinar. "And I must leave too."
"Lylinar?" Said Eldaline.
"Don't come too close, Eldaline." He said.
Eldaline didn't want to listen. "Lylinar!" She repeated, and there was a bright flash as the last of the Psijic Order departed Tamriel once again. Eldaline, Muril and Estormo disappeared with him.
"Oh." Said Skavild.
"Arch-Mage Tolfdir!" He called. "Could you come over here for a moment?"
The End
(Of Skavild's career as a wizard.)
NEXT: The Book of Fate