Author's Note: If you haven't read the first two volumes of Yssha's Tale, Dovahkiin and Stormcrown, I'd recommend you do so, as this is a direct continuation.

Chapter 1 - A Changed Dovahkiin

21 First Seed, 5E 3

The next morning, Marcurio showed her the note and advertisement. "I'm so sorry, love ... but the flyer was distributed Tamriel-wide, so everyone knows you were turned into a prostitute for the Thalmor, and ... well, Odahviing says you really would enjoy it - couldn't help it, being dovahin."

Yssha sighed. "He was right. I did, very much, and ... I will miss it. I am the sorry one, beloved, but ... I now desire others as well as you."

"Not love, though."

"No, no, not at all!, you are still alone, there. But any man I do not actively dislike, I cannot help wondering about." She sighed. "And one of my times in Stormhaven, Talos said I should ... flaunt my promiscuity. Nothing really that blatant or indiscreet, but like my new armor."

Marcurio kissed her nose. "You'll have plenty of opportunity, love. There are plenty who're sure they can do more for you than, and I quote, 'any Thalmor spawn of Oblivion'. And they want to prove it to you."

"Oh, dear." Yssha sighed again. "Well, I was told so, yes. But I regret that it will be difficult for you."

"I've lived with it for two weeks," Marcurio reminded her. "I'm pretty well over my anger, at least in general, but I could wish you hadn't made Ungarion and Nerissa's deaths so easy. Seridur I'm not sure about, if we ever find him."

"Remember he is the one who ended the torture, beloved," Yssha said. "Perhaps not in a way either of us would prefer, but I am grateful to him nevertheless. Being a slave-whore is far better than being repeatedly skinned or having joints crushed or teeth and claws pulled out. Even with dragons acting as buffers against the pain."

"Yeah, I guess it would be. Okay, he gets to live." Marcurio heaved a sigh. "I guess I can't even hate him for it, either. From what Odahviing said, the damage was done the first time they gang-raped you."

Yssha nodded. "I experienced that as Lokmoroyol's first mating flight, so even that was ... not unpleasant."

Marcurio cursed, sounding more resigned than angry. "I ... well. I think I half-expected something like this, when you relayed what she told you about dragon mating." He began caressing her. "So I worked my way through the possibilities. And prayed. It doesn't hurt as much as I expected." He slid his hand between her legs, grinning as she squirmed against him, already moist. "Well, I do see one advantage ... "

When he finished, he kept holding her close - this might be easier that way. "So that's your dragon nature at play, and you want more." He kissed her. "It's clear I'm no match for you any more, love, and you can't deny a drive that strong without hurting yourself. So indulge yourself, with my blessing."

Yssha snuggled close, blinking away tears. "Beloved ... I am sorry!"

"Nothing to apologize for, love. It's not like it's something you wanted, or did deliberately. It was enemy action that left you permanently changed - I can't even honestly say damaged, even though it's how I feel, since it's perfectly normal for a dragon. It's just a shame that not everyone'll see it that way."

"Do you think anyone will, other than you?"

"Oh, sure - the Legion and Skyguard understand, at least. I'm not saying you won't get teased, like someone who got shot in the rear, and I'm sure you'll get some pretty crude propositions ... but the dragons have made it known that your 'misfortune' hasn't damaged your standing with them at all - has raised it, in fact."

It was Yssha, Marcurio, and Odahviing who met with Paarthurnax atop Monahven. Yssha bowed politely. "Drem yol lok, Zokwuth.[Eldest] I wish your advice, if I may."

"That is overly formal, dii jud, but of course you may. What is it?"

"The most important is that my Shouts seem to be becoming stronger." Yssha sighed. "When I used 'Fus' to open a door, it shattered into splinters instead. And a 'Yol' to simply kill a Thalmor turned him into ash, bone and all, instead."

"Is there anything else?"

"One other thing that bothers me, zokwuth zeymah." Yssha paused. "When I was being rescued, I blessed any innocent prisoners in the Thalmor palace's sub-basement dungeon, and it seemed to be effective."

"Vazah? Truly?" Paarthurnax looked disturbed. "Are you sure it was your blessing you gave them?"

Yssha thought back. "Reasonably sure. At least I do not remember invoking Talos, Bormahu, or any other Divine."

"Hmm. Then I fear you are asking the wrong person." Paarthurnax looked thoughtful. "You did choose immortality in Mundus over divinity ... yet you are worshipped, have your own realm in Aetherius, and now you tell me your Thu'um, already strong enough for you to conquer Alduin, is becoming more powerful."

"She also has shrines that function identically to those of the Nine," Odahviing added. "Now it seems her personal blessings have gained in power as well. I wonder if perhaps Bormahu plans something for her that requires divine or near-divine power."

"But what could that be?" Marcurio asked. "And why?" He shivered, not from the cold his armor insulated him against. "So much has happened to her already - how could he ask even more of her? That is simply wrong!"

Yssha sighed. "You have all made me think, which is good. Beloved, what if it is not a demand, but a gift I must be stronger to accept?"

The frustration in Marcurio's voice was evident. "But what? Like Paarthurnax said, you were strong enough to defeat Alduin months ago. How could you not be strong enough for whatever else he wants?"

"I cannot know Bormahu's mind," Yssha said softly. "I could, perhaps, guess, from what my soul-sibs have implied from time to time ... but that is all it would be, a guess."

