Phew, this was a long one... check out my account on Deviantart, under Artemide68, for new Fanart about my fic, I'm getting really handy with photoshop, I'm so proud of myself ^^
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Chapter 36: A Threat
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN ON A GENETICAL LEVEL!?"
The time god was not having a good time (pun intended) and the god of knowledge didn't even know it was possible for his brother to react in such a brash manner (these puns are on fiiiire!)
"It means, essentially, that she is gaining your characteristics…"
"She is turning into ME?!"
"I cannot say, though it is very unlikely. I don't doubt that she will begin showing some of your traits"
"AS IN?!"
"As in divine characteristics. Control over time, Dragon assets, Longevity… I am not confirming for sure… this is something completely unprecedented, and I clearly cannot draw information from the source of the problem itself… mine is just a prediction…"
Tosh just stared into his brother's calm, grey eyes, with anger, and assimilated all of his words. Never, in his long immortal life, had he been faced with something like this. He was the original spirit, the god of time… and now a mortal could be like him? How was that even be possible? He was a force of the universe, a non-reproducible being….
"Julie, Do you swear on your immortal soul that you are not just playing a prank on me? Are you completely sure that this is what is happening? Couldn't she be just an overpowered Dragonborn?..."
Julianos's eyes were sad and serious, as he nodded
"I'm afraid I am, brother… I am not sure about the details, but her excess power comes from herself, not your blood, which means that her body and soul are undergoing a change that has clearly been set in motion by your medium… I've managed to retrieve and examine some samples… unfortunately, they confirm it…"
Tosh turned his eyes away from his brother, deep in thought, and surprisingly trying to kick away emotions.
Emotions… those where the strongest he had felt in a couple of millennia.. but somehow.. he just didn't feel like celebrating yet…
Julianos just stood there, watching his brother ponder on this new revelation. He had already a plan laid out for him, given that, being the god of logic, he didn't exactly come and visit without some practical reason… But he knew Tosh would want to understand everything by himself before he accepted his own solution….
Damn… for a god of time… his brother was so slow….
Finally, Tosh dropped his tense shoulders and came out with an immense sigh
"You do enjoy startling me like this, don't you?" He asked, defeated
"Not startling you, just pointing out your mistakes" Julie replied, grinning smoothly
Tosh humpfed
"Same thing, given that's the only time I'm startled. Otherwise I'd know already whatever you came here to do and this conversation would be useless… wait a second… is this why you never come visit?!" He exclaimed all of a sudden
Julie smirked
"It seems you've finally figured it out…."
Tosh narrowed his eyes at him, then grumbled, tired. His stupid brother and his stupid obsession with logic… always pragmatic, never doing things just for fun…
He suddenly realized something very strange
He was thinking like a newborn!
Those news must have created an emotional rift within him… He never felt so alive and full of uncertainty… this was amazing…
Unable to decide whether to be sad or overjoyed, the god shrugged it off and focused on the matter at hand, catching his brother's sarcastic eyes
"Stop joking around, Julie… If this is really what you're telling me, it's grave news… I need to know all that you have discovered about Diana and her changes… and how exactly can she start mimicking me…"
Julie's gray eyes hardened
"I'm pleased to see you are ready to take this seriously, because before I tell you anything, Brother, I want to make one thing extremely clear …"
His tone became deathly cold
"The girl is a threat. She must be killed"
"Whoah, check out those Dark clouds to the East! I've never seen such a big storm around these parts… divines must be angry or something…"
I had already noticed what Faendal was pointing out… It was hard not to when you could literally feel the electric charges in the air, and the smell of wet things in the distance..
…Still, those clouds looked ominous, and the lightning that crossed through them was even less inviting. I felt relieved knowing we were in a forest, with trees way higher than ourselves…. If we had been traveling somewhere like, say… Whiterun's steppes… that would have been really bad….
"It's better we get a move on, then… wouldn't want to get soaked" I pointed out
And have Faendal freeze to death… I mentally added
Fae nodded.
"Ivarstead should not be that far away. They should have an inn over there… which means a warm bed" He pointed out, nonchalantly, but I could see from his attitude that he was really looking forward to a nice, cozy fire. I knew he liked the wilderness more, but walking through that mountain pass in the middle of a snowstorm had been a fairly chilly experience….
