Disclaimer: Neither High School DXD nor Elder Scrolls belongs to me, all rights to their respective owners.

Chapter 9

Anvil - Turdas 8 of Rain's Hand of the 203 of the Fourth era

The sun shone over the walled city of Anvil, an important port city located on the shores of the Abecean Sea. This city had been rebuilt after being besieged and destroyed by the Thalmor during the Great War

On the balcony of a house found in the most affluent area of the city, Asia watched the docks. She wore a light gray linen dress, accompanied by bracelets and a ring, while on her feet she wore leather sandals. In her arms, she held Marie, who wore a small light blue dress. Both wore lighter clothing than they would in Skyrim, due to the warmer climate of this region.

"It's a beautiful day." Asia said as she watched a ship begin to dock. "Don't you think so, Marie?"

The little one just blinked at Asia's words and then let out a giggle, waving her arms happily.

The day after what happened in Evermore, Asia and Edzard decided to return to Solitude by carriage. Although they could have flown on a dragon, they chose not to, as the cold air currents could make Marie sick. The journey took them twenty days, arriving almost in the middle of the month of First Seed.

'When we arrived in Solitude, it was funny to see Edzard running around like crazy to buy everything Marie would need.' she thought with a smile.

Edzard had run from store to store, buying everything from a crib to clothes, both for Asia and Marie. Asia almost fainted upon hearing the total price: more than five thousand septims. She had received several richly embroidered wool and linen dresses, while Marie got diapers, dresses, cloaks, and small fur capes.

However, her best memory was when their friends found out they had adopted a daughter.

Flashback

A week had passed since they arrived in Solitude from Evermore. They decided that Marie would sleep with them in the master bedroom, so Edzard placed a crib and a new wardrobe in the room.

At that moment, Edzard was taking care of Marie while Asia prepared lunch. When Asia finished, Edzard had managed to get Marie to sleep.

While they were having lunch, someone began to knock on the door frantically. Asia was startled, but Edzard just sighed and got up to open it.

"Who is it?!" he shouted as he grabbed the doorknob.

"Ed, it's me!" responded a familiar voice to Edzard, who at once opened the door.

Before he could greet, a figure quickly entered, followed by three others.

"Asia!" shouted Fortunata, Serana, Laure, and Aela as they rushed into the house.

Asia was frightened by the shouts, but she wasn't the only one. Marie, on the upper floor, also woke up and began to cry. Hearing the crying and seeing that Asia was surrounded by her friends, Edzard ran upstairs to the master bedroom.

While he went up to console Marie, Asia sat with the girls at the dining table, and they began to bombard her with questions about the rumors they had heard.

"So, Asia, is it true that you and the Arch-Mage adopted a baby?" asked an excited Laure.

Asia nodded, which elicited a squeal of joy from Laure and Fortunata. Aela and Serana raised an eyebrow but smiled.

"Congratulations." Serana commented with a sincere smile.

Aela nodded, thinking it was about time Edzard started a family. Besides, she was happy because she had won the bet, she made with Vilkas and Farkas about whether Edzard and Asia would have a child within two years of meeting.

"And how is it being parents at your age?" asked Fortunata.

"It's a bit difficult, but we manage." Asia replied, smiling. Although being a mother at her age was quite a challenge, she wouldn't change the decision she made that day for anything in the world.

"And where is the little one?"

Just as Laure asked, they heard Edzard's footsteps coming down the stairs. When he reached the dining room, he approached Asia with a small bundle in his arms.

"Is that her?" Laure asked, approaching, followed by the others to see the baby.

"Yes, let me introduce you to Marie Argento Edzarddottïr." Edzard said proudly as he showed off his daughter. "Our daughter."

"Ahh, she's so cute!" Laure exclaimed excitedly and began to pinch Marie's cheeks, who at once burst into tears.

Asia took Marie from Edzard's arms and gently rocked her until she calmed down. With the little one calm, the interrogation began.

