Chapter 12: 12
Chapter Text
The next morning finds me sitting on the ground with my eyes closed.
"Carefully." Serana's voice cautions from over my shoulder. "Do not rush this."
I take a deep breath and slow down a little.
Where before I was pouring magic into my arm as if from a river, I have reduced it to be as if from a faucet.
"Good." Serana says. "Now pull."
I open my eyes and hold my right arm up. I see it coated in a pulsating violet energy.
I allow myself a smile as I feel the energy hum.
I extend my arm out in front of me, and form a fist. I channel the magic I had gathered through my arm, and force it out.
The energy leaps from my fist and becomes a violet bolt of purple as it launches away from me. It travels the length of the training room before impacting the wall across from me, leaving a sizable hole in the old stone.
Serana hums as I stand. "You are progressing much faster than I would have anticipated." She states as she studies me. "It typically takes years to reach such proficiency. There is still more I am able to teach you, but any lessons I impart will be incomplete without a living soul for you to experiment with."
I raise an eyebrow. "By experiment you mean…?"
Serana meets my gaze unflinching. "You wish to learn the art of manipulating, and controlling souls. One does not learn this art without trying, and failing, to manipulate living souls. It matters not who, or what, you practice with. It is possible to learn by using animals, but the process will be faster if you find people you are willing to destroy. For that is what you will do. Once you are adept with soul magic, it will be elegant, but until then you will tear asunder anything you touch. Make sure that anything you try to parse, is something that is unimportant."
I nod. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks."
Serana waves me off. "It is no trouble. You freed me, and have already granted your aid in freeing my mother. Instructing you is simply my way of balancing the scales. Now, I believe it is time we checked in on Svarline."
The two of us leave the training room and begin our trek up one of the several staircases within Sky Haven. We take the stairs to their highest point and proceed down the hall.
Maneuvering through the various passageways, we come to an old escape route we discovered during our exploration. We open the door and walk out into the crisp morning air.
The door exits high up the mountain. While not quite at its peak, I'd put us about three-fourths of the way up. We are still high enough for Svar's needs.
Svar stands at the edge of a sheer cliff, looking out over the landscape below. Something about her dragon nature makes her feel very comfortable in high places, so she has come up here to practice with her thu'um whenever she decides to skip soul magic lessons. Which, admittedly, she has been doing more and more frequently.
She just doesn't have the talent for soul magic. She is a very gifted alteration mage, but does not possess as much talent for any of the other schools. Even her restoration magic is only intermediate, and she's been practicing that for her entire life.
Svar doesn't let it bother her though. Truthfully, neither would I in her position. The thu'um is much more versatile than the game would lead you to believe. So long as Svar knows the words, she can use them to bend reality. Essentially, anything she can say, she can do. The difficulty comes with learning the words.
I had already transcribed every word from the dragon language that I remembered into a small book, and given it to her to study. She has been studying the book for the majority of the time we've been here, but she's made less progress than I would have assumed.
Since she has stopped coming to Serana' soul magic lessons, Svar has been spending that time up here meditating on the words I showed her. She's gotten a couple down, proving she is much faster than the Greybeards, but it's still a time consuming process.
"Koraav." Svar says softly. The ground gently quakes at her pronunciation.
She turns around to face us with a sly grin on her face. "Nice to see you." She says and starts laughing.
I raise an eyebrow at Serana, but she doesn't pay me any mind.
"You've been up here for two hours Svarline." Serana says. "Come eat. After that, we will get to work preparing to construct our portal to the Soul Cairn."
Svar gets herself under control and the three of us descend the stairs and make our way to the mess hall we've been eating in.
Mr. Rogers is already there waiting for us with a…. where the hell did he get a crossbow?
The thing has been beat to shit. The string is disconnected and hanging on by literal threads, the wood is rotted, and there are chew marks all over it.
Huh. Cool I guess.
Everyone takes a seat and begins to eat. I pull another small book from my inventory and begin writing.
"What are you doing?" Svar asks curiously between bites.
"Making a hard copy of the portal design I have in my head." I reply.
Serana hums interestedly and moves to sit next to me. "Interesting."
"You said seven months right?" Svar asks.
I pause my writing to make a so-so gesture. "Roughly. There's a lot of factors that go into this, and it's best to make sure we get it right. I'm not sure exactly how long it'll take, but it's in that neighborhood."
Serana leans over to better read what I have written. "If it takes a year to ensure the portal works correctly, then we will spend a year on its construction. This is not a process that should be rushed. My mother will still be there when we manage to complete our work."
I nod. "I'm thinking the same thing. We'll do our best to finish quickly, but function is more important than expediency. Besides, the longer we work, the stronger we'll be when we go in there. I'm not sure what will be waiting on the other side, so I'd rather be as prepared as possible."
Svar nods. "Makes sense." She frowns slightly. "I just wish there was a way to learn the thu'um faster. I've been at it for awhile and haven't made much progress."
I look at her. "Yes you have. I understand it's not as much as you'd like, but most people would take years to get done what you can in a morning. Just keep at it. There's not much we can do to speed the process along without having a teacher for you."
Svar tilts her head. "I thought the only ones who could teach me were the Greybeards, and really they sound useless. Who else is there?"
I shrug. "Dragons."
Svar's spoon pauses on its way to her mouth as she looks at me in disbelief.
"He has a point Svarline." Serana speaks up, still looking over the book. "You are a practitioner of the dragon's magic. Does it not make sense that a dragon would be your best option as a teacher."
Svar looks at the ceiling as she considers this. "I guess. I just don't know of any dragons who'd be willing to teach me."
Serana hums. "Ask Dusk. He knows of at least two who, if not willing to teach you, will at least be friendly."
Svar raises an eyebrow at me. "Dusk."
I shrug. "One is on top of the Throat of the World, and the other's trapped in the Soul Cairn guarding Serana's mother. Neither are really available at the moment."
Serana looks up at me. "There is a dragon guarding my mother?"
Did I not mention that?
I nod. "His name's Durnehviir. He got screwed over by the Ideal Masters, and has to play jailor to an immortal as a result. He hates it, but is forced to do his job by the contract he agreed to. If we're able to 'kill' him though, he should rematerialize a little while later and be willing to talk to us. He's pretty chill when he's not trying to bite your head off."
Serana and Svar just stare at me for a moment.
Svar shakes her head to refocus. "What about the other one? We can see the Throat of the World from here, so can't you just teleport us up there?"
Huh, that's not a bad idea actually.
I shrug. "I guess I could, but I don't want to drop in on him unannounced. Going around surprising dragons is not a good way to die of old age."
