Kapitel 363: Chapter LXXXVI: A Bit of Relaxation And A Plan of Action
I groan and let my face plant into my study table, explaining to Torygg just what exactly Alduin was doing in his people's afterlife was an exercise in patience and careful wording. All the Nords present, including even Erikur which somehow managed to surprise me, were to say the least fucking livid and keeping them calm enough to listen to me for even a minute almost made me telekinetically shut their mouths.
Which I thankfully managed to stop myself from doing. Being friends with Torygg only went so far after all and magicking the High King is a bad idea no matter how unthreatening Skyrim as a whole was to my person.
As if sensing my thoughts, Akulakhan shifts ever so slightly, his posture turning just that little bit more battle ready.
Naturally, the rather gratifying scene is promptly ruined as Scorch pats the armored giant's head with his wing and coos "What a good boy you are." The automaton doesn't so much as twitch but Scorch's eyes keep their amused glow as he continues patting for a while.
My head, which I had slowly begun rising, promptly slams back into the table but I fail to contain the amused snort at the scene, said snort promptly turning into a bout of chuckles as some of the day's tension finally left me.
"Why so glum, my dear?" The familiar voice of Mephala purrs into my ear "You won a great victory, you should be celebrating!" She leans in "With me preferably~"
Suppressing a shudder I lean back into my seat and roll my eyes "Ah yes, the victory which led to the death of thousands of innocents and the destruction of an entire city." Falkreath was more of a large town but I wasn't about to add semantics to my grousing.
She pauses, leaning away from me, before offering me a soft smile and patting my shoulder "They were already attacking the mortals dear. Your actions changed nothing save for panicking the uppity little child, you know this."
I scoff "Let me be sour in peace woman!"
"No." She smirks "You are far more endearing when you are planning the demise of your enemies instead of pouting about not killing them all with a passing glance."
My slowly forming retort disappears and my mouth shuts close. I give the eldrich demon god creature before me a flat glare before chuckling ruefully "Can't even get depressed about reasonable shit anymore. This is my life now."
"Quite." Her smirk widens to shiteating proportions "Now come with me, you are in need of a break."
A part of me is tempted to tell her in no uncertain terms to fuck off, but a much larger one was curious about whatever she was trying to scheme up. So, grumbling petulantly, I got up and followed her.
---
As it turned out she wasn't scheming about anything.
'Mephys'' eyes gleam with amusement as she sips on her tea, every movement dainty and ladylike "You really should stop drinking that dirtwater dear, everyone knows that anyone of any real worth partakes of the superior beverage."
My eye twitches "Uh huh."
She titters "As I was saying, dear old Dagon has been doing some rather delightful renovating in one of his lesser realms, apparently he wanted to see if he could make an actual paradise like that fool Camoran tried during his last invasion."
"And how is that going for him?" I raise an eyebrow. Imagining Mehrunes Dagon doing gardening was a rather amusing image, even if he would obviously never stoop that low.
"Oh it is going terribly." Her eyes practically glow with vicious amusement "He had to scrap the entire project about three hundred or so times by now. Apparently his peons are not used to his creative aspects and keep turning his 'paradise' into a battlefield the moment a dispute appears."
I snort "Can't imagine their usual profession is all that good for architecture."
"You'd be surprised!" She grins "They know the ins and outs of building far better the most mortals in fact, what with how often they tend to destroy them and all. No, the main issue is the environment itself, vibrant green grass just doesn't click for them."
"In any case." I cut in "You were about to tell me about the sudden end of your... clique?'s little meetup?"
"Ah yes." She turns slightly irritated at the memory "We were having a great game of it when dear old Sheo suddenly stood up and left, poor Azura was devastated" She coos "She was about to get her first win in a millennium."
My eyes narrow "Did he say anything as he was leaving?"
She tilts her head and lets out a light hum before shrugging "He kept muttering about his buddy calling him down for a game of fishstick at the graveyard."
"Ah." Is all I say to that. I had some guesses as to what that meant but I wasn't about to bother with deciphering it, that way lay madness after all.
The knowing glint in Mephala's eyes was rather telling however.
Suddenly she stands up "As delightful as this has been, I must leave now. Do enjoy the rest of your day dear~" She blows me a kiss and returns to her realm.
I just lean back into my delightfully plush chair and let out a contented sigh. It would appear that she was scheming something after all, namely getting me to relax... How utterly devious of her.
With my breath feeling just a tad lighter now, I get up and leave the lounge. Might as well make myself visible to my subjects and assure them of their safety, the ensuring of their further efficiency in feeding the war machine went without saying.
-----
The smell hit me before I even saw them.
I had spent a good few hours just chatting up my people, checking in on the garrison, bothering Karsus about the growth of the city and visiting Nightshade (who had grown rather attached to her little apprentice, so much so that the talented little pyromancer spent most of her time in Nightshade's suite than in her own home)
In any case, as I finished my rounds and gave a short lesson to my growing number of magi I found myself strolling to the portal room, a light premonition drawing me just in time for the Markarth section to light up but not from where I expected it. Instead of the city portal itself being used the wayshrine I placed was located exactly on the border with Haafingar.
And there they were, stepping through was the group of conquering heroes, covered in varying amounts of blood and guts and looking half dead or on their way to it. Well Marco, Junia and Lydia did, Minthara looked smug as all fuck.
The moment they step through all of their eyes meet my own and I immediately ask "Had some fun on your