Rastislav
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Arc 8 Chapter XXXIV: The Good Daedra
🕑 Added 2024-11-20 22:51:27 +0000 UTCThere was some annoying grumbling from the vaunted Elder Council when they were told the session was closed for the day but they couldn't actually do anything about it so they picked their sorry hides up and left, my 'friendly' looks informing them in no uncertain terms they'd be fucked if they tried anything funny due to this 'humilation'.
Some more words were exchanged with Jukulus, who had seen fit to follow myself and Minthara as we left the White Gold Tower, mostly about plans and my scheduled meeting with Titus tomorrow before I left.
Said Imperial Chancellor, seeing Minthara growing more impatient by the second, quickly excused himself and wished us both a fine day.
"So..." She speaks up sounding rather hesitant.
Smirking slightly I look at her "So?"
"Morrowind, huh?" She half states half asks.
"Quite." I keep smirking.
She huffs loudly, completely ignoring the looks and calls directed at us as we marched our way into the Elven Gardens District, incidentally the same district the delegation from Alinor was currently staying.
Shocker, I know.
Prolonged mental tangents aside, the Overlady looks non too pleased, seeming downright distraught by the idea under the veneer of annoyance "And how long will you be gone?"
"How should I know?" I shrug, much to her chagrin "I am going there to make diplomatic contact, deal with any problems, and ensure they don't try and secede when all that is done. Oh, and I am probably going to see what exactly is happening with the mountain, it has been active for far too long."
"I know that." She sighs and her shoulders slump "I just..."
"Aww, are you going to miss me?" I grab her by the shoulder as we enter the boundaries of my mansion and draw her closer.
Her cheeks redden slightly, her growing resistance to embarrassment bringing me further disappointment as she mumbles a quiet "Yes."
I couldn't even tease such an earnest response "Don't worry, I will still be able to visit you know? I am a rather powerful mage if I do say so."
"How very humble." She chuckles "Fine."
She goes to say something else but one of the doors on the way to the more private part of the manor opens and Eldor walks out with an eager look on his face as his eyes meet mine "My lor-" He pauses as they then meet Minthara's.
The Falmer takes one good look at the situation before realizing what was going on and promptly fucking off without a word to do whatever it was he was doing at the moment.
I couln't help but snort, soon followed by Minthara's own noise of amusement.
We find our way to my private lounge and as we finally make ourselves comfortable after a whole day of politicking she speaks up "Dealing with all the idiots alone is going to be such a pain."
"You do have Titus' entire network you know." I point out lazily "Learning to manage that kind of thing is going to be a must if you plan on ruling competently."
"I'd prefer to just laze about quite frankly." She pouts "But."
"But." I smirk "Your pride would never allow that."
"The mere idea of it disgusts me to the core." She admits easily.
"Think of it this way." I try and fail to keep the amusement from my voice "The Empire shall be your hoard, the subjects your shiiiny coins."
She scoffs though it quickly turns into chuckles "Dragons don't have hoards, you ass!"
Pretending like the little cuff of my shoulder didn't just threaten to break it I look down at her imperiously "Dragon that spent hours looting steel swords says what?"
"Wh-" She pauses and frowns before quickly raising her own chin "Those were valuable war supplies!"
"That you sold." I deadpan.
"That I sold." She admits defeat.
"For a pittance." I add 'generously'.
She just pouts.
A few moments of companionable silence pass before she speaks again "Just... make sure to write as often as possible. You are the only one here I don't have to tolerate."
"Your followers will be downright heartbroken to hear that." I snort and she gives me the 'You know that is not what I meant' look "But fine, I will be sure to summon forth the Orb™ whenever possible."
"Good" She nods and that was that.
"Speaking of summoning." I snap my fingers and an official looking document appears in my hand "Apparently a certain Rosethorn Hall in Skingrad was in the possession of the rebels and Hassildor helped Alor to get the deed for me."
She looks up at me, curious "Good on you?"
Deadpanning at her, and earning a half apologetic shrug, I go on "Said hall had once been in the position of a certain Ulrika, I am sure you've heard of her."
Now I had her attention, her draconic eyes were practically stuck to the parchment.
"So I thought why not? And got it for a pittance." I grin and her eyes ever so slowly unstick from the document... Before promptly re-sticking to it as I shove it into her face "It is yours now."