Serana looks back to the book. "It is an option we now possess, but I would caution you to think on it before doing anything rash." Serana says to Svar. "You are already making progress, even if it is slow. Are this dragon's teachings worth the attention they will come with? I would also ask you to notify me of what you decide, so I may plan accordingly."
Svar nods. "Don't worry. We won't go now, I'm still not sold on learning from a dragon after all. I'll think it over and let you guys know."
The conversation tapers off there, and we all finish our meal. A few minutes after we're done eating, I finish transcribing everything I learned from Vizier about the portal.
I give Serana the hard copy, and she spends some time looking it over.
"We'll need quite a large open space for this. The only suitable location would be the foyer, but I do not want a portal to the Soul Cairn there for obvious reasons."
I nod. "Yep, that's our biggest issue right now. There's bound to be somewhere in this place that'll work. It's just a matter of finding it, and I'm still not sold on running through with Godspeed. That's just asking to get your head cut off by any left over traps."
Svar scrunches her eyebrows. "I might be able to help with that actually."
Serana and I turn to look at her, and she meets our gaze.
"The word I was working on today," She begins. "is koraav. It roughly translates to see. I can probably look through the mountain for something that would work."
I grin. "That'll work. While you're looking, try to find a vault and a library. There's bound to be at least one of each."
Svar nods and stands. "I'm still not great with this, so it'll probably take a while. I'll come get you when I find something." She leaves. A quick tremor passes through the ground shortly after she has left the room.
Serana stands next, book in hand. "I will get started on the items we need to enchant. Until later." She leaves as well.
I sigh as I lean back against my chair.
I really need to take a break every now and then. I went straight from Helgen to Whiterun, then got chased out and woke up Serana. We went down to Blackreach, and now we control Sky Haven. When I should be able to take a nap, I've decided it's a good idea to make a portal to the fucking Soul Cairn.
I sigh and drag myself to my feet.
I need something productive to do. Svar and Serana are being productive, so what can I do?
I could jump into ID's, but then I won't be here if they need help.
I get an idea, and walk to the bigger armory.
I walk in and look around. I find what I'm looking for, and move to the forge. I gather up all of the armor and weapons and pile them up by the various workbenches. Using my lightning, I ignite the forge and super heat it.
I spend the next few hours restoring all of the equipment in this armory with my blacksmithing class.
I don't know if we'll ever need this stuff, but now we have it in case we do.
I'm about to move on to the next armory when Svar pokes her head through the door.
"Found everything." She says.
I raise an eyebrow. "Portal space, library, and vault?"
She nods. "I focused on what I was looking for, and my magic practically led me to it. The thu'um is awesome." She finishes with a smile.
I chuckle and sheathe the sword I just finished. "I bet. Have you told Serana yet?"
Svar shakes her head. "You were closer."
"Well let's go get her and check everything out." I say.
We retrieve Serana and Svar leads us through the mountain until we come to a large set of double doors.
Svar opens them and we walk inside.
The room is filled with floor to ceiling bookshelves, all of which are full. The ceiling is about twice as high as I am tall, and wide enough for two elephants to stand next to one-another.
Serana hums. "Did you preview any of these books?" She asks Svar.
Svar nods to her. "They're mostly journals and other records the Blades kept. I found a few on various fighting styles, but nothing too interesting."
My ears perk up at 'fighting styles'. "Where were the fighting styles?" I ask.
Svar motions further down and I head off to look while she and Serana wait at the entrance.
I scan the shelves and find two books that make me smile.
Akaviri Sword Style
Read this book to learn the sword style of the Ancient Akaviri
Requires Monk/Paladin/Saber/Swordmage/Berserker class to use
Sword-Singing
Read this book to learn the lost art of sword-singing
Requires Swordmage class
I reach out and instantly learn the Akaviri sword style. I get another Matrix download, and suddenly know sword-fu. I'm still no Vergil, but I am really looking forward to my next swordfight.
I grab the sword-singing book and throw it in my inventory. While I don't need it because of my ability to create lightning, and soon soul blades, sword-singing is one of The Elder Scrolls magics that is similar to the thu'um. If I remember correctly, you practically create a manifestation of pure will. Green Lantern much? Passing it up just because I have an alternative is stupid.
Kind of regretting not choosing Swordmage as my second class now.
Wait, would Broken Limiter let me learn that without the class? Why the hell haven't I thought of this before? Need to look into that later.
I walk back to the entrance to meet back up with Svar and Serana.
"What's with the grin?" Svar asks with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm coming back here later." I say in place of an answer.
Svar just shrugs and begins to lead us on. Serana studies me for a brief moment longer, before she follows after Svar.
We walk for another few minutes before coming to a large steel door.
Svar grins at Serana and I. "See you on the inside. FEIM!!!" She says and walks through the door.
Serana and I look around, but we find no gap to move through.
I sigh. "I got this." I say to Serana.
I put my pinky up against the door, and channel my lightning into the door with the radius of a pin tip. A very small hole burns it's way through the whole of the door, and I use lightning form to force myself through it. Serana follows as mist.
When we get inside, Svar is laying down with her legs crossed on top of a large pile of gold and gems. I look around for enchanted artifacts, but find nothing. I guess Dragonbane was the only thing they stored here.
"Isn't this great?" Svar with a contented smile asks from her gold pile. "I get at least half of this as a finder's fee. You two can split the rest."
I feel a sharp twinge of jealousy, but I force it down hard. Greed is trying to make me grab everything in here, but I don't need it. I'm fine with letting Svar have the gold. Baby steps. You'll overcome this flaw yet.
I forcefully shrug. "I don't need it. I've got my own funds." I haven't even dented the Flor de la Mar's funds yet, so I don't need this. I really don't. There's no reason to take any of this treasure, so I'm not going to. Nope.
Serana turns back to walk towards the door. "Currency is only useful when it can be used to purchase things. As I currently have everything I need, I don't care for it. Keep your gold Svarline, but do lead us to this area you found. I am anxious to get to work."
Svar's smile turns predatory as she takes one last look over the pile. "Follow me." She says as she phases back through the door.
We wander a little more in what seems to be no direction at all and come to an archway leading to a decayed mess hall.
"All we need to do is get rid of the tables and benches and this will work great don't you think?" Svar asks.
Serana smiles. "Yes, this will work quite well."
Undead file into the room, and begin to remove the furniture. Since when were they following us? Eh, I don't care.
"If that's all," I begin. "I'm going to head to the second armory. You never know when more equipment will….."
Quest added
[A Long Overdue Meeting!]
You may have ignored the main quest, but the main quest didn't ignore you! Head outside to meet your visitor!
Objective- Meet with the visitor.
Bonus Objective- ???
Rewards- ?
Bonus Rewards- ?