"So, where did you find her?" Fortunata asked while sipping a cup of tea that Edzard had offered them.

"In the ruins of a farm near Evermore." Edzard replied.

That answer surprised everyone and generated more questions.

"Arch-Mage, what caused the destruction of the farm?" Laure asked.

Edzard didn't respond at first. He didn't want to.

"Ed, answer." Serana said in a serious tone.

"The inhabitants of the farm were massacred by Thalmor agents." he finally replied, sighing.

Everyone's eyes, except Asia's, widened in shock.

"The Thalmor?" Aela asked incredulously. "Are you sure?"

Edzard nodded, which generated indignation and fury in everyone except Asia, who only felt sadness. Instinctively, she held her daughter closer to her chest.

"And what happened to those damned pointy ears?" Aela asked with palpable rage.

"Don't worry, they won't bother anyone again." Edzard replied. "I didn't leave any of them alive."

Asia stood up and placed a hand on Edzard's shoulder, who looked up and gave her a small smile. Before he could say anything, Asia kissed him.

"Hey, don't provoke us single folks." Laure complained with dull eyes.

Asia and Edzard separated, blushing, while the others teased them with jokes. Even Marie laughed.

"So, do you know how many months she is?" Serana asked.

Both Edzard and Asia shook their heads, as they didn't know the exact date, nor did Edzard know any spell to find out.

"That reminds me, Laure, Fortunata, can you deliver a letter to Tolfdir?" Edzard asked.

Both girls nodded. Edzard went to his room and returned with a letter, which he handed to them.

After that, they stayed chatting all afternoon. By nightfall, Edzard and Asia offered rooms for their friends to rest, as they would all leave the next day. Aela would return to Whiterun, Serana to Castle Volkihar, and Fortunata and Laure to Winterhold.

End Flashback

A few days later, they received a letter from Tolfdir, mentioning that he would visit them soon. Upon arrival, he met Marie and mentioned that the girl was born with great reserves of magic. At Edzard's request, he cast a spell that allowed them to know her exact birth date: the eighth of Hearthfire, under the sign of the Lady. Thus, they discovered that when they adopted her, she was already five months old.

"Today you turn seven months." Asia commented, watching Marie yawn. "It seems you already want to go to bed."

With that, she entered the room where they were staying. It was spacious, with a double bed, a crib, a bookshelf full of books, and two wardrobes. Unlike their house in Solitude, this one was made of wood and not stone, with a Renaissance style, and had two floors. On the first floor were the bathroom, kitchen, and dining room; the second floor was entirely the bedroom.

After laying Marie in the crib, Asia took a book from the shelf and lay down on the bed to read.

While Asia and Marie were in the city of Anvil, Edzard was in the very White-Gold Tower, in the Imperial City. He had arrived quickly from Anvil thanks to Odahviing, who had transported him by flight. The reason for his visit was a crucial meeting, to which he had been summoned by General Tullius. He had arrived early to prepare everything before Edzard, and the rest of the attendees arrived.

The meeting had already begun. Present were all the generals of the Imperial Legions, along with Emperor Titus Mede II and his heir, Prince Maxillien Mede.

"Are you sure about this, Legate Edzard?" asked the general of the Third Legion, frowning.

"Yes, I found out directly from a relative of a high-ranking Thalmor officer." Edzard replied seriously.

"According to what you say that elf led the attack on a farm near Evermore." The distorted voice of the general of the Second Legion, stationed in High Rock, resonated through the magical projection connecting him to the meeting.

"That's right. After tracking them to a clearing a few kilometers from the attack site, I confronted them directly." Edzard continued, looking at the generals one by one. "After defeating the entire group, I read the mind of the lead elf, where I discovered the plans for a second Aldmeri Dominion invasion of the Empire."

The atmosphere in the room grew tense as the generals listened intently. When Edzard finished speaking, everyone understood that time was shorter than they had thought.

