Michael and the Night Mother spoke for a couple more minutes, no longer sounding like bitter enemies, but eager salesman, hoping to get the best 'bang for their buck'. It wasn't all that hard for Michael as he technically held the advantage, having the Night Mother's Listener at his mercy tends to do that.
The Night Mother wasn't actually that versed in exchange either... She had no idea about haggling, nor about compromise...
In the end, Michael found himself with a fairly good deal, if he did say so himself... The Dark Brotherhood would not accept any more contracts on the lives of himself, and his friends. Not only that, but any Black Sacraments he performed would be the top priority, earning the attention of the entire Sanctuary to see it completed.
Michael didn't have any targets right now, but he'd rather hire the Dark Brotherhood to kill someone if they lived in say... The Empire... Or even the Summerset Isles.
With the deal struck, the girl's eyes, lips, and breathing return to normal, though, she appeared to have been aware of the entire thing judging by her shocked and slightly fearful expression. "W-what...."
"Calm down, me and your mother had a long talk about your recent behaviour." he chuckles to himself. "We are very disappointed in you. Your mother for failing to kill me. And me, for trying to kill me." he says, unable to stifle the laugh that'd been bubbling up in his throat.
The girl tentatively gets to her feet, grimacing at her broken arm but firming her determination to stay quiet. "Am I free to go?"
Michael nods, "Yeah. I'd like to get your name first though, so I know who I'll be working with in the future."
...
"Eleril." she says, but her eyes widen when a realisation hits her, "Y-your friend!" she exclaims, throwing her cloak back on to conceal her dull red and black armour and rushing away.
Michael follows the girl, and soon finds himself behind the inn he and Megumin had been staying at, in the small clearing that overlooked the North sea where she'd been practising her magic... Only to find the explosion girl on her knees with a child biting her neck...
"Babette! It's off! Stop!" Eleril starts but is unable to stop Michael as he blinks over and punts the mini-vampire like a football, sending her almost sprawling over the cliff with the girl barely catching herself on some frozen flora.
"Megumin! Are you alright!?" he asks, grabbing the pale-looking explosion girl and looking her over.
"N-not cute... S-stop biting me..." Megumin mutters in a daze with clear signs of blood loss.
He pulls a couple potions from his Inventory and all but forces them down the girl's throat. The health potions quickly cause the girl's pale, clammy skin to recover its usual youth. With that she finally passes out completely, leaving Michael alone with the two assassins.
Eleril was helping hold up the child vampire's weight as they walked over. His punt had clearly had an effect, the girl hunched over, for good reason to since he'd felt her ribs shatter under the force of his kick.
"You know, I used to think vampires were kinky but..." he points to the little girl's blood-covered mouth, "This is pretty gross."
The vampire shakes her head, "What's gross is your willingness to kick a young girl with what felt like the force of a giant." she remarks.
Michael shrugs, "I'd gladly curb stomp a cannibal, child or not."
The vampire sniffs, seemingly taking being called a cannibal as an insult, before turning to Eleril, "Has the plan changed? I hope we didn't get the wrong people again..."
"No. These two are our targets... Or were... He and the Night Mother had a talk, and made a deal. We're heading back." Eleril says, not wanting to explain that she'd been so thoroughly beaten that she'd been unable to use the poisons that Babette had given to her.
Babette nods, "Fine, I've already had my fill anyway." she sends a sarcastic wave to Michael, "See you two around."
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that, otherwise I'll need to order a mini casket."
Babette gives a fanged grin in response, "Good, though, it'll be a struggle squeezing you inside..." she says before.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Ugghh... What happened?" Megumin asks as she slowly sits up in bed, looking over to Michael who was seated at the side of the room.
He smiles, "Congratulations on getting your first kiss." he gives a mock sniff and wipes an invisible tear from his eye, "You're growing up so fast..."
"A kiss...?" she mumbles before her eyes widen, "That girl! V-vampire!..." she looks to Michael, "What happened!?"
He shrugs, "Yeah, in all seriousness you already got eaten. Don't worry though, I sent the vampire on her way with a few mean words..."
She shakes her head, "You're... Not lying..." she says, dumbfounded by the lack of deceit on his face.
"I made a deal with them. They won't be bothering us again... But if they do, you have my full permission to nuke their asses. Cool?"
Megumin lets a smile slip through but it vanishes when her hand comes up to her neck where the vampire bite still remains. "A-am I going to turn into one of them?"
"Probably not? She wanted to kill you, not unkill you."
...
Michael stands, "Anyway, I've called over Tiffania so she can baby you. You being her familiar and all." he says, stepping out of the room as Tiffania enters while carrying a tray of all of Megumin's favourite treats.
...
Maybe getting bitten by a vampire isn't the worst thing?
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A few more months pass after Michael's run-in with the Dark Brotherhood, he felt like they were in a kind of peace period since the Thalmor were seemingly fine with allowing the Dark Brotherhood to do their jobs, not knowing that the assassination attempt had already failed.