Failure- Your guest will become irritated
"...fuck."
Serana's head snaps to look at me. "What happened?" She asks seriously.
Svar looks at me with confusion. "Dusk? What's up?"
"Something's here." I say back.
Serana begins looking around us, but I quickly shake my head at her.
"No, here as in Sky Haven. Something found us." I say.
The undead stop moving tables and begin running out of the mess hall. They then dart down various corridors.
"Do you know who or what it is?" Serana asks.
I shake my head. "No, just that someone's waiting outside for us. Svar? Can you use your thu'um to see who it is?"
Svar nods. "Koraav." She looks around for a moment, and her gaze comes to rest looking up through a wall. "Dragon." She says terse. "There's a dragon sitting in the old Forsworn camp."
Well shit.
"Serana," I say as I turn to face her. "Can you teleport us to the entrance?"
She nods and holds out her hand. A violet portal opens in front of her and she leads us through.
We emerge just in front of the spinning pillars where we killed the Thalmor's mages.
I pull Yamato from my inventory, and enter my lightning form. My electrical wings sprout from my back.
Svar becomes metallic and her cloak splits apart to form her own wings.
Serana stays as she is, but leads the two of us forward towards the cave's exit.
"Can you still see it?" I ask Svar.
She nods. "It's head is tracking us. He knows where we are, but he's just sitting there. Waiting."
Oh Shit.
"What does he look like? Scale color? Horns?" It would be my luck that Alduin decides to show up and wreck shit.
"He has grey scales, and horns going down his back like the other dragons we've fought." Svar answers.
Grey scales?
Paarthurnax?
"Don't attack right away." I say carefully. "Let's see what he wants first."
Serana looks over her shoulder at me. "You know this dragon?"
"Maybe." I say. "I'm not sure, so keep your guard up."
She nods, and leads us outside of the cave.
Down below us, sitting atop a large boulder is the dragon Svar saw from the cave. He has greyish gold scales, and is staring directly at us.
PAARTHURNAX
Ambition. Overlord. Cruelty.
Level- ???
Tier- ???
HP- ???
Thought about you- ???
I let out the breath I was holding even as I read his name's translation. I guess it makes sense from the first dragon war, but it still just doesn't mesh with the dragon himself in my opinion.
"Can we help you?" I call out conversationally.
"Hmmm. Geh. I seek the Dovahkiin, I possess words she must hear. I would ask for tinvaak. For us to speak." The grandfatherly voice greets us.
Svar lets out a soft growl. "How did you find us?" She demands.
Paarthurnax's head shifts to look at her. "I have my ways Dovahkiin."
What is it with immortal assholes and being cryptic as all hell?
"What do you want?" Svar continues, still tense.
Paarthurnax hums. "To guide you Dovahkiin. You have strayed from the path fate has set you on. While that is your right, I feel I must do all I am able to set you back on course."
Svar glares at him. "I don't really give a shit what fate has planned for me, so thanks for stopping by, but get lost."
Paarthurnax brings his head closer to get a better look at her. "Intriguing. You are not what I expected Dovahkiin. I apologize if I have offended, but I will not leave until I have passed on my knowledge."
Svar goes to step forward, but I grab her arm.
"You haven't introduced yourself." I say up to the dragon while Svar glares at me.
"Apologies young one, it was not my intent to be rude. I am Paarthurnax. I greet you." The dragon looks up to the sky. "YOL TOOR SHUL!!!!" A long column of golden fire blasts forth from the dragon's maw.
Woah, that is different from the game.
Svar and Serana tense but I hold up a hand to stop them. The heat is immense even from here, but if he had meant to hit us he would have.
"Now Dovahkiin," The dragon looks back down to Svar. "a gift." Wisps of golden energy seep out through the dragon's scales and flow towards Svar.
Svar's eyes widen as she recognizes the event. She lets the energy wrap itself around her, and she breathes deeply as it empowers her.
"Now greet me, if you are truly dragonborn." Paarthurnax says when the lights fade.
Svar looks up with a challenging grin and bellows, "YOL TOOR SHUL!!!!" A wave of fire careens out from her and smothers the dragon.
A deep rhythmic bellowing echoes out from the smoke left by Svar's shout. More dragon chuckling.
"Well done." The dragon sits straighter and seems to smile down at Svar. "You are stronger than I anticipated Dovahkiin, that is good. You will need as much strength as possible to defeat my sister."
Huh?
Svar's eyebrows scrunch. "Who's your sister?"
Paarthurnax hums. "Alduin, the World Eater. It is her destiny to bring about the destruction of this world, only you are able to defeat her."
…
…
…
Dusk.exe has stopped working.
Why is Alduin genderbent?
What the hell does this mean?
God damnit, is Ancano Archmage? Did the Dark Brotherhood never lose Dawnstar?
Great, now I'm overthinking everything. Fucking fantastic.
Aaaaand they're still talking.
"... be me?" Svar finishes.
"Only the Dovahkiin can defeat my sister." Paarthurnax patiently answers.
"You said an Elder Scroll was used to defeat her before." Serana speaks up. "Could we use the same method a second time?"
Paarthurnax turns to her. "I would object to such a method. Even if my sister has not devised a strategy to avoid such a defeat, which I am sure she has after her prior humiliation, all you would accomplish is sending her even further into the future. She will resurface again, but there will not be a Dovahkiin to combat her then."
Serana hums and grasps her chin, but she doesn't respond.
Paarthurnax turns to look at Svar. "It is my belief that the best path to my sister's defeat would be for the Dovahkiin to learn the shout of those who defeated her previously. Their thu'um was able to viik, defeat, my sister, and it is not something she will be able to counter as she could the Elder Scroll. A dovah's hahdrim simply cannot comprehend the concepts within the thu'um used by the ancient warriors. It is our best chance."
"Page 24, line 32." I say inserting myself into the conversation. Perfect memory for the win.
Serana and Paarthurnax turn to face me confused, but Svar's eyes widen.
She pulls her backpack off and begins to rummage around in it. She finds what she's looking for, and pulls out the book I gave her to study with.
Serana's eyes widen when she sees the book. She turns to me. "I find myself underestimating you consistently. Either you intentionally hide your capabilities quite efficiently, or you are an anomaly."
I smile. "I'll take that as a compliment. 'Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.'" Some of it is intentional, but the majority of it is definitely luck. That and Gamer's Mind/Body probably.
Paarthurnax studies me. "A wise saying. You are quite interesting, would you do me the honor of hearing your name?"
"I'm Dusk." I say, meeting the dragon's gaze.
"Thank you Dusk." He turns back to speak to Svar but she interrupts him.
"Joor Zah Frul." She says quietly as she reads over the shout.