A silent moment passes...
And then I find myself on my back as a rather hungry dragoness stares down at me.
Worth it.
------
Breath light and bones still creaking I find myself within my study just before the coming of the dawn, slowly hyping myself up for a long planning session that would no doubt be discarded the moment I found something of interest to do in my ancestral homeland.
Only for my planning session to be completely and utterly derailed as I feel the telltale sign of Daedric vision fuckery.
I could naturally never be forced into such things but considering I felt it coming from a trio of particularly familiar eldrich monstrosities I let the connection form and suddenly found myself standing once more in a reflection of Moonshadow.
=====
"Finally." The deep voice of Boethiah greets me, the scarred visage of the patron of all Dunmeri warriors twisting with annoyance.
"Don't mind her, dear." Mephala interrupts, the chitin-clad woman cut in with her usual playful tone "She is simply grumpy when impatient."
The scarred Daedra lets out a huff of disdain "If we were dealing with some mortal I would have long since stopped bothering with your schemes."
"You know you love me." Her Spideryness titters.
"Sisters." Azura's serene voice silences the both of them "Now is really not the time."
Gruff/amused noises of agreement meet her words.
And so the Lady of Dawn and dusk looks to me after so very long "Young Reyvin Dagoth." She speaks softly "You have come a long way since you last stood in my realm."
"Impending apocalypses tend to do that." I shrug with only slight sarcasm in my voice "Now why exactly have you chosen to call me here? I was going to visit my shrine in a while anyway."
"Because you were taking your sweet time." Boethiah cuts in without a care "The world does not wait for you to galivant with your western kin."
"How gracious of you to remind me." I say dryly.
But Boethiah remains completely unmoved by my retort, instead focusing on what she was truly after "Now that you are here, what is this I hear about Molag almost losing a limb?" I can already feel the buildup of her power as she no doubt plans to probe my abilities.
Before I can respond in any way, Mephala's titter rejoins us once more "You already know all that there is to know dear sister. The rapist and the bitch tried ambushing my Chosen and it did not end well for them."
"And the squid" I add wryly "Can't forget the squid."
"Quite." Mephala nods, earning a simple nod from her more destructive counterpart.
That Boethiah was not at all moved did not surprise me. The whole idea of mortals ascending to godhood through great effort that so separated my own people's views from the Altmer came from her in the first place. If she did react with fear or scheming at my apparent power she'd be the greatest hypocrite of all, and while she is rather treacherous the Daedra do not easily abandon parts of themselves.
Azura looked distinctly uncomfortable with the situation though, her near-Athena levels of petty reactions and punishments directed at mortals mortals throughout history made her distinctly aware of just how such things would be received by someone with the power to actually harm her.
She wasn't afraid though, I was nowhere near powerful for that kind of reaction.
Yet.
"Someone finally following the Psijik Path properly aside." Azura voices "You have been called here to received our commandment and be offered your trials, you-"
And before I can tell her in no uncertain terms what I think of her setting me up with stupid ass tests, Mephala interrupts "A-zu-ra~ We did not agree to this~"
The Lady of Dusk and Dawn gives the Webweaver a withering glare and the two of them promptly switch into some obscure and ancient form of Daedric I could not quite understand, even with my thorough education.
Though I could vaguely get the jist of it, with Azura wanting to basically shove a prophesy at me and Mephala going 'nuh uh.'
Boethiah looked like she wanted to roll her eyes at the new bout of squabbling before what she perceived was a lesser being but still let it play out. Part of me honestly thought she was too used to them to even bother anymore.
It all goes on for a bit longer than is tolerable quite frankly.
Clearing my throat quite loudly, I somehow manage to draw their attention back to me, my eyes meeting Azura's with a deliberate slowness "Lady Azura, with all due respect I do not have the time to deal with your personal brand of vagary."
The oh so venerable Mother of Morrowind looks downright scandalized, by her standards anyway.
"He has you there." Boethiah drawls, frankly sounding a bit bored now that potential murder was not the topic.
She really just summoned me here to ask about Molag getting shanked and lost interest the moment that was done, didn't she?
Mephala disappears from her seat and appears just behind Azura "Come now, dear sister, you agreed, promised even! Should he defeat Boe's Champion we would be doing things my way, we even made a bet of it~"
I hold back my desire to ask what this agreement is, simply filing it with the rest of Mephala's shenanigans that are for whatever bloody reason always in my favor. It would honestly be downright disturbing if it wasn't so bafflingly consistent.