"Your Majesty, we must begin mobilizing our troops." suggested the general of the Fifth Legion, with a serious expression.

"We can't do that yet. If we move our forces now, they'll suspect we know their plans." intervened the general of the First Legion, in a measured tone.

"Then what do you propose?! Wait for them to attack us?!" exclaimed the general of the Sixth Legion in frustration, pounding the table.

The room erupted into a heated debate. Some generals wanted to prepare their troops at once, while others preferred to act cautiously and wait for the Dominion to make the first move.

"Enough!" Emperor Titus Mede II's firm voice resonated in the room, silencing everyone. "You're behaving like children!"

The generals bowed their heads in respect, embarrassed by their emperor's rebuke.

"Legate Edzard, you did well to bring us this information." the emperor continued, addressing Edzard with a serious look. "But tell me, do you have more data that can help us?"

A slight smile appeared on Edzard's lips. Yes, he had more information, which he had received from Malborn just before leaving Skyrim.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I have additional information that could end the war before it even begins."

Edzard began detailing the reports provided by Malborn. As he spoke, the expressions of those present changed; there was now renewed hope. The information Edzard shared could tip the balance in their favor. With this knowledge in mind, the generals began planning the strategy for the inevitable war against the Aldmeri Dominion.

After the meeting concluded, Edzard bid farewell to the generals, the emperor, and Prince Maxillien. Once outside the Imperial City, he summoned Odahviing and flew back to Anvil. He arrived late at night. With quick steps, he headed to the house where they were staying. Entering the room, he saw Asia and Marie sleeping together in the same bed.

The scene brought a small smile to his face. Without making a sound, Edzard changed his clothes and carefully lay down next to the woman he loved and his dear daughter, feeling that, at least for that night, everything was calm.

Solitude - Tirdas 11 of Second Seed of 203 of the Fourth era

Asia was strolling with her friends through the city of Solitude. Today was a special day for her: she was turning fifteen. Moreover, it was the first birthday she celebrated with friends.

"And Asia, how are you enjoying it?" Fortunata asked.

"Very well, it's the first time I celebrate my birthday with friends." she replied with a smile. "Although I wish Edzard and Marie were here."

"Don't… worry, Edzard has… offered to take care… while we walk… around." said Laure, though her voice was somewhat muffled by the sweet bun she was chewing.

"Finish eating before you speak." Fortunata scolded her, annoyed by her friend's lack of manners.

"I suppose Marie has become more adventurous." commented Fridda. "My mother mentioned that Gyda and I, at that age, crawled everywhere and threw tantrums over anything."

"Well, my sister did, not so much me." Gyda joked in a mocking tone. "But Fridda is right, babies Marie's age starts to get more restless."

Asia sighed; Gyda was right. Since Marie turned eight months old, she had started crawling, venturing all over the house. More than once, both she and Edzard had to prevent her from falling down the stairs or getting dangerously close to the fireplace. After several scares, Edzard cast small magical barriers in those areas to prevent accidents.

The girls continued their walk through the city, trying on clothes, visiting jewelry stores, and walking along the docks. By the time they returned to the mansion, it was already night.

Upon entering, Asia was startled to see everything dark. But her surprise was greater when several balls of light began to shine from the corners of the room, illuminating the place.

"Surprise!" several voices shouted in unison.

Asia's eyes filled with tears upon seeing Vilkas, Farkas, Tolfdir, Jordis, Serana, and Aela smiling. But what really left her speechless was seeing Edzard, looking at her with love in his eyes.

"Happy birthday, Asia!" everyone chorused.

Overcoming the first shock, Asia stopped crying and started laughing along with the others. After greeting everyone, they began to give her gifts: Tolfdir gave her a special staff that would increase her efficiency in magic; the twins gave her a chainmail and a short sword; Serana, an alchemy book; and Aela gifted her a bow and arrows for practice.