Paarthurnax visibly flinches as if someone just ran a car into him.
"How?" He asks once he can control himself. "Those words were lost to time, yet you know them. How can this be?"
Serana smiles while staring directly at me. "I suppose they weren't as lost as you believed dragon."
I get it lady, leave me alone.
Paarthurnax turns to face me. Looking at me in a new light. "There is more to you than one can koraav. I would be interested in hosting you for tinvaak when our business is ended."
"We'll see." I say non committedly.
Serana hums as she looks at Paarthurnax. "As is now apparent, Svarline already knows the words to manifest this shout. It is merely a matter of her studying them now, so what will you do?"
The dragon hums. "My role is to be that of a teacher. I would happily serve as the Dovahkiin's Dovahzul In if she would have me."
Svar considers the dragon for a moment. "How do we know that you're not working with Alduin? You admitted she's your sister, how do we know you hold no loyalty to her?"
Really would've thought you learned not to play the family angle after the whole conversation with Serana, Svar.
"I hold no allegiance to my sister." Paarthurnax explains calmly. "She leads my brothers and sisters down a path of destruction, when there are superior ways with which to use our thu'um. Zu'u dreh ni zein Alduin. I do not worship Alduin as many of my brethren do. She is my sister, but I hold no allegiance to her any longer."
"Logically speaking," I speak up. "He already knows where we are, and can obviously track us somehow. If he wanted to screw us over, he would've come with backup. I think we can at least give him a chance."
Serana contemplates my words. "Do you believe he is telling the truth?" She asks, staring intently at me.
I nod. "Yes, I do."
Serana hums. "Then I am willing to allow the dragon a chance. The final decision falls to you Svarline."
Svar breathes deeply as she stares at the dovah. Eventually, she says, "If you betray us, I will kill you myself."
Paarthurnax bares his teeth in a draconic grin. "That will be unnecessary Dovahkiin. I thank you all for your trust." He bows his massive head.
Quest Complete!
[A Long Overdue Meeting!]
You may have ignored the main quest, but the main quest didn't ignore you! Head outside to meet your visitor!
Objective- Meet with the visitor(Complete)
Bonus Objective- Impress Paarthurnax(Complete)
Rewards- 1 Gacha Coin
Bonus Rewards- 2 Gacha Coins
So now Paarthurnax is staying here. Fun.
The next couple of weeks went by fairly quickly just because of all the shit I got done.
Svar and Paarthurnax found a spot high up the mountain, and only came down to eat.
I'm not sure how well they're progressing with their training, but I'm hoping they've been able to keep up with me.
With Svar spending so long up the mountain, I don't see her all that much. I'm still not sure what we are, and the whole separation thing really isn't helping the situation. When we both get a moment we need to figure this out.
Anyway, while she's been learning from Paarthurnax, I've wandered around the area around Sky Haven to hunt down animals I can practice my soul magic on.
Mr. Rogers tagged along, and acted as a hunting dog. I'm still not really sure how a ghost doggo has an olfactory system, but magic BS is BS and shouldn't be questioned. Even if one is lucky enough to possess Gamer's Mind.
The whole thing was a weird experience. Back home, torturing small animals to death was grounds to be put on a government watch list. It was one of the main warning signs for a developing psychopath for Christ's sake.
While I didn't enjoy tearing their very souls apart, the tearing apart itself was intriguing. The more I experiment, the better I become. I'm almost to the point where I'll be comfortable trying to work on myself a little bit. Definitely going to have Serana around for that in case I fuck up though.
Whenever one of the animals died, I'd teleport the body back to be stored with the rest of our food. I wasn't about to throw away free food after all.
Cool discoveries were made while not so gracefully shattering the very being of small forest creatures. Soul magic is more versatile than I originally thought. Sure I thought it would be good, but it's better than I had thought. I had my epiphany when I was messing around with a small rabbit. I could feel it. Not just it's soul, but what it felt. Using it's soul as an anchor, I was able to feel its panic, I could feel everything it felt. Soul magic can be used to become an empath.
I was stoked when I figured that out. When I mastered this, I would have a lie detector, another way to tell if attacks are incoming, a way to tell if there are spies around. Empaths are OP, and I can become one now. I was more than a little excited.
In between my expeditions outside the temple, Serana and I would work on the portal. Without Svar, it's progressing slower than originally designed, but we're still making decent headway considering it's a gateway to the freakin Soul Cairn.
Serana hasn't threatened bodily harm to me since the first go in the woods, so I'd say she's warming up to me. She still terrifies me though.
When Serana didn't need my help with the portal, I went over the library a second time, but busted out. The only skill books were another couple hundred copies of the Akaviri sword style. I still took them, but I wasn't happy about it.
Trying to make up for the bust in the library, I went over to the second armory and got all the gear back up to snuff.
I'm not entirely sure why I'm restoring all this stuff. I think it's probably an unholy combination of Greed, and general Skyrim hoarderness. Such things shouldn't exist.
Realizing I was in danger of becoming dragon levels of materialistic, I hopped into some ID's instead of moving on to the third armory.
Working with the sword-singing skill book, I was able to figure out the bare basics of the art, so while Broken Limiter works for it, it is by no means efficient.
Hey Game? How the hell does this perk work anyway? It says any skill can be learned through effort. What exactly qualifies as a skill?
[Good Question!]
[A skill is anything that can be learned by anyone over time!]
[The perk allows you to learn anything that can be learned without its prerequisites, but at a much slower pace!]
[For instance, you could learn the Kamehameha without Ki, and how to fly without actually being able to fly, but you could not learn Serana's mist form without being a vampire because it is specific to that race!]
[You will also need a substitute for Ki when performing the Kamehameha, and the knowledge of how to fly is useless without actually having a method to fly!]
I think I'm following, so racial stuff is off limits but anything else goes?
[Yes, only skills can be learned, anything that is an inherent part of something's being cannot!]
How much slower is the improvement?
[You will learn skills approximately three times faster than a normal human, as opposed to how fast you currently learn them!]
And given that I became a master lightning mage in a little more than a day, that is a pretty significant decrease to my improvement time. How about the substitute for Ki thing? Can I just use mana in its place?
[Provided you have enough to power it, yes!]
Thanks for the info Game.
[You are welcome!]
So it's a great perk, but not god tier. I'm able to learn anything that can be learned, but I won't be able to learn superpowers, or any racial features. I guess that means I can learn just about any form of magic, regardless of what class I have, if I'm willing to learn slowly. Which means this is probably one of the best long-term investment perks someone could ask for. Not exactly useful for short term power-ups aside from the EXP increase though, so I'll probably stick to class leveling until I feel confident in my ability to not get dead.
