White Wolf Fan Fiction Presents:

~Forged With Blood and Steel~

An Elder Scrolls Story

Title: Forged With Blood and Steel

Words: 1,920

Warnings: Yaoi (Boy Love), Yuri (Girl Love), fluff, minor humor, interspecies relationship

Pairings: Tedras Relvi/Azorael, Naryu Virian/Quen

Disclaimer: I only own Azorael and that's about it.

Summary: Swords, daggers, axes, hammers, staffs, bows… Azorael has tried every weapon known to man and only Quen has thought to ask him about how he came to know what his perfect weapon was.

-0-

Azorael didn't remember what his life had been like, before Coldharbor. It was something he had come to terms with and accepted- something he didn't care about anymore. His past was the past and unless it irritated things in the present, it wasn't important. So he didn't know when his first time was, that he picked up a sword or a staff, but he'd known the second he was out of that cell, what his prized weapon of choice would be.

It wasn't a greatsword- they were too large, too heavy, and too slow for his lithe form. It wasn't a hammer, an axe, or a mace- they were small, yes, depending on the kind of material used in forging them, but they were too heavy for him to use and didn't do the type of damage he prefered. Staffs were easier to use, but he was a Nightblade, not a Mage. He used stealth magicka, not fire or ice or even healing- though he wasn't counting the life stealing magicka he was so fond of using when against stronger enemies. Swords, too, were easier for him to use- unlike daggers, which were too small, too easy to misplace, and did too little damage- but still, they weren't… perfect. Bows too, though Azorael did carry one- he just didn't feel the need to use it all that much, not unless he was hunting something for food or as a request or challenge.

It was months out of his prison in Coldharbor that he understood what his perfect weapon was- a type of weapon that he'd had to make himself, seeing as no one else had what he thought of as the perfect blade.

A staff made of High Iron- steel of the highest quality and grade- and dual blades- made of a mixture of Ebony and Quicksilver- on each end of the staff. But what made the weapon unique in it's own right, was the touch of Rubedite that he melted and braided into the staff, creating his own intricate design along the weapon. The weapon itself was able to come apart, splitting into dual blades that Azorael used in simpler fights when he didn't want to use the staff as a whole. And though it was easy to separate, it was difficult to destroy, something he'd prided in when he made the weapon and had tested it.

It wasn't often that he got to show off his prowess with his weapon, but here- sparring with Naryu- he couldn't help the slight puff of his chest as he countered every one of her attacks. While they were head to head, steel to steel, every step of the way, each got in their own lucky shot and by the time that Naryu had Azorael pinned- he swore she cheated, but he wouldn't ever dare call her out on it- they were both panting hard with the exertion and both had large grins on their faces- though Naryu's was just a tiny bit more smug than Azorael's.

"Well fought, my friend! I thought for sure you nearly had me beat," Naryu chuckled, standing up and then offering her hand to the Argonian. "Your weapons are uniquely balanced and well made, I can tell." she added when he accepted her hand and he made to put his blades back in their sheathes.

"That was amazing!" Quen gushed, making her way into the little ring and she immediately went to Naryu's side, her eyes wide and her face flushed with awe and excitement and wonder.

"Indeed," Tedras chuckled, from his place on the sidelines, leaning against a stone pillar, his arms crossed and a smirk on his place. Though it was clear the fight impressed him and Azorael couldn't help the little flutter in his heart when he noticed the admiration directed towards him. "Impressive, if I might add."

"Tell me again, why we don't spar often?" Naryu grinned at Azorael and the lizard licked his lips before smirking.

"Because I'd kick your ass six times out of ten? You got lucky this time-" he started and before Naryu could argue against that, Quen spoke up, directing her awe now to him.

"I saw the way you were handling your blades," she said and Azorael perked up, eyes narrowed though and he shifted uncomfortably where he stood, one hand moving to one leather end of one blade. "They're quite beautiful, and it's obvious you care greatly for them- and even more so that their creator took great care in forging them. Is that Rubedite in the steel?" she asked and he slowly nodded, swallowing hard.

Never before had anyone asked about his weapons- nor did he think anybody cared. And it was obvious that no one understood that he'd forged the weapons himself. "Yes," he said, stiff and she tilted her head to the side, regarding him carefully.

"Rubedite?" Naryu spoke up, curious. "Isn't that found in Wrothgar? When did you travel there, might I ask?"

"A while back…" he said, before he could stop himself and when Naryu smirked, he knew he screwed up.

Quen's eyes widened then and she let out a little gasp, the realization clear on her face, "You made them…" she whispered and he scrunched his nose up, frowning now, before shrugging and he turned his head down and away.

"Yeah, okay, fine. But nevermind that," he tried to get them off topic, but Naryu wouldn't have it.