The party continued with laughter, food, and drink. When everyone was somewhat drunk, the twins challenged Edzard to a singing contest. Farkas and Vilkas, although excellent warriors, turned out to be terrible singers, butchering "Ragnar the Red" in chorus. For his part, Edzard performed "Frelytte and Pular." a love song that left everyone impressed. When he finished, the attendees burst into applause, proclaiming him the winner of the duel.

After the contest, Serana took Edzard to a corner, looking serious.

"What's wrong, Serana?" Edzard asked, noticing her expression.

"Ed, we need to talk."

"About what?"

"Do you remember the axe that injured you a while ago?"

Edzard nodded, remembering the weapon he had given to Valerica.

"We've finally finished examining the enchantment it had."

Edzard's eyes widened, but before he could say anything, Serana interrupted him.

"The enchantment on that weapon is designed to affect only you."

"What do you mean?" Edzard asked, confused. "How was that weapon made to kill only me?"

"My mother and I wounded several bandits with that axe, but none suffered the curse of the weapon."

"Are you telling me it didn't affect them?" Edzard asked, rubbing his chin as he pondered.

Serana nodded and added:

"We believe that mission was a trap, someone set it for you."

"I don't think so. I chose that mission myself from several options, and it wasn't even my first choice." Edzard replied, recalling how he had been undecided between taking a beast hunting mission or the draugr one. "Serana, don't tell Asia about this."

"Why shouldn't I tell her?"

"Because someone is after me, and I don't want to worry her."

"Alright, Ed. I won't say anything."

They both returned to the party. As the night was coming to an end, Edzard brought out a cake, and all the guests sang a slightly off-key "Happy Birthday." After that, the atmosphere filled with an expectant silence as Edzard approached Asia. Normally, he would have waited longer, but the circumstances forced him to advance his plans. Standing in front of her, he took a gold necklace from his pocket, with three golden buttons on each side around a large circular pendant, which bore a cross with a small gem in the center. Seeing the necklace, Asia brought her hands to her mouth: it was an Amulet of Mara, a symbol of a marriage proposal in Skyrim.

"Asia Argento, I've known you for ten months and we've been lovers for five." Edzard said with a sincere smile. "And in all this time, you've given me joy and security."

The guests were surprised by what was happening. Fortunata, Laure, and the twins had tears in their eyes; Tolfdir was grinning from ear to ear, and the twins were handing a bag of money to the very smiling Aela and Serana.

"There's not a single day that I don't love you madly. You've become my strength and my happiness." Edzard continued, focusing all his attention on Asia. "Asia, will you marry me?"

"Yes, Ed, I accept to marry you!" Asia exclaimed, throwing herself at him and giving him a tight hug.

The guests broke into applause. As they did, footsteps were heard coming from the stairs leading to the bedrooms. Turning around, they saw Jordis, who was carrying a very awake Marie in her arms, smiling broadly.

"Mo… mom." the little one said, extending her arms towards Asia.

For Asia, the day was already incredibly emotional: a birthday with friends and her partner, a surprise proposal, and now her daughter had just said her first word. Asia did the only thing she could: she took Marie from Jordis's arms and began to cover her with kisses. Edzard embraced them both, while the guests congratulated and celebrated the moment.

Haafingar - Turdas 20 of Second Seed of 203 of the Fourth era

The moons were high up in a completely cloudless sky. In a camp in an area near the Shadowgreen cavern, there were two people gazing at the stars while they were lying on furs.

"Little Ed is engaged."

"Don't tell me, I still can't believe it."

"Serana, do you think either of us would be as happy as Asia if we hadn't rejected Ed?"

"No idea Aela, no idea."

Serana and Aela were resting after a mission. Aela had asked Serana to accompany her, as Edzard and Asia were currently in the Imperial City sightseeing. They had left two days after the marriage proposal and did not know when they would return, but it was very likely soon, since Edzard cannot leave his duties unattended for long.

"Do you remember why we turned it down?"

