The key worked, and the highest levels of the tower were now available to me. One monster guard after another fell dead, failing their one mission: to stop me from getting to the top of this tower. I finally arrived at a level that would go up no further. To the side of the walkway was a floating pedistal. I stood upon it and looked up. I could see another floating pedistal at the next level. This had to be the way up. I waived my hand over it, and suddenly found myself teleported up to the pedistal at the higher walkway.

There were two more Xivilai at this level, each summoning their own daedroth. I had to think fast. I summoned a clanfear and a daedroth of my own to counter-attack. However, before I could go invisible, I was hit by one of the Xivilai's swords. The thing ripped into my forearm. I hit back with my own shortsword, paralyzing the Xivilai for just long enough for me to go invisible again. The Xivilai recovered from the spell, looked around for evidence of where I might be hiding. By this time, both of our summoned creature spells had faided. I waited for the Xivilai to search around far enough away from me where I could perform a healing spell. It would break the invisibility spell, but once cast, I could re-cast invisility. It seemed like forever before the creature walked away.

Finally I had my opportunity, did a quick healing spell, went invisible again, then ran to another location as the Xivilai returned to attack. They had no luck in determining where I had gone to, but in a few moments, I was far enough away that I could summon several creatures to my aid, and the battle was one once more.

The Xivilai lost, and I was now near the top of this tower.

The roar of the flow of energy going up the tower shaft was deafening.

I could see the top of the tower. There was something...odd about the ceiling. It was almost as if it was...alive. It seemed to pulsate.

It was made out of living flesh!

Oh, this would just have to stop!

I made my way into the next level, finding myself over the ceiling of the last level. I could hear the footsteps of things guarding this place just above me. I decided now would be a good time to go invisible again.

I surveyed the inner chamber. The connecting part of this chamber was definitely made out of living flesh, stretched as thin as paper.

I quietly made my way up a set of "flesh stairs", wondering if they felt pain as others stepped upon them.

I snuck up on one of the guards, attacking him directly with my sword. He was so stuned that he didn't have time to react. I kept hitting him over and over until he fell over the edge of the walkway, breaking his neck on the floor below.

I made my way up another flesh-made walkway, summoning four more creatures to defeat the Xivilai that was guarding this section of the tower.

I checked the Xivilai's corpse for any weapons I might bring back to sell, when I saw...it.

The Sigil Stone. And the slit through which it powered the Oblivion Gate nearby.   

I walked right up to it. The energy from the shaft below pounded into the stone constantly, making it vibrate.

I reached out, almost afraid to touch it at first, wondering if I'd receive some kind of shock.

I gritted my teeth, grabbed it with my left hand and pulled it away from the shaft of energy bombarding it.

The power suddenly begain jumping to the top of the tower, no longer having any direction or purpose.

Everything began to get blurry. The noise was almost too loud to bear. I closed my eyes and covered my ears, enduring loud claps of thunder and blinding light, when suddenly, I began to feel cold rain on my back and arms.

I was back at the gates of Kvatch! I had done it! I had closed the gate, and had somehow returned to where the gate had been.