I nodded, before pointing out
"Next time we pass by a merchant, remind me to buy you heavier clothes…"
Fae turned and looked at me weirdly, if not a little offended
"You would buy heavier clothes for me, but not yourself…?! D, you have been running around in Studded Armor!… that barely manages to cover your neck!…. Haven't you felt cold at all?"
I looked at him with a lost expression, unsure of what to say… It's true… my gear wasn't suited for extreme weather.. but then again… I didn't need anything for myself when sub-zero temperatures would end up just giving me a little chill…
I settled for the truth. Fae knew who I was… there was no need to start sewing lies….
"I…. I.. really don't feel the cold… not anymore…" I muttered, a little ashamed…
Fae's eyes widened at my statement, before settling back on the road
"I guess that's another thing to add to the list of powers you've gained" He muttered, absent-mindedly…
But his tone was not as excited as usual. There was some sadness beneath it, barely a hint, but I could recognize it. It was unsettling. It wasn't like him to keep things to himself…. Then again… it wasn't like me either, and I was keeping a hell of a lot of things away from him…
I tried to wonder what could possibly be wrong, but failed miserably. When he wanted, the elf was a very difficult puzzle to solve. No doubt, behind that easy going exterior, was complexity, and a keen mind…
"Quick! Let's get inside!"
SLAM
"…phew"
We both slammed shut the door of Vilemyr inn, attracting quite some attention with our brusque entrance. The weather had given up on us. Dark clouds had caught up while we trekked the woods, howling winds and rain following close. They were so strong that some of the forest trees were dangerously creaking, some branches falling, motivating us to run for the rest of the road, wary of possibly being crushed.
By the time we reached Ivarstead, the storm had turned into a small scale cyclone. There was no snow, but plenty of rain and thunder, as shown from the troubling sounds outside and our soaking wet clothes.
I took a look around or new refuge. It seemed like most of the townsfolk were there, probably taking cover, just like us. Some were chatting over Ale, while others just looked nervous, listening to the howling wind outside the door.
Most, though, were staring at us with some curious faces
"Uhm… quite some weather outside..eh?" I muttered, kind of nervously, to the staring crowd
Fae raised an eyebrow at me as if saying 'really, Diana?'.
I kind of blushed a little as a middle aged man wearing an apron approached us
"Welcome travelers! I am Wilhelm and this is my inn, what may I do for you?" He asked, heartily
Me and Fae both shared a glance, before the elf spoke
"I suppose we would like a room for the night? Separate beds, please…"
Wilhelm shook his head
"I apologize but all of the rooms are full… With this kind of weather outside, most people in the area have come here to take refuge… I gave my last one away a couple of hours ago.."
Fae came up with a subtle sad puppy expression while reacting to the news. The innkeeper paused, stared into those eyes, and added
"….But, You can stay here in the main hall, and camp for the night." He smiled "With this weather, I'll make an exception. There are a few tables left… Can I get you a meal, something to drink?"
"A warm meal should be fine, thanks" Fae said, smiling
"Very well" Wilhelm replied politely. "Come sit near the fire, you might want to warm up.. oh, and if you wish to dry your clothes, you can take them off and place them near the flames. The room on the back is empty, you can use it if you want to change…"
Faendal thanked him happily while Wilhelm set out to prepare us some hot stews. We took turns going into the back room. I took off my wet armor and put on simple linen garments I had stored inside my satchel, a white shirt and brown pants. Fae came out wearing his usual green shirt as we both sat down and warmed by the fire.
By then, the other customers had stopped staring at us two. I felt myself relaxing. Ever since Whiterun's attack, my fear of people's attention had only grown….
"I didn't expect you being so good at convincing people" I noted, while taking off my ponytail and squeezing my hair like a sponge to take out the water.
Fae smirked
"What can I say, it's one of my many talents, Miss dragon breath"
My eyes widened
"Shht! Are you crazy!? Someone may hear us!" I whispered while probing the area for uneven heartbeats. A woman to my left seemed extremely stressed, but she was mostly looking at the door and was probably worried about the weather…
"You need to relax…, even if they did, they are not all on your tail" He chuckled "They would assume something innocent, like you having a stinky, smelly breath" He mocked
I narrowed my eyes at him, before resting my head on my elbows, drowsily. Rain and storms always made me a little sleepy. I was glad to note that my 'transformation' hadn't changed that.