"No, but I think it was for the best."

"Why do you say that?" Asked Serana.

"He deserves a woman with whom he can raise a family. And sadly, neither of us qualify for that."

"You're right, besides that if we had been with him, we couldn't have fun like we do."

"Who knows?"

"Why do you say that?"

"Maybe he would join us." Aela said as she crawled over to Serana. "But he is a creature of the day."

"And the night is ours." Serana said, starting to kiss Aela as she loosened the cords of her armor. Once she managed to strip her of it, Aela did the same with Serana's armor. Once completely naked, Serana laid Aela on the furs that she had on the floor.

Serana's hand began to travel over Aela's body until it reached her breasts, which were slightly larger than hers. Serana didn't wait and began to kiss and caress them, making Aela moan every time her tongue brushed her firm nipples. She stayed like this for a little while, then she moved across her abdomen until her tongue touched her private area. She started licking her pussy, making Aela wetter and wetter, then decided to insert two of her fingers.

"Ahhh!" Aela moaned as she felt Serana's fingers inside her. And every time she moved them, she shifted on the ground due to the splendid sensation that it produced in her.

They both got to their knees, Aela walked over to Serana and walked around her to get on her back. Aela moved her hands down Serana's body feeling her slightly cold skin, her hands lowered until one of her reached one of her breasts and her other hand went down to her pussy. Aela started kissing and nibbling on Serana's neck as she played with her nipples, stretching and squeezing them. As one hand of hers played with her breasts, the fingers of the other caressed Serana's crotch.

When Aela felt that Serana was about to reach her limit, she decided to lay her down on the furs. Positioning themselves on her, they began to kiss again, while one hand of each of them went to the crotch of the other. And so, they began to masturbate each other, faster and faster, while their kisses grew more and more intense. In the end, they both came almost at the same time releasing a great moan of pleasure. They both looked at each other happily, panting, to caress their faces again and finish with another deep kiss.

After that moment of pleasure, they both lay down and covered themselves with furs as they hugged each other.

Haafingar - Turdas 10 of Mid year of 203 of the Fourth era

Edzard observed a cave near the road leading to the High Rock border. He wore light Imperial armor: a Lorica hamata (chainmail), hardened leather bracers, black leather pants, and boots. He carried his Imperial short sword and a steel dagger.

It was a moonless and completely cloudy night, perfect for what he was about to do. He had left Solitude that morning by order of General Tullius, riding at full speed until he reached his destination.

"It's time to start." Edzard sighed as he entered the cave.

He advanced to the back of the cave and began to climb a rocky slope, reaching a small platform. After ascending a bit more, he found a trapdoor. Opening it, he arrived at a dungeon. Surprised, he saw that it was completely empty.

'It seems they haven't gone hunting in a while.' Edzard thought after checking all the cells.

Dusting off his shoulders, he advanced quickly. Upon reaching the door, he heard footsteps. He drew his dagger and pressed against the wall. When the figure approached, Edzard silenced them with a quick move, covering their mouth and slitting their throat. He left the corpse on the ground without giving it much thought.

He stealthily climbed the stairs. The gods seemed to smile upon him: there were no soldiers in the main hall. He quickly headed to the second floor, where he found another guard asleep. He covered the guard's mouth and drove the dagger between their eyes, killing them instantly. Then, he returned to the first floor and exited the building.

Once outside, he saw several figures scattered around the courtyard. Stealthily, he approached one, covered their mouth, and drove the dagger into their eye, ending their life. He gently laid the body on the ground and went ahead with the other figures, who met the same fate.

After dealing with those in the courtyard, he entered the main building through the back door. Seeing no one, he headed to the kitchen and threw his dagger at the cook, killing them instantly. Then, he went to the dormitories, where several individuals were sleeping. Using a paralysis spell, he immobilized them in their beds and killed them one by one.

When he finished with the soldiers guarding the place, he headed to the main room. The light was on, so he kicked the door open.