"How'd you pick up the skills to make your own blades?" she asked and Azorael groaned, before finally deflating and he sighed, walking over to where Tedras stood and he made to put away the training armor he'd donned for the session.

"I've always had them, I guess… but I guess it hadn't hurt me any to check up with one of the Forgemaster's in Davon's Watch. It wasn't until a few months out of Coldharbor that I decided to make myself something I could actually use, so I found the materials I needed and went to the Earth Forge…"

"Why dual blades, though? I thought you liked swords best?" Quen asked and Azorael snorted, before turning to all three curious faces and he smirked.

"You really think that's all they are?" he asked, tilting his chin up and Quen grinned, nearly bouncing on the balls of her feet in her excitement.

"Well, go on! Show us!" she urged in Azorael laughed before finally nodding in consent, moving back out into the ring and he took his blades from their sheathes, focusing easily on connecting the leather and the steel to form his beloved staff.

When the steel connected, he spun the staff around a few times, reacquainting himself with the weight and he took in a deep easy breath, relaxing fully under it. "Beautiful," Tedras cooed and Azorael grinned at him. "High Iron, Rubedite… what else?" the Dunmer questioned, genuinely curious and Azorael hummed slightly, twirling the staff again in his hands as he pretended to think about the answer.

"I used High Iron for the staff, you're right. And Rubedite for the veins I braided into it. For the blades though… I used Quicksilver and Ebony, a very potent combination when used for the blade. It's light, but sharp and quick. The perfect weapon," Azorael said, smooth and easy, and Quen grinned back at him.

"That's amazing!" she clapped her hands together and Naryu tilted her head to the side again.

"Care to test the full strength of your staff against me, in another battle? A chance to redeem yourself, and prove what you said might be true," she said, smirking at him- a challenge, and one he wasn't about to turn down.

Flicking his tail back and forth, he grinned sharply, spun the blade a few more times before moving into a battle ready stance. "How about all three of you come at me at the same time? I win, I won't be the one paying for dinner, next time we go out, yeah?"

"Ooh, cocky aren't you?" Naryu snickered and pulled out her own dual blades again, as Quen grabbed a light, but firm wooden staff, eager to try her luck against the Argonian. "And if we win, eh?"

"The next time any of you need a favor, I can't complain," he said easily with a shrug before turning his attention to his lover, smirking now and he chuckled when he saw Tedras' hesitance. "Come on, 'Ras, it'll be easy. The three of you against little ol' me? No way I can win."

"My magicka would be cheating," Tedras said and Azorael frowned before snorting and he nodded to the rack with the other staffs.

"So don't use magicka," he said, and then looked pointedly at Naryu. "You either. You don't use your little assassin tricks, and I won't use my own skills as a Nightblade."

"Oh, my dear, you wound me," she pouted and put a hand over her heart, but Azorael wasn't buying the act. "Fine, but you'll regret being so cocky about this all." she warned him and he barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

He'd taken on five enemies all at once- Tedras and Quen would be easy to take down and with the full weight of his staff in his hands and the blades he forged himself at his disposal, there was no way he could lose this time.

"Whenever you're ready," he said and the second the words left his mouth, Naryu charged forward as Tedras and Quen tried to take him from behind.

-0-

Azorael let out a heavy, but silent yawn, stretching out his limbs easily as he rested his head in Tedras' lap, his stomach full and his mood pleasant and warm. "You knew I wouldn't stand a chance against you in a real fight, didn't you?" Tedras questioned him, sounding a little wounded, but the smile on his face told Azorael otherwise.

"Maybe, but you have no proof that I did what I did because of that," the lizard snorted and let out a little purring noise when Tedras' nails scratched against the scales on his head. "Perhaps… you survived the longest because you're a better fighter than you give yourself credit for?"

Tedras snorted this time, in blatant disagreement, and Azorael smiled, "Or maybe my lover loves to tease and torture me even more than he does Naryu," Tedras said and Azorael laughed in return, blue-gold eyes sparkling with mischief as he looked up and into Tedras' own red ones filled with light amusement.

"You… 'Ras… will never be able to prove a thing," Azorael pointed out and then paused before snickering as he remembered the look of disbelief and outrage on Naryu's face when Azorael put her down, before taking out his lover too. "But the look on Naryu's face was most definitely worth it." he added and Tedras chuckled, shaking his head.

"Oh Azorael, what will I ever do with you?" he hummed, smiling when Azorael only grinned back at him, batting his eyes innocently before they both laughed at the absurdity of it all. "I love you, my sweet little Argonian," the Dunmer hummed and Azorael sighed softly in content, reaching up a hand and cupping Tedras' cheek, smiling sweetly up at the other.

"I know," he murmured, unable to say the words back, not yet- but he always knew that actions spoke louder than words, and that was fine with both of them. At least, for now, anyway. "…I know."