With that figured out, I decided to prioritize my Saber class while I was grinding. Both so I could better use Yamato, and because I would be able to see improvement now, instead of later. I'll work on Sword Singing when I don't have the threat of the World Eater hanging over my head now that I know I can. Might even take a go at some really restricted forms of magic like the Kaleidoscope, but for now, I need strength as fast as possible, and stuff like that will take centuries to pull off.
Now that I'm thinking about it, Paarthurnax is here, so Alduin will show up much sooner than I originally thought, and I really don't want to fight hi…. her... without some serious firepower. Making efficient EXP gain very important.
Mr. Rogers once again tagged along and helped. He was really cute, but he also triggered some feelings that were so embedded in my head that even Gamer's Mind didn't help.
He held the katana I gave him in his mouth, and he swung it around with his teeth at all the demons we fought.
I kept getting flashbacks to the Sif fight in Dark Souls, and seeing the big wolf limping while I stabbed it. I still feel bad about that fight man.
Regardless of my issues, Mr. Rogers is a bit of a badass with that thing. After the first expedition, I enchanted it to be really hard to break, as well as do lots of lightning damage. He's shockingly good with the blade now.
Damn, I don't even feel bad for that one. Svar's influence no doubt.
Anyway, alchemy ingredients were acquired, demon's agony filled screams assaulted the air, and I got quite a few levels for the fiveish days I spent grinding in between helping Serana with the portal, and my soul magic experimentation. I tried using the demons as lab rats for said soul magic, but couldn't. They're either too strong, or don't have souls. I don't know which.
Level Up! x31
Gain 310 Stat points!
For reaching 400 STR you have gained a perk!
You lift bro?
You are able to lift and carry 2 times as much as you would normally
For reaching 500 STR you have gained a perk!
Hardened Muscles
Your muscles are tough, making weaker blows deflect off of your skin
For reaching 400 END you have gained a perk!
Noctis
You no longer require sleep
For reaching 500 END you have gained a perk!
Hardy
SP/HP now equal END x 20
For reaching 400 DEX you have gained a perk!
Mr. Anderson
Your reflexes are unparalleled. You no longer have any delay between your thoughts and actions.
For reaching 700 INT you have gained a perk!
Comic Book Genius
You have the brain of a comic book genius. Learning various technologies and sciences are 20% easier.
For reaching 700 WIS you have gained a perk!
Archmage
All magic is 10% easier to learn
For reaching 300 CHA you have gained a perk!
Attractive
People who are attracted to your sex will find you at least passably attractive.
For reaching 300 LUK you have gained a perk!
When gambling, you are 25% more likely to win.
You have maxed out the Blacksmith class! Your 13 levels will carry over to your next Crafting Class!
Dusk the Master of the Storm
Level- 162
Class- Saber - LVL 63/100 [12%]
Crafting Class- N/A [0%]
Tier- Mortal
Alignment- ???
HP- 11360 [2272 per minute]
MP- 14720 [2944 per minute]
SP- 11360 [2272 per minute]
STR- 564
END- 568
DEX - 436
INT - 736
WIS - 736
CHA - 380
LUK - 384
MP Regen= WIS x 4
MP= INT x 20
SP/Health Regen= END x 4
SP/HP= END x 20
[Select a sword style for reaching LVL 50 Saber!]
[Iaido/Djem So/Jigen-ryu]
I have no idea what any of those are.
Wait, Djem So? Isn't that a lightsaber form? How the hell is that supposed to help me with a blade? I can't use the force, and Yamato only has one cutting edge, so that's out.
Between the other two…. I still have no idea what either of those are. Random selection it is!
Eenie meenie miney you!
[Jigen-ryu sword style gained!]
Huh. So that's what that is. Lot's of emphasis on one strike. That will actually synergize quite nicely with the Akaviri Sword style I picked up earlier, so a pretty good pull.
Grinding went quite nicely.
Only one thing left to do now. I really hope this counts as gambling.
[It doesn't!]
Crap, oh well.
I activate Felix Felicis and start on my Gacha coins.
Item Added!
Darth Maul's Lightsaber
Petty Item
Use this wonderful item to feel like the fearsome Sith Darth Maul!
(Batteries not included)
Fuck yes! I just got a freakin lightsaber! While I might not be all that excited about the double sided aspect, this is still a great pull. Between this and Yamato, I'll be set fo...
Wait… Batteries not included?
I pull the item out and have to try very hard not to crush it in a fit of rage.
Feel like Darth Maul. I get it now, the damn thing gave me a fucking toy. It's one of those plastic replicas that lights up and makes noise and shit.
Sadly I don't have any fucking batteries.
This honestly might be more depressing than the damn rock.
Screw it, try again.
Item Added!
Ring of Invisibility
Uncommon Item
This ring will turn the wearer invisible at will with zero risk of being corrupted by Sauron.
Could be worse, but not exactly good.
I put the ring on and turn myself invisible. Yay! Now I'm hidden from everything in this universe! That doesn't have super hearing, or smell, or sensing magic, or any number of other ways the denizens of The Elder Scrolls can determine my location. I sigh as I deactivate the ring.
One more. Let's hope it's good.
Item Added!
Liquid Schwartz
Rare Item
This jug contains 5 liters of liquid schwartz
….I honestly cannot tell if I should be angry or not. If I remember correctly this is just glorified gasoline, and that's pretty damn useless to me right now.
Oh look! It comes with a Cracker Jack Box! I've just decided that I'm violently angry!
I jump into a werewolf ID and wreak absolute havoc for five seconds.
I sigh as I return to the real world and throw everything from the Gacha into my inventory.
Well that was a waste of Felix Felicis. I really need to start using that for other things, but I keep forgetting I have it.
I spend another half-hour playing sword fetch with Mr. Rogers to cheer myself up, before I begin my walk back towards where we've been eating.
Thinking it over, I don't need to sleep now. I guess I could work on the portal through the night to help shave some time off it's construction. I mean, I don't really think anything major will happen soon, so we've got time, but it would be nice to have it functional soon.
Now that I'm thinking about it, how am I going to get in the Soul Cairn. You can't in the game unless you're a vampire or you get soul trapped, and I don't want to get soul trapped. I'm willing to bet the Ideal Masters will keep my soul in something more secure than a stone chest. As to the other option, I doubt Serana's willing to turn me, and I'm not sure I'd go for it even if she would. Molag Bal would have a pretty non-negotiable claim on me if I went that way, and again, I don't have a Gamer's Soul skill to combat that.
I suppose I could try to work something out with soul magic to counteract the negative, but I'm still a novice, so I don't know if it would work.