"Why on earth are you so cranky?" I muttered
Fae's eyebrows dropped low
"I don't know, maybe because you didn't tell me that a dragon had attacked Whiterun and you basically killed it all by yourself" He replied, subtly showing disappointment
I snapped out of my relaxing posture and stared at him wide eyed
"Wha…Who?.."
Fae raised an eyebrow, his arms crossed, his expression judging and unreadable.
"Those two guys chatting over there. They were talking about it while you changed... about a mysterious demon figure saving the town of Whiterun, killing a Dragon and absorbing it's soul. Rumor's all over Skyrim by now. Reminds you of something? Maybe a certain silver circlet you have in your bag…
I felt a wave of guilt rushing over
"Fae I'm sorry, I would've told you…"
"…But you didn't" he intercepted, coldly "I had to wait and find out from someone else" He added.
I stared at him, speechless. The elf's tone was calm and very controlled, almost cheerful, given that this was a public place and we didn't want to catch the wrong type of attention. It felt alien compared to what was probably hiding beneath the surface.
Fae grunted and rubbed his temples
"I'm sorry D, I really want to go with you, help you out, divines know if you need it. I'm very happy to be your friend and get the chance to follow you around…. It's just that.. the more I am staying with you, the more I am noticing how much you have changed since that month we spent together hunting. Why, it was just a week ago…. And now, all of a sudden, you come back stronger, faster, incredibly powerful. I keep finding things out by myself because you won't talk about it… incredible things…. And I realized I don't even know anything about you before you came to Riverwood…"
He sighed
"I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm a pretty easy going guy. I won't ask questions people don't want to answer, and I like to go along with things… but I'm feeling like I need to know some more here, at least if we are travelling together… I'm no fool, I know we will be in constant danger, but how can we be partners if I barely know what's going on with you?… Look…. I'm just saying I would appreciate if you talked to me." He finished, a little hasty, before focusing on Wilhelm, who was just coming towards us with two bowls full of steaming stew
Geeze, the timing…..
"There you go, best stew in the county! That's eight Septims, call me if you need anything else" He said confidently, not noticing the tense atmosphere between us
I pulled out my satchel and paid the man his money, also taking care of Faendal's meal. I was running low on coins, but not on goods. I had plenty of items to sell, so I could afford paying for the both of us… and I felt slightly guilty for not telling things to my friend. Still, something prevented me from spilling the truth….
"You know, you can even whine or start crying with me, I won't judge. I know you've been depressed ever since you changed. It's pretty much one of the main reasons I decided to come with you" Faendal muttered, when Wilhelm went away.
My jaw hung completely loose at that statement. He had talked his way into my journey because.. he wanted to help me?! That made no sense whatsoever… At most, he was slowing me down, with his need for sleep, warmth, low speed….
…but then, why was I enjoying his company so much?
The elf was funny, easygoing, warm, and he knew my secret.. well… one of my secrets…. He was someone I could talk to… someone who made me feel like those powers I had where nothing big, and life was always good.
He made me feel like there was nothing wrong with me….
He was also hiding things. I would have never imagined he was this perceptive. He had to be an excellent liar, and manipulator…. But I felt that, in this instance, he was sincere….
Could I really start to talk to him? Wouldn't he freak out at some point..? I wondered if he really was that enthusiastic about my powers, or if he was just acting excited to cheer me up…. Either way, I couldn't keep him following me around blindly. He would find out things sooner or later, just like he did today… maybe it was better if he found out sooner, rather than later…
I tried to defend myself
"You're asking me to tell you everything about me, but you've been keeping secrets too. All this time, I had no idea that you were following me because…"
Fae shushed me.
"Those were good secrets, and I had my reasons to keep them. On the other hand, You, my friend, are acting like a loner for no good motives, and I'm finding myself willing to change these circumstances" He smiled, cockily
I grunted. I hoped his cockiness wouldn't stay… Tosh was already enough for me to deal with…
"Fine" I said, completely defeated
"Fine what?" Fae asked with a rising eyebrow
"Fine, I'll tell you everything" I said before beginning to whisper with a rough edge. "But not here, you moron… this conversation you dragged me in is already putting my cover at risk!"
