Chapter 16: Unknown Child ( 2 )
Seeing the group leaving, Miraak and Asa sighed in relief.
The earlier extremely powerful arrow was a special arrow Miraak enchanted with various Runes.
Since it was extremely tasking to make one, it was the only one.
If the Ayleid continued the battle, he would need to use Thu'um.
Even if Asa has a simple mind, she knows how taboo it's to know Thu'um in the Dragon Cult.
So, Miraak sighed in relief because he wasn't strong enough to fight a Master Level Mage like the enemy.
And Asa sighed in relief because she thinks Miraak's limit is, more or less, Adept Level.
Shooking his head, Miraak looked at the child in his arms.
Although he didn't know if the child was female or male but he saw scars everywhere.
Eyes, mouth, neck, arms, legs, etc...
No matter where he looked, he saw scars.
As Miraak was staring at the child, Asa turned around and said, "We need to leave. The Snow Elves probably saw the explosions. If they find us here..."
She didn't need to end when Miraak turned around and said, "Let's go then."
Miraak dashed through the forest with Asa following him.
...
As the duo left, groups upon groups arrived at the battle spot.
One of the groups, Lysanthir, was one of them.
An Only Snow Elven group, focused on finding and torturing Men for information.
Their business was to sell the information to the who pay the most.
How, When, and Where they torture is still a mystery.
The only information the public knows is that they cut the tortured's tongues as trophies.
As if the information that left that mouth will only available through their business.
Although the other groups found Aetherial Magic traces, they still didn't found who the other party was.
And Lysanthir was one of the groups who stayed behind to find information on the other party.
As Nakiasha, the group leader was sitting on a rock relaxing, she heard one of her subordinates
"Captain. We found something." He said as he shouted.
Bored to the bones, she walked by and glanced at what the subordinate found.
Traces of Unknown Magic.
"... Hmmm..." Nakiasha murmured to herself as she pondered, closing her eyes.
'... The Snow Elven Empire knows the Ayleid Magic traces... And we know the Chimer's and Dwemer's Magic Traces too...'
Finally opening her eyes with a Mischief Smile like she found a beautiful new toy.
"... Nedic, huh..." Nakiasha's mischief smile distorted more and more to a grotesque smile.
...
Far away from the battlefield spot, Miraak and Asa found a cave to sleep on.
There was a bear and some wolves but nothing they couldn't handle.
As they waited for the child to wake up, they started to talk.
"... Looks like we're gonna stay here for the night..." Asa said smiling.
"Indeed... We're still far away from Rifton..." Miraak said sighing.
He didn't think that gaining access to the Never-Melting Snow would be so stressful.
Shaking his head, he continued, "... That child... Escaping the Ayleid Empire... A refugee, huh..."
As they continued to talk, the child started to wake up.
'... Where... What... Wh-...' The child thought confused but seeing two persons in front of him, he took a nearby rock and threw it at Miraak subconsciously.
But Miraak didn't even glance at the incoming rock.
As the rock slowly descended, it suddenly divided itself in 2. then in 4, then in 8, then in 16, etc...
When it finally arrived at Miraak, it was nothing more than dust.
That's right.
Miraak's trained himself in the Realm of Absolute Control, the realm he tried to use on his duel with Ysgramor.
Although he trained himself, he could only stay for 5 seconds before passing out again.
It was extremely taxing, for now.
So he was training every day while trying to find a way to not only consume Magicka but Stamina too.
Doing so, he could stay more time.
But that was still a dream.
That Realm was created by the extremely powerful Redguard Master of Swords, Silaeen Verdam.
He was the absolute genius in Swordsmanship.
Although the Realm was forgotten by time, it was still the highest Realm to attain in Swordsmanship.
Since even Silaeen died before completing the Realm, Miraak didn't know its limits.
Seeing the rock becoming Dust, the child thought Miraak used Magic. So the child prepared to run away in any openings.
Asa was simply staring at Miraak.
After all, she didn't even notice the rock becoming dust.
It was as if it was dust, to begin with.
She simply sighed at him.
Who could be his rival at his age?
Shooking her head, she turned around and said to the child, "You don't need to worry. We saved you from earlier."
Suddenly, the child remembered that the duo arrived just in time to stop the Ayleid's magic.
"... Sorry." The child said apologetically.
Laughing, Asa said, "it's okay. Come here and eat with us."
Sitting next to Asa, the child stared at Miraak.
"What's your name?" Asa asked the child.
"... Iphislia." Iphislia said still staring at Miraak.
"So you're Female, huh... I couldn't notice with your... clothes." Asa said apologetically seeing Iphislia's slave clothes, not mentioning Iphislia's deformed body by all the scars.
Shooking her head, Iphislia said, "I'm just searching for freedom."
Tilting his head, Miraak stared at her and said, "Freedom? What is 'Freedom' for you?"
Although Iphislia was uneducated, she still responded, "... Eat what I want, drink what I want, go wherever I want..."
"... So, it's 'Do whatever you want', huh..." He said to Iphislia.
Seeing her nodding, he continued, "... Then, how about this... How about you come with us?"
Although Miraak didn't know much about her, when he saw her effortless evading spells, he saw it.
She was using footsteps used by assassins or thieves created by herself.
Maybe it was consciously or maybe it was subconsciously.
It was Raw talent.
She was a Rough Diamond.
Iphislia just needed training and she could stronger and stronger easily.
Seeing her hesitant, Miraak said, "If you come with, no one will dare say 'No' to you, ever again."
As hesitation vanished, Iphislia nodded her head and said, "I... I will come with you."
Smiling like he found a new 'Trump Card', Miraak said, "First... You will need training."
...
What Miraak didn't know was that the Child should have died in that explosion.
She shouldn't be alive.
Her destiny, her future, it didn't exist.
But now it does.
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