"So guess, dearling. Even a hint would be nice."

"Well ... I would guess, then, that he wishes me to become the first Aedric shape-shifter. The Daedra have two, but both are close to the size of their normal forms. If I am correct, my other form would not be."

"Right the first time," Talos said, materializing. He chuckled. "You have to be a lot stronger before you'll be able to support the change of size and weight. And that requires the kind of worship that allowed me to become a Divine."

Yssha hissed and spat a couple of curses she didn't even remember learning. When she was done with that, she snarled. "All right. Being able to become a dragon would please my soul-sibs, and please at least some of my vahrinne. But I still do not wish to become a Divine."

"That isn't necessary," Talos assured her. "A ... semi-divine, I suppose you could say. Any mana your worshippers provide beyond that, Bormahu will channel to maintenance of your status or ours. But it will be some time yet before the power channeled to you is enough for your first transformation."

"I will not encourage such worship," Yssha said stubbornly. "The idea of becoming were-dovah is intriguing in a way, but I still find the idea of being worshiped distasteful. If I could forbid it, I would."

Talos shrugged. "We know that. But you don't feel anything from it, or sense the petitions as you would if you were a true Divine, and that won't change; I'll still respond to those as you would if you did ascend."

Yssha's surprise was evident. "You are doing that for me?"

He chuckled. "Prayers to you do use one or more of the names we share, so I hear them, and respond if it's appropriate. It might be different if they used your birth-name, or Bormahu might channel it to me anyway, but no one does. It isn't a problem; in fact, over the centuries, it's become something I enjoy doing. Of course, I had a lot of practice handling petitions during my lifetime, so that part wasn't too much of a change."

"I very much appreciate that, zeymah." Yssha sighed. "I should not complain, truly. I know this is Bormahu's will, and I accept that. But it is sometimes difficult."

"We know that, too - especially now, with your tempering barely over, and trying to cope with a reputation you think has been destroyed. In that one particular, it's too bad you were raised more Imperial than Khajiit."

That confused her. "What do you mean?"

Paarthurnax snorted a laugh, startling her. "My younger brother has a point, briinah. You do know what 'honorific' means, of course."

"It is a title or way of addressing one that indicates respect or high status," Yssha replied.

"And 'La' is a Khajiiti honorific," the dovah said. "I am sure you know what it means."

"'Promiscuous maiden', yes." Her ear-tips burned. "But ... maiden is an unmarried woman, and I am married. To a man I love very much, I might add."

Talos and Paarthurnax exchanged glances, and it was the dragon who replied. "Briinahi, both we dov and the Khajiit culture consider a promiscuous female praiseworthy. It is true that humans and most elves have the opposite opinion ... so your reputation has been lowered among some, but raised with others. Think about that, malbriinah."

Yssha was silent, just bowed her head for a moment. When she looked up, she nodded. "I will, dii zeymahhe. I promise that."

"And when you are able to change," Odahviing said, "there will be considerable competition to be your First as a dovah, and I will certainly be among them. It is about time that we males will have the opportunity to mate our thur."

"Ahh ... you do know Lokmoroyol and several of my other female soul-guests shared memories of their favorite sky-dances to protect me from the rapes - ?"

"I was sure they would, but why do you ask?"

"Because Alduin's top lieutenants were prominent in those memories. One of Lokmoroyol's favorites was when you fathered one of her dragonets." And that reminded her - "Oh! Fusmulgar - has she laid her egg yet?"

Odahviing's reply was unmistakably smug. "Eggs, plural," he corrected. "Four of them. She is brooding them in Eastmarch now."

"Four!" Yssha exclaimed, feeling equal incredulity from her three waking soul-sibs. Two at a time was rare; four was unprecedented. "Bormahu must be incredibly pleased with her!"

"With both of them, actually," Talos said with a chuckle. "Her for her cooperation with Farengar - who's with her, by the way - and Odahviing for taking you as thur without hesitation when Alduin was defeated, and for providing the example of allowing a rider, being your wings until you gain your own."

"I did not know that," Odahviing said, clearly pleased. "Both seemed only natural."

"And that's another reason," Talos said. "You both carried out his will, without knowing what it was, and did it gladly. So you pleased him greatly."

Yssha settled into Marcurio's arms, enjoying his cuddling and petting. "Scratch behind my right ear, please? I think I need to renew my anti-flea spell."

He obliged, then said, "Let me," and cast a long term kill-insects spell on her.

She sighed in relief. "Thank you, beloved - that is nice."

"Something we'll both have to cast more regularly, once our son is born. That's the only bad part of having a full coat of body-fur. At least that I can think of, not having more than a bit of body-hair myself."

"Yes, a horrid lack, my bare-skinned beloved," she said, and chuckle-purred. "Shall I give you a full pelt?"

"Argh, no!" Marcurio snorted. "A beard can itch badly enough - I don't need that all over! But thanks for the offer, I think. But that reminds me - what are you planning for the pelts Nerissa took from you?"

"Finish tanning the two still on racks," she replied, then shrugged. "Other than that, I have no idea. I am unsure why I bothered retrieving them, aside from the fact they were taken from me, and are mine. If you think of anything, tell me, please."

"Of course. In the meantime, shall we?"

"Of course, beloved."