Fae turned back into his lightheaded self and chuckled lightly
"Hmmm, I'll have to add 'Incredibly Paranoid' to the list of things the new Diana has become…"
"Shut it, Chicken"
"Damn… that's low"
"I know "
The night was proceeding smoothly… Wilhelm had given us a bunch of pelts to sleep on, then he had gone to bed, leaving the two of us alone in the great hall. Faendal had fallen asleep almost immediately, while I had used the time and absence of people around me to plan. I had managed to find some parchment and a quill. I thanked providence for those calligraphy lessons I had taken back when I was a little girl, which made me quite capable at writing with ancient stationery, as I started sketching a diagram comprehending everything I could remember from playing the game... That way, I was now managing to make some flexible plans for when I met the Greybeards, or even after, Delphine.
Still, even with my restlessness, I needed to sleep, so I used to the last hours in the evening to snuggle up in those pelts Fae had already kindly warmed up for me…
Soaring
I was flying over the vast expanses of Skyrim's steppes, wind brushing my cheeks… peacefully enjoying the feeling… wings spread wide….
…wait… WINGS?
As soon as that though crossed my mind, my wings disappeared in a pouf of black smoke. I started falling, plummeting towards the ground, screaming in terror.
CRASH
A huge cloud of dust raised itself around me. I was surprisingly still intact, after a two hundred meter fall…
I raised myself up, scared out of my mind, while the dust dissipated. I was in Whiterun's main square, people were staring at me, surrounding me. In the front rows were some very familiar faces…
…Mom, Dad, Sis, Anna, Raelof, Gerdur, Faendal, Aela, Farkas, Balgruuf, Kodlak….
They were all staring, completely shocked. It was … alienating.
"ROOOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRRRR"
I turned around to the ear-wrecking sound. Mirmulnir was on the stairs of Dragonreach, fighting a Daedric Clad figure.
In a sweep of fire, the man was no more
"No.." I whispered, but before I could understand what was happening, Mirmulnir was already in front of me.
He opened his jaws and incinerated the public. My family… My friends… all turned into charcoal black, the stench of burnt flesh permeating the air.
"No.."
Tears came out of my eyes, blurring my vision
"…NOOOOOO!"
I fell down on my knees
Mirmulnir laughed, his cackles cracking the air.
"Now, it's your turn" He roared with pleasure
I looked up at him, eyes filled with rage and grief. I felt my soul being pulled out of my body, going towards him.
I was being swallowed.
My rage turned into fear, pure terror… I tried to fight back, panicking as I realized the dragon was just too strong…
"No..no.. GET AWAY!"
"Diana… hey D… D wake up!"
I opened my eyes abruptly and jerked up unconsciously
"WOah.. there girl… calm down… what's going on?"
I looked around, completely disoriented. There was a fire, tables, candlelights… Fae was crouched next to me
Finally, it all came back
Another fu**ing dream…
I released my tension, as I met Fae's gaze.
"..it was.. just a bad dream"
Fae looked around, noting that there weren't many people awake, since it was probably very early in the morning. Wilhelm was back in the kitchen minding his work…
"Are you sure it was just a dream? I've never seen a person so shaken, and given your… situation…" He whispered
I gulped and nodded. Yes.. it was just a dream… wasn't it?
Fae gave me an extremely worried look, but didn't add anything else.
"I'll open up the door a second and see how the storm is going.."
After my brusque wake up, Fae had brought me some warm milk to calm myself down, in a surprisingly kind gesture. I wondered just how bad I looked while I was sleeping.. Was I yelling? Muttering senseless words? Did I look delirious?...
We were now both sitting down, after finishing breakfast
Fae stood up and went to open the Inn's entrance, since windows weren't exactly a thing in a land where everything was freezing cold and insulated glass was not an option. As soon as he did, he received the equivalent of a bucket full of water, splashed into this face, followed by lightning and loud thunder…
"….. I don't think it's going anywhere…"
I refrained myself from chuckling as I worried over the fact. We had no time to loose here.
I had to get to High Hrothgar, not fool around like this... Alduin would soon notice that a Dragonborn was slaying his brethren. I needed all the time I could get before becoming too busy running away from an insane dragon god.