Azura doesn't quite sigh, she is too dignified for that, but it is a close thing "Very well."
She looks up to me, the other two growing silent "Reyvin Dagoth, we the Good Daedra have a... request to make of you."
The way she forced the 'request' out almost made me laugh out loud "I will certainly hear what you have to say." Is what I voice instead.
Seemingly reading my feelings somehow her lip twitches "You are to go to Morrowind, you are to end the squabbling of the houses, help them work together, and walk the first step of a new age of Resdayn."
"Oh and do be sure to visit your grandfather." Mephala cuts in with a smirk "Just a passing thought, of course."
"Was already planning on it." I nod.
The Webweaver's eyes glint with eagerness but she does not speak further.
"Your might will also be needed." Boethiah's turn comes, her voice as gruff and serious as ever "The enemies of the Dunmer will not simply watch as your people recover, in fact they will be rather aggressive in their attempts to stop it."
"Argonian attacks, got it." I fist my palm lazily.
The warrior woman directs a withering glare at me but it passes over me like so much empty air. Finally she nods, seeming ever so slightly impressed by my lack of reaction "Yes."
Azura decides to take the reins once again "You are the only one powerful and influential enough to bring true advancement to Morrowind, to heal the people and the land. We will offer you no reward for this request for it is a reward of its own, should you manage what we ask you will have the loyalty of your people and your future will be much more secure."
"Which is, as you will no doubt find, the exact reason I have been preparing to go there." I just can't help myself sometimes.
"Our interests align, this is true." Azura nods "And while Mephala worded it as an optional objective, dealing with the issue of Red Mountain is not something you can ignore, its fires are too powerful for even those born of its ashes to bear."
Plans are already forming in my mind but leave that for later "I trust I will have the support of your followers in this?"
Azura and Mephala nod, while Boethiah hesitates briefly before joining them "Anyone truly devout to us will not impede you, and will fight those that do."
"Excellent." I clap my hands and wait a moment to see if any of them were about to add anything. Seeing as they do not I nod "That would be all, I trust?"
"Remember to have fun dear~" Mephala singsongs.
I just grin and shake my head, slowly turning to leave.
"Dagoth." Azura's voice grasps my attention once again, the Daedra looked almost hesitant to say it but she did, Mephala looking incredibly smug in turn "Considering my Chosen's current... absence, you may pursue a more firm form of unification."
'Well now?' I can't help but be surprised by her tacit approval so all I do is offer a respectful bow "I will keep the option on mind should it be the most expedient."
My perceived 'disdain' for her offer seems to miff her somewhat but it is already too late as I had began to unravel the vision and the last thing I heard before I returned fully to Nirn was Mephala's raucous laughter.
=====
Honestly if I didn't know the three of them could be quite brutal and frankly outright evil sometimes the three of them would remind me of slightly more mature highschool girls high on some false idea of power they had.
"Not a bad description now that I think on it." I mutter as I decide I was too lazy to shuffle around my study table and simply shadow step into my armchair, summoning a cigar as I did and lighting it.
"Now then" I keep muttering "Where to start..."
It was then that I remembered I never actually bothered getting more information on current Morrowind affairs than was truly necessary, and by that I of course mean I knew its history and what a couple of the Great Houses were doing at the moment and almost nothing beyond that.
Scorch poofs into existence atop a nearby brazier, radiating disappointment "Seriously pops, what the fuck?"
"Why didn't you remember it then?" I fire back with a raised eyebrow.
He tilts his head and rubs his right wing below his beak "Because it wasn't interesting at the time?"
Nodding sagely I wave my hand at him "And there you go."
"So..." Bird man trails off before chirping with excitement "We doing it live?"
"Indeed Scorch." I grin "We doing it live."
We would have to be quick about it too since there was still S@[$&#e!m to deal wi-
Wait a fucking second.
My brain buzzes for a moment before I feel the knowledge snap back into place.
'Future calamari recipe was already playing with my plans and I didn't even notice... How excruciatingly terrifying...' I did not even notice my grin widening to disturbing proportions at this point 'And yet how incredibly exciting.'
Taking too much time would not be an option.