I break from my thoughts as I enter an empty mess hall. Guess no one's hungry. That, or I missed them.
I shrug and grab some dried venison before leaving. Might as well get some work done on the portal.
Getting it done should take precedence. I'll worry about traversing the Soul Cairn when we get it working, but for now, it can wait.
I finish off my meal as I enter the room where we've begun our work, and find Serana leaning over a table as she makes notes in various notebooks she has laid out.
"How far have you gotten since I left?" I ask as I walk up next to her.
"I've almost finished constructing the base. We'll still need to empower it once I have finished though." She says without looking away from her notes. "Feel free to rest. I am more than capable of handling this."
"I'll be fine for awhile." I say back. "The sooner we get this done the better, and many hands make for light work."
Serana raises an eyebrow at me. "Hmm, in that case, could you take over charging the circle? I'll get started with the gems."
I nod and the two of us begin working.
We work for a couple of hours in silence. Focused on making progress.
Serana breaks the silence when the two of us stop to take a short break.
"You are quite strange Dusk." She says after she takes a sip from a wineskin.
"Thanks?" I say in between bites of rabbit.
She chuckles lightly. "It was merely an observation, not meant to be an insult."
I raise an eyebrow. "Thanks?" I say again.
We slip back into silence as we continue eating.
Serana's gaze never drifts far from me however. After I finish my snack, I turn to face her.
"What?" I ask.
"I am trying to determine what you are doing here." She answers. "You wish to travel, yet you have gone out of your way to acquire an underground fortress. You wish to keep to yourself, yet you have various plans in motion to prevent certain entities from ending the world. You contradict yourself consistently, but are not motivated by cowardice. So why are you here? Why involve yourself in matters that will attract attention you'd rather not have?" She asks curiously as she gazes intently at me.
I lean back in my chair as I consider her question.
Do I want to travel around and see the sights? Yes, but there have to be sights to see. Like it or not, I'm stuck here now. I might have gotten a kickass ability in the process, but I'm still subject to the absolute bullshit that is this universe. I might be able to work out a way to planeswalk, but until then, I have to assume I'm here for the long haul. I'd much rather live in a world free from dragons and apocalypse seeking vampires, but this is my lot.
I look back at Serana as I find my answer. "I don't have a choice." I say simply. "I could run, but that just means I die a little later on."
Serana hums. "I'm sure you could figure something out. With your knowledge of the world and its secrets, as well as your ability to adapt, you could assuredly keep yourself safe. The sun may die, but you could simply return to Blackreach and harvest plants which do not require sunlight. The dragons may rule again, but you have already slain their brethren. You could secure a location and hold it until age takes you. So why? Why do you involve yourself in these matters? My mother is of no concern to you, and yet you aid me in my efforts to free her. Is it some misguided sense of heroics? Why do you stay?"
I chuckle lightly. "I won't live under a rock. There's more to life than simply surviving, spending a couple centuries asleep in that tomb should have taught you that." Her eyes narrow at me, but I don't back down. "Could I survive with my knowledge? Could I run and be free? Probably, but I want to be free. Running isn't freedom, it's just staying ahead of whatever is trying to make me subservient. I'm not a hero, nor do I want to be one. That's a good way to both get killed, and forcibly involved in shit I just don't want anything to do with. I don't see what I'm doing as helping the world. I see it as making sure that I can live in a world I can tolerate. If everyone else benefits? Fine, but they can go fuck themselves for all I care. I want to be left alone, but I'm not naive enough to think the world will leave me be, so I'm pre-empting its actions against me. Because I want to be free."
I stand and meet Serana's gaze. "My version of free. Not everyone else's. If you asked a peasant what freedom was, they'd probably answer something along the lines of, 'Not having to pay taxes to my lord, and being able to do what I want without anyone bothering me.' Now, if you asked me what freedom is, I'd give you a different answer."
Serana's crimson eyes seem to shine as she looks at me. "And what, pray tell, is your perception of freedom?"
I grin at her. "Freedom is being so fucking strong that no one can dare tell you what to do. Being so fucking powerful, that no one will even think about interfering with your business. Being able to do whatever you want, because no one in their right mind would ever stand opposite you. That's why I'm here, because I'm not that strong yet. Because I need to train, and I need to grow stronger. You can help me with that, so I'm helping you. Do you scare me? Yes, but I'm not going to back down just because you could kill me. I'll just use you as a point of comparison, once I'm strong enough to beat you, I'll be close to where I need to be."
Serana chuckles brightly as she too stands and stares at me. "You don't think me strong enough to live as you wish to? You think me too weak to live my own way? While I am certainly not the strongest entity I have met, I am far from the weakest." Her eyes narrow and the temperature in the chamber slowly drops. "Perhaps I should teach you a lesson hmm? You are not remotely close to my level, and your proclamation was insulting. You will not be able to defeat me for a long time." She slowly stalks towards me as frost begins to gather on the stone floor. "Perhaps I should simply kill you instead? I no longer need you after all. I have your notes on the portal, and you have told me all I need to know about Miraak. Why should I suffer you in my presence?" She snarls, now barely a foot away from me.
Thank the lord for Gamer's Mind. I don't know if this is some fucked up test, or if I actually managed to piss her off, but I cannot back down here.
I hold my ground and meet her gaze unflinching. "I can't beat you, but if we throw down you won't win."
Serana bares her fangs in a grin. "If you cannot beat me, then how exactly would I possibly fail?" Her eyes shine once more, and I activate Godspeed as my sixth sense triggers.
She's already moving before Godspeed can fully activate, so I'm defenseless as she grabs me by the throat and runs to a nearby wall. She slams me against it without releasing her grip on me. A Dusk shaped crater is left in the wall from the impact.
-200 HP
Serana leans close to me, and the nails gripping my throat slowly sharpen into long claws.
"Tell me Dusk," She sneers as she holds my throat. "What can you do from this position? How will you…." She's cut off as a very sharp blade appears from nowhere and comes to rest against her throat.
"How powerful are you Serana?" I ask calmly. "Are you on the level of a Daedric Artifact? No? Too bad. That or an Elder Scroll is about the only thing that can stop this blade from severing it's target. Now, you're fast. Fast enough that you could rip out a regular person's throat before they can so much as twitch. I'm not a regular person though am I? I have Godspeed active, and I have an ability that warns me of incoming attacks. So, do you want to kill me? You are surely able to, but are you willing to pay the price?"
Serana glares into my eyes. Our faces so close together that the tips of our noses are touching. Neither one of us moves.
"Go ahead." I say. "Make. My. Day."
Serana's claws tighten down on my throat slightly, and I dig Yamato's blade into her throat in response. Blood begins to seep from both of our necks.