Fae interrupted my line of thought
"I know what you're thinking D, but there is no way we can climb up that mountain with a storm like this going on. Even you, with your almighty strength, would be thrown out by the wind… We have to wait…"
A voice came from behind us
"So… you're going on a pilgrimage to High Hrothgar? A shame for this storm then, the place is harsh to climb on its own…"
Wilhelm had made his way into our conversation. I shot a glance at Fae, that meant 'And you thought people here weren't snooping around…'
Fae smiled sheepishly, receiving the message, as Wilhelm continued
"I say, if this storm isn't the wrath of the gods, it is because of Shroud Hearth Barrow's curse. There is a ghost there that has been terrorizing this town… Now it's even plaguing its visitors…."
My eyes widened in recognition… Shroud Hearth Barrow… There was a man pretending to be a ghost in there… and a Word Wall…
A mischievous grin formed on my face, scaring Faendal off…
"Is this perhaps, an ancient tomb, at the edges of the city?" I asked innocently
"Why, yes it is, very ancient in fact. There are rumors of the living dead wandering its halls, and now a ghost. We try to stay very clear from that place" Wilhelm replied
"Do, by any chance, any of you in the village have a weird object, shaped like a dragon claw, with sharp edges and weird markings at the bottom?" I kept asking, enjoying my act
Wilhelm's eyes widened in recognition
"Perhaps, but what would you need it for?" He asked, a little suspicious
"Let's say I am an expert regarding these tombs… The item I mentioned works as a key to enter the lower chambers. If anyone was actually in possession of this item, I could go down there and use it to relieve you of the curse. I could fight the ghost for you, and the living dead…." I mentioned nonchalantly
Wilhelm's eyes narrowed
"And exactly what sort of payment would you expect for doing us such a service?"
"None at all, with the exception of the claw. We are stuck here anyways, I might as well put my time to good use, right?" I gave him a little wink
Wilhelm looked thoughtful, but in the end, he agreed. He ran on the back, to get the claw I already knew was in his possession. As soon as he left, Fae pulled my attention towards him
"What on earth are you talking about, D? Why should we risk our lives in a place like that?" He whispered, a little angry
"Relax, Fae!" I muttered "I've got it covered. There is a Word Wall inside those ruins.. a thing I need to see… we are wasting time standing here while a giant dragon is out to get me, and I need all the help I can get…. Plus… I thought you wanted to be alone with me, so I can finally explain to you every single thing I have been keeping a secret… " I explained
Fae looked extremely confused, and a little frustrated. I think I got him with my last 'everything will be explained' remark.
"Fine, but I am waiting for answers soon"
Two adventurers found themselves wandering inside old ruins, slowly descending a staircase that pierced the depths of the earth.
"SO… let me recap to see if I got things straight… You, Diana Perastri, come from another world?"
"Yep"
"You were pulled here by non-other than Alduin, the world eater, to be used as a sacrifice…"
"Uh uh"
"You died, met Akatosh, the god of Time, which according to you is a jerk, then died again, and became Dovahkin"
"More or less…"
"Then you set out for Whiterun, because back in your old world, our entire universe was foretold in a videogame, whatever that is, and you knew a dragon was going to attack soon…"
"Yeah…"
"There, you managed to singlehandedly slay a Dragon, while in a disguise gently brought to you by Sheogorath, the prince of madness, because you fell into his graces…"
"Go on…"
"And after that, you managed to disappear, and got to me."
"That's about right…"
"Oh, and you also met Mara, you got told the story of beginning, something that has been debated in Tamriel for millennia… You befriended the Companions which are secretly werewolves that own springs underneath the city of Whiterun… And I'm supposed to be in love with Camilla Valerius…"
"Aren't you?…"
"…No"
"…Alright…"
"…"
"Well…"
"…"
"Thoughts?..."
"…"
My god this was awkward. Fae was staring me down, taking in every single detail silently, as if he was a goddamn computer scanner. His heart was beating wildly… What was he thinking? I was starting to think this was a bad idea after all… I should have just told him to scram if he really didn't feel comfortable traveling with me any longer….
I was about to explode when…
"Let's just say I can see why you fell into Sheogorath's graces…"
Fae smirked
I stared at him, wide eyed…. Was this… an okay? What did he mean? Did he believe me? Was he mocking me? … what the hell?…
"I've got to admit, no sane person would believe what you just told me…"
My heart skipped a beat
"But.. I have known you for enough time, and I know you wouldn't lie about this… plus, I've already witnessed you doing crazy things… so…. I guess I'll just have to.. deal… with it…."
Those words melted me like a hot shower
Holy pickles, this guy was AMAZING!