Michael wanted to take another 'vacation' while he waited for his property to be built, but knew that a few things had to be taken care of. The first is the excavation of Saarthal to acquire the Eye of Magnus, which would have to be recovered before the structure was actually built. Primarily due to how the tower was designed... The Aetherium symbols and ebony wiring made it incredibly sensitive to magic, so Michael didn't dare do anything 'drastic' anywhere near them. He'd also made this clear to the workers and Arch-mage, making sure to mention how 'explosion' it could be if his warning was ignored... Which only annoyed the powerful mage.
His relationship with the Arch-Mage had become frosty, which only made it more difficult for him to ask for the key to access the Labyrinthian so he could grab the Staff of Magnus before anyone else could.
Savos tried to convince him out of it, despite their rocky relationship, knowing that there was a high possibility of Michael's death if he went on ignorant of the dangers.
Michael assured the man that he already knew what awaited him however, explaining that the Skeletal Dragon and Dragon Priest wouldn't be a problem, and that he already had countermeasures... Which was a lie, kind of, but it still managed to convince the man, who handed him a large ringlet that'd be used to open the Labyrinthian.
With it, he entered the tomb alone, not wanting to get the others involved or possibly harmed. In all honesty, he had no idea how powerful the dragon or dragon priest would be, but he was sure he could deal with them, especially the mage with all the abilities that'd counter it.
Inside, he encounters ghosts of the Arch-Mage and his friends... Which Michael completely ignores, moving on through the place until he walks into a large room that had a skeletal dragon waiting for him, along with a horde of skeletons waiting at the sides of the room.
"You're not a dragon! Just a big ass wyvern! Damn imposter!" Michael jokingly accuses while shooting a Laguna Blade at its head. The lightning bolt strikes it and scorches its previously pale skull, causing the lights in its eyes to flicker out as it falls dead.
The spell hadn't damaged the bones, but the damage was enough to remove whatever magic had been holding it together... Kind of anticlimactic if he was honest. Michael was about to go and deal with the remaining skeleton soldiers when the dragon stands back up, a breeze blowing through the tomb as the voice of what could only be the Dragon Priest whispers ancient indistinguishable words.
"Alright, Winter's Curse." he intones, casting the spell on the dragon, freezing it and causing all nearby skeletons to start whaling on it without a single ounce of reason or rationality... Not that they possessed such a thing even before this.
He then Blinks to the opposite side of the room and through the door that had metal bars blocking it off. He was here for the Staff of Magnus, not to brawl with an undying dragon... He encounters more obstacles after this, all of them negligible, some doors that require fire or ice spells to bypass, some skeletons... By the end of it, Michael enters a huge cavern where he could see a couple ghosts of the Arch-Mage's old companions restraining the Dragon Priest.
The Dragon Priest continues speaking in dragon tongue, but he ignores it and systematically slaughters the ghosts, releasing the Dragon Priest... Not before planting a shit ton of explosive oils and fire runs around it though...
As soon as it's able to move...
*BOOOOOOOOOOM!*
The entire cave shudders from the explosion, causing dust and pebbles to drop down from the ceiling as smoke fills the room. Before it clears however, Michael spots two glowing blue eyes... "All that didn't kill you? What the fuck?" he mutters.
"Hi lost bolaav zey stin. Ol urid, Zu'u bolaav hi kog dinok." the Dragon Priest rasps out, its rotten throat making the words sound like powerful curses.
It then raises the Staff of Magnus in its hand and points it towards Michael, who immediately blinks behind some stone rubble to take cover, knowing exactly what kind of weapon the staff was supposed to be.
*SHHIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!*
A laser-like blast comparable to a magical Kamehameha fires continuously towards the area Michael was hiding. Thankfully, it doesn't do anything but instantly kill any bacteria left on the stones, doing nothing physically to the rocks...
The Staff of Magnus wasn't a traditional weapon, instead, being designed to control the Eye of Magnus. If hit by the ray, you'd first have all of your magicka sucked out of you, and once that was done, your life force would be next. If you stood there and took it you'd be left as a desiccated husk and looking uglier than the Dragon Priest himself.
*SHIIIIiiiiiiiiii....*
Once Michael hears the attack come to an end, he peeks his head over his cover and thrusts his hand forwards, casting Monolith Wards directly next to the priest, causing many large hands made of shadow to burst from the floor and start attacking the mage.
*SHUIII!*
In response the priest whips the staff around and blasts a ray through the hands, completely dispelling them due to their magical nature. But this just allows Michael to go on the offensive without fear of instant death. Or whatever else would happen if he was hit.
Hope you bois liked the chap, if I missed anything please let me know. Thanks!
Also, thanks to my patrons for their support :
ShinAmazake
Kingsprovince
Faruk Ereng
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