Serana's hard features begin to lighten, and she releases my neck as she pulls away. Stepping back a pace.
She holds my gaze, and brings her claws up to her mouth. She begins licking my blood off them even as she holds my gaze.
Once her claws are clean, she smiles. Her eyes light up and her claws retract, returning her hands to normal. The frost begins to recede from the floor, and the temperature rises slightly.
Serana begins to lightly chuckle, then she begins to laugh. The vampiress starts cackling, her voice echoing off the cave walls. Her gaze never leaves mine.
Her eyes gleam as she brings herself under control. "Dusk," She says with a sultry voice. "before you were intriguing, but now? Now you are more." She casually walks up to me again.
I keep Yamato ready, but I won't strike unless Sixth Sense triggers.
Serana walks up and places her hand on my cheek. "I will make you strong Dusk. Then, together, we will be free."
I scoff, but don't pull away. "What? All of a sudden I'm worthy of you? Sorry lady, but I'm not letting anyone tell me how to live my life. That includes you."
She hums as she uses her other hand to stroke where her claws had cut into me. "No blood." Her eyes draw up to meet mine. "Not even a cut. I could've sworn I had left marks upon you just a few moments ago."
Absurd HP regen will do that.
"If that's all for tonight," I say, breaking her monologue. "then I'm going to sleep. I think we've both had enough excitement for one evening wouldn't you agree?"
Serana smiles widely. Showing me fangs with small traces of my blood on them. "I suppose so. Do tell Svarline I said hello." She pulls back with a chuckle as she walks back to the portal base.
I start towards the door, being sure to use my electromancy and soul magic to keep track of her. I didn't expect her to jump me, but I'm not getting caught off guard a second time.
"Sleep well Dusk." Serana says, facing away from me, when I reach the exit.
I don't answer, instead I just leave.
I walk back to the room Svar and I share and find her already asleep.
I lay down next to her and just relax there a moment.
I did not expect that at all. Where in the absolute fuck did that even come from?
It had to be a stupid mind game like she's been playing with Svar. I guess without a Dovahkiin to harass, she defaulted to me.
Svar shuffles in her sleep, and her arms snake around me.
I allow myself a small smile.
I'll figure it out later, along with everything else I said I'll figure out later. I really need to stop procrastinating this stuff.
Eh, I'll stop procrastinating later, and there is absolutely nothing ironic about that statement.
I lean against Svar and close my eyes.
I might not need sleep anymore, but after that whole fiasco with Serana, I'm exhausted.
I lightly kiss Svar's forehead as I begin to drift off.
(Interlude: Mirabelle Ervine)
Why are we here? The college is more than capable of defending itself, and the nords have been nothing but antagonistic towards us for decades. Why do I have to sit here and listen to this?
"You. Did. What?!?!?!?" Jarl Laila yells.
The blonde haired Jarl Balgruuf takes her outburst without flinching. "I will be the first to fault myself for how we handled the situation. The blame rests solely on my shoulders, but the consequences of my actions will affect us all."
Jarl Ulfric grunts. "Yes. They most certainly will. If the one you wronged was truly the dragonborn, then we need to find her immediately, and explain that the rest of Skyrim does not share Whiterun's stance."
The blonde Jarl turns to glare at him. "We made a mistake, one I will never repeat. Do not paint my people as villains for one ill advised action. We are already working to make things right with the dragonborn."
"But you don't know where she is." Jarl Elisif says, drawing the room's attention. "You said yourself that your efforts to track her were defeated by how her companion chose to escape, yes?"
Balgruuf nods. "Yes. Our hounds found their scent around the entire perimeter of the city. My rangers were still trying to find the true direction her and her companion journeyed in when my company left to answer your summons."
"What role did the Companions play in this?" Savos asks curiously. Speaking up for the first time.
The Harbinger goes to answer, but Whiterun's Jarl cuts him off.
"None whatsoever. This was my mistake. The Companions were nothing but courteous to the dragonborn, a stance I should have mirrored."
The Harbinger nods to Savos when the Jarl stops speaking.
Savos begins to stroke his beard. "Then perhaps the Companions should be the ones to track her down. I am sure they are more than capable of such, and being on good terms with the dragonborn will ensure she stays to listen to them."
The Harbinger nods to Savos. "I have already set my best trackers on it. Aela and Skjor left two days after the dragonborn disappeared."
Balgruuf looks surprised at this news. "Why did you not see fit to inform me of this action?"
The Harbinger regards the Jarl coldly. "It is apparent that I am not kept informed of your own activities. Why should I extend you a courtesy denied to myself?"
The two men glare at one-another across the table.
"Peace!" Elisif calls out. "This discussion is getting us nowhere. We will deal with the dragonborn when we have actionable information on her. For now, we must address how to approach the issue in Morthal."
Jarl Igmund scoffs. "I don't see the major issue. Arm our forces with silver and send our best restoration mages with them. There may be vampires, but we deal with vampires regularly. If we send enough soldiers, we will prevail."
The Jarl from Riften clenches her teeth. "Not only do I find your casual sacrifice of your people detestable, but I would remind you these are not the vampires we typically deal with."
Igmund laughs. "Why? Because an incompetent spell flinger says so? A coward who fled from the walls cannot be trusted to give actionable intelligence."
Elisif stands. "Jarl Igmund. You were invited here so your words could be heard, but I will not stand by while you insult my Court Wizard's capabilities. I trust her word, and her experience. As such, I will not send my troops into the city without a plan. One that extends past your own of, 'Throw bodies at it until it solves itself.' My men are not expendable." She growls the last words.
"Nor are mine." Ulfric, surprisingly, supports her.
"Nor mine." Laila speaks cooly.
"As wonderful as this little display of camaraderie is," Jarl Korir says. "I do not believe it is going anywhere." He turns to face Savos and myself. "Do you believe the Court Wizard's information to be accurate."
"Yes." I say immediately. "Sybille is an old friend. I know what she is capable of, and if she fears this threat, it is greater than any undead horde we have faced before.
Sybille smiles across the table at me, and lifts her 'wine' glass in salute.
She's actually enjoying all this bullshit isn't she?
Korir nods, and turns back to face the other Jarls. "If the College vouches for the Court Wizards capabilities, then I will trust her." He turns to face Sybille. "What special preparation would you advise we make?"
Huh. Never would have expected him to trust our word on anything. Did someone slip him some skooma?
Sybille goes to speak, but is interrupted.
"I must support Jarl Igmund." Jarl Skald interrupts. "The word of a mage means nothing, the word of two mages means even less. I do not know their agenda, but it is not in line with our own. I will not dedicate all of my resources to whatever plan they have concocted. Dawnstar will not be blindsided by Winterhold."
Korir growls at the man. "You would accuse me of treachery?"
And just like that, the entire table is yelling at each other once again.
I gently begin to rub my forehead as I turn to Savos. "Why are we even here?" I ask. "The College is supposed to be neutral to the matters of Skyrim. What exactly are we trying to accomplish here?"
Savos gives me an amused smile. "I know politics are not your forte Mirabelle, but they have their place. As to our purpose, the dragons have the potential to affect more than just Skyrim. They threaten us as well."
I roll my eyes. "Yes, but our wards will be able to hold them. Wards that have been steadily enhanced for centuries I might remind you. We don't have a large number of warriors, so we cannot contribute much. Why should we put ourselves in harm's way when the nords have never done a thing to support us?"
Savos hums annoyingly. "There is a story I read once." He begins. "It was written by the Champion of Cyrodiil believe it or not. The man must have been as accomplished a scholar as he was a warrior."
I raise an eyebrow. "And this story was…?"
He smiles at me as we both ignore the bickering elite around us. "There was once a man whose village came under assault by a terrible foe referred to as the Nazis. The attackers said all would be spared, all except those who worshipped Arkay, for those who worshipped Arkay were responsible for the village's problems. The man did not resist, for he did not worship Arkay. He was safe. The attackers returned a week hence, and said all would be spared, all except those who were miners, for the miners were in league with those who worshipped Arkay, and therefore to blame for the town's misfortunes. The man did not fight back, for he was not a miner. He was safe. The attackers returned after another week had passed, saying all would be spared, except those who were farmers, for much the same reason. Once more, the man did not stand up in his neighbors defense, for he was not a farmer. He was safe, and those who harmed his village should be punished for their misdeeds." My old teacher trails off, and looks off into nothing.
"That's it? I don't really see how that has any bearing on the current situation."
Savos turns back to me with a smile. "No, that is not the end. The attackers returned the following week, and proclaimed they would take all of the carpenters. The man panicked, for he was a carpenter. He looked to his neighbors, so he could beseech them for aid, so that he could tell them the Nazis were lying about his activities. To say he had only ever been loyal to the village, but when he looked around, he found himself alone. There was no one left to stand up to the attackers. All had already been taken by the Nazis."
I sit there for a moment, before sighing as I realize what my mentor is saying.
"So we must join with them now, instead of keeping to ourselves and finding no allies when the battle finally does threaten us?"
Savos's eyes shine. "Exactly Mirabelle. You do not need to be pleased with this, I can honestly say I'm not, but this is the correct course of action."
I nod. "You haven't led us astray yet Savos, so I'll trust you."
He bows his head slightly. "I appreciate your trust in me."
"ENOUGH!!" Two voices cry out in unison.
The room turns to face Jarls Ulfric and Elisif, who are both standing.
"Move past your petty differences, or we will all suffer the consequences." Elisif seeths.
"None of us can fight this battle alone, so pull your heads out of your asses and cooperate." Ulfric says.
Huh, wouldn't have expected those two to work together on anything. Desperate times and all that I guess.
Ulfric turns to Sybille. "What will we need to retake Morthal?"
Sybille sets down her empty wine glass and turns her head to study the Jarl. "We will need silver weapons of course, but they will not be enough. The College has several mages who specialize in the construction, and destruction of undead. Those specialists will be valuable beyond measure. We will…"
"Necromancers!!!! You wish to employ the service of necromancers?" Igmund cries with wide eyes.
"Who knows better how to destroy something, than he who created it?" I ask, supporting my friend. "Our necromancers will at the very least be able to ensure that theirs are unable to finely control their horde."
Jarl Skald scoffs. "What benefit will that provide? Our warriors are superior to any 'finely controlled undead' they could possibly hope to make."
"Yes." Sybille speaks up. "Your warriors are quite used to fighting mindless undead in the dozens, but what about undead controlled by someone who can think? Someone who can strategize? That is the largest reason this threat is so significant. Your men need verbal orders to coordinate themselves, undead do not. A single mental command, and every single one of them moves into position. We will need our own necromancers to remove that advantage."
Skald and Igmund continue to glare, but do not speak up.
Sybille keeps listing what she recommends the Jarls do, when a thought occurs to me.
I turn to Savos. "We've been here for a whole day already."
He turns to me with a raised eyebrow. "Yes. That is correct."
"We haven't discussed even a single strategy for what to do when the next dragon attacks." I say in disbelief.
He breaks out into a grin. "It's politics my dear, of course we haven't gotten anything done yet!"
My jaw hangs open, and I turn to Sybille.
She is trying very hard not to laugh while she continues her speech to the Jarls.
Vampiric bitch, how the hell does she consider this fun?
(Interlude: Potema)
I must admit, this has gone even better than I thought it would.
Sitting in my throne with my generals at my side, I silently read the report made by our scouts.
"How should we prepare the troops in response to this news my Lady?" Movarth asks from my right.
I chuckle softly, my body's voice speaking up in response. "We don't need to my old friend. My original plans would have had us confronting the Jarls months from now, but they have made our job so much easier." I turn to my newest servant. "My Crone, I'm going to give you a little message, and you're going to bring it to your old allies."
The woman still fights against my control. I knew I chose well. For in time, she will become a greater asset than even Movarth.
"I… I'll do as… as you… Go. To. Hell. Bitch." The crone forcibly bites out as her body trembles.
Movarth snarls, but I pat his arm reassuringly as I let out a mirth filled chuckle.
I stand from my throne and gently pet her cheek. "Fight all you wish Crone, but you're mine now. In time, the world will come to utter your title in the same breath as my own, and on that day, you will thank me for all I've given you." I lean forward and place a chaste kiss on her lips, prompting her to snarl at me.
I chuckle once more as I walk over to my desk, retrieving the seal I had made.
I place the letter I wrote within the envelope and seal it shut, handing it off to my servant.
"Go now Crone. Deliver my message, and return to me quickly. We still have much to do after all."
She growls at me with narrowed eyes, but is forced to follow my orders. She takes the letter and leaves the building.
I let out a pleased sigh as I sit on my throne once more, a tall glass of crimson fluid in my hand.
"Are you sure it is wise to send her alone my Lady?" Movarth asks from his place at my side. "She could act against us."
I turn to face him with a smile. "She will try at first, but when she meets those she would die for even now, her people, she will be scorned. They will turn her away, call her a monster, a traitor, and she will be left with nothing but her own thoughts. Soon, she will aid us willingly, and seek to burn those she once called friend."
Movarth's grin is manic. "I look forward to the show my lady."
I hum and continue sipping my drink. Things are well in motion now, I can hardly wait for what comes next.