I ran towards him and hugged him tight, making him loose his balance a little
"You moron! Don't joke on this! Do you know how scared I was of telling you?!"
"D…. You're… crushing… me…."
I immediately got away from him, absolutely embarrassed
"Sorry… I still can't control my strength well…"
Fae rubbed his shoulder in pain, before answering
"It's fine, no damage done… and I'm sorry for teasing you…"
He smirked as we approached the end of the staircase
"Now… what did you say about a fake ghost living in here?..."
Akatosh was pissed
"Absolutely Not!"
"Brother, listen to me before you object! You still have no knowledge of exactly what you have created! I beg of you, be reasonable!"
"Julie, my son dragged this girl here against her will… I forced my blood upon her! She has done nothing wrong and I have no intention of sending her to her death! And you must realize, that if she dies, Nirn falls, to be reborn under my son's tyranny. I cannot allow this!"
"Yes! And if your son, Alduin, who is just a spawn and only shares part of your power, has managed to cause you so many problems, and so much grief, imagine what a girl like her, who has the potential to become as powerful as you, might do to us spirits! There is absolutely no way we can let her live!"
"And how might a girl like her achieve such a level anyways!? Even if my blood is changing her, there is no way she can just conjure so much power from nothing! Julie, you can't seriously…"
Julianos groaned, perhaps he should have approached this some other way. It seemed Tosh had gone soft for the girl, to be so upset from his statement. Nevermind… he would change his ideas in the end….
"Perhaps, if you let me explain, brother, I can illustrate precisely how that girl can be the cause of our downfall…" He said, spitefully
Tosh narrowed his fiery eyes. Damn, he was angry! He was already seeing the impact of his rage over the continent of Nirn… a great storm was brewing…
"Go on then, Julie! Explain to me exactly why I should kill a poor, innocent girl! I thought the wisest course of action was the one that entailed the least deaths! Did you decide to take a page out of Boethia's book?! Should I prepare myself for a change in Nirn's collective morality?" He hissed
Julie glared, annoyed. His brother's anger was starting to influence him. Unlike the other divines, he had never welcomed emotions. He knew that they would ultimately cloud his judgment. Things were worse than he thought, if this girl was plaguing Tosh's mind already.
"Brother, what you have created is no longer a human, nor a recognizable creature. She is a hybrid, more accurately, an interdimensional hybrid. One that was born from mixing your power, which is tied to the very fabric of this universe, with something that, in our world, technically doesn't exist. She doesn't belong here and she doesn't fit in her own dimension either, not anymore…"
Tosh's anger subsided, replaced by sadness… he realized just what a weight he had wrought upon his new protégé….
"But even if she is, why would she be so dangerous?" He asked, clenching his fists
"There are many reasons, but the main one, is an ability you gave to her through your blood"
"Oh yes, and what would that be?"
"The ability to devour souls"
Tosh cringed. Yes, that one was a nasty ability, but how would that ever threaten them? She wasn't able to swallow immortal souls, like his, or Alduin's….
"Stop stalling and cut to the chase! Why would that ever make her a threat?!" He asked, annoyed
"I'm just making sure that you understand everything completely before I explain some more" Julie answered, with a little glint in his eyes that said 'you're an idiot and you can't keep up with me'
Arrogantly, he continued
"It's simple, really. As you stated before, on her own, she can never reach a power that would equal yours, and the magic inside that little blood you gave her could never completely change her into a god… "
Tosh raised an eyebrow. Then, what was the fuss all about?
"BUT… for every soul she swallows, her genetics change a little further. It's like the energy is being processed and used to fuel her adaption…."
The Dragon god's eyes finally glinted in recognition. Tosh tapped the tip of his chin, caught in his thoughts
"So, you are saying that her changes are brought upon her because of the souls she swallows… Still, I don't see where the threat is. A couple of Dragon souls won't be able to raise her to godhood, not even if she kills every single dragon in Skyrim…"
Julianos nodded, happy that his brother was turning back towards using a logical attitude.
"True, if she keeps herself to eating just a few dragon souls, that should be acceptable… but what if she found the means of sucking in other living things…."
Tosh paled in horror
"She could slaughter an entire plane to ascend to godhood…."
Julie nodded gravely
"I'm glad you finally see what I'm seeing, brother. By now, the girl does not seem prone nor has the means to commit such a despicable act. I can tell she is good at heart, and somewhat wise… but I'm not sure for the future. If my predictions are accurate, Just a couple dragon souls, and her lifespan will extend incredibly. If she swallows more, she might achieve near immortality…. Tosh… you of all people know what time can do to a person… especially a mortal who isn't accustomed to our ways"
The time god's eyes were burning
"And I can't see her timeline, she is out of reach for most of us…" He muttered
"Yes, do you see what I mean?"
Tosh flinched
"That's why I'm telling you, brother! It is the lesser evil! We are weak! We wouldn't be able to stand against a being that has your power from the times before. She must be put out before she can become immortal, unkillable… Your son will have his glory, and the world will be destroyed and reborn, but… she is too much of a wild card to risk this…"
Tosh was incredibly shaken. Being put like this, Diana appeared to be incredibly scary. But was it fair? Just killing someone because of something that might happen? The god of time was highly disoriented. He was used to always knowing the future, and all the different ramifications of time. Having to make a choice, without knowing the consequences? It was frightening….
Tosh looked hardly upon his brother
"Julie, she does not deserve this. She is a good mortal who was dragged into something that did not concern her. She didn't seek this power, it was my mistake. I could not live with myself for several centuries were I to go through with you plans…"
Julie's glare was sharp
"Maybe, but, Tosh, you cannot deny the fact you have created a monster… one that is more dangerous than Alduin himself… one that could come knocking on our door one day, in a few millennia, and fight you as an equal… Brother! You must realize what a danger this can be…"
Tosh turned his head, staring at some spot in the endless white expanse of his domain
"I know what you're talking about, Julie. I've been around longer than you, and I can even see what comes ahead… Still, this is not an easy decision to make…" He muttered, with tired eyes…
Julie raised one of his stoically firm eyebrows, and sighed
"You like the human…"
Tosh interrupted his staring and looked back at him, a little startled
"….I wouldn't say that…"
Julie looked at him, a little sarcastically, and prepared himself to bite
"Must I remind you that Women's logic is still an especially valid form of logic? Or should I go fetch Mara and simply ask her? In any case, it is blatantly obvious. Your emotions are overruling you and preventing you from choosing the right course of action. You might not be infatuated with the young woman, but you have certainly developed some form of affection.."
Tosh looked absolutely bewildered, and Julie sighed
"Very well, I guess I do understand. After all, she has sort of become your daughter, after your rash behavior. I would suggest that you think it over, though. This would not be the first time you made a mistake…"
He turned, than gave one last glance at his brother
"I won't interfere, as it wouldn't be wise from my part. I will simply remind you that the entirety of Nirn might be placed in great peril in a faraway future, because of a decision you took right now or in the next few weeks. I hope you will make the right choice"
With that, he turned completely, and slowly vanished into a cloud of green mist
Tosh glared at the spot Julie had been, incredibly intense emotions swirling inside him. After a long time, where he just stood there, basking in those feelings like he had never tasted the sorts, he realized that his brashness was wreaking havoc in various Tamrielic lands.
Especially in Skyrim, next to the place where his little protégé…. daughter now, apparently…. was trying to contact him
He ignored the attempt. He didn't feel ready to talk to her yet. He didn't even know how he could face her. Too many things where happening and his mind was just not enough clear...
He sat in his domain, trying to calm himself down
And asked himself a question he rarely had the luxury to ask
What am I going to do?
REVIEW ANSWER TIME!
To BandGeek152588:
Oh man, that is like the best review I could have ever gotten, I'm literally having tears at the corners of my eyes T.T thank you so much! I really hope that one day I might be able to write my own story and have it published. It's a dream, And I know it will be hard to accomplish, so it's really awesome to hear someone comparing me to actual authors :)
To Bronylicious:
Don't worry, nothing that disturbing will ever happen XD, I promise!
To anonomon:
I can't believe I'm actually getting shippings! XD Awesome!
To Shirahime Jade Silverstone:
I think hit the spot with your last review, though I can't seem to decide if Fae is gay, or simply not into humans. I think he likes elves more ;P
To Krystylsky and 4rm36uy:
Foreshadowing the next chapter: You're doing it right ;P
To Partsu:
Thanks, and don't worry m8, I'm sure you'll get it :)
To Lunatic Pandora1, Mata Nui, Elisabeth Hollow, Valentine03:
Thank you :)