The room was richly decorated: a double bed, shelves, dressers, a chair, and a desk. But none of that mattered to Edzard. His attention was focused on the figure sitting behind the desk, looking at him with a shocked expression.

"Hello, Elenwen, how are you?" Edzard said mockingly, seeing the Altmer's expression.

Elenwen, the Altmer who headed the Thalmor embassy in Skyrim and leader of the agents in the province, had golden skin, loose blonde hair, and golden eyes. She wore a Thalmor robe without a hood. Hearing Edzard, she snapped out of her stupor and frowned.

"What are you doing here, Dovahkiin? You are attacking Thalmor territory." she spat.

"Thalmor territory? Come on, Elenwen, don't be ridiculous." Edzard replied, advancing towards her. "This is Nordic territory."

"Guards! Intruders!" Elenwen shouted. But despite raising her voice, no one came.

"Don't bother calling them. No one will come." Edzard commented mockingly. "I took care of them."

"Do you think this will go unpunished?" Elenwen retorted, looking at him defiantly. "When the Dominion finds out…"

"They'll declare war, yes, I know." Edzard interrupted her. "Why do you think I'm doing this? The orders came from the emperor himself."

Elenwen's face froze in disbelief. She hadn't expected the emperor to make such a drastic decision.

"Surprised, huh?" Edzard mocked, seeing her expression. "I was too when I found out about their plans for the second invasion."

"What? How do you know?" Elenwen asked incredulously.

"A little bird told me." Edzard replied sarcastically. "A little bird named Hendare."

Elenwen's eyes widened upon hearing her cousin's name. In that instant, she understood what had happened. Her foolish cousin was dead, and the Dovahkiin had obtained the invasion plans. However, there was still a chance to turn the tables in her favor. She just had to kill the human in front of her.

Without further ado, she launched a lightning bolt at Edzard. But he was prepared, dodging the attack and drawing his sword. Running towards her, he threw his dagger, which embedded itself in Elenwen's right hand, preventing her from casting a magical armor spell. With her magic blocked, Edzard had enough time to attack.

"WULD!" he shouted, appearing right in front of her.

Elenwen barely had time to react before Edzard decapitated her with a single stroke of his sword.

Meanwhile, at the Thalmor embassy, in the city of Markarth, in the Reach, Jarl Igmund was informing Ondolemar about a Talos worshipper in the plaza. Ondolemar, accompanied by his guards, the Jarl, and part of the court, quickly headed there.

"So, Jarl Igmund, where is this Talos worshipper?" Ondolemar asked, seeing the residents milling about the plaza.

"Over there." Igmund said, pointing to the crowd.

The response puzzled Ondolemar, but as he was about to question the Jarl, he saw his guards fall, struck by arrows. Looking up, he saw that it was the Markarth guards who had fired them. Quickly, he turned his gaze back to the Jarl.

"We are all worshippers of the almighty Talos." Igmund responded, predicting the Thalmor's question. "Fire!"

With that order, the guards from the upper part of the city fired another volley of arrows at Ondolemar. Although he tried to deflect some with magic, he couldn't defend against so many. He fell, turned into a pincushion.

The populace, after a moment of shock, began to cheer for their Jarl. Igmund approached his steward and whispered:

"Summon the entire army. We will leave for Solitude in a week."

The steward nodded. Before leaving, the Jarl ordered the decapitation of the fallen Thalmor.

In many cities of the empire, the same thing was happening. Local leaders were eliminating Thalmor agents in Imperial territory, a sign that the second great war had begun.

Author's note:

To those who have made it this far, Thanks for reading.

This was one of the funniest chapters I've ever written, especially the part where Elenwen dies, I always kill her when she comes down from High Hrothgar after the Season Unending mission.

Well, I apologize for any spelling mistakes. Don't forget to leave a comment if you liked the chapter or if there is anything that needs to be improved. With nothing more to say, until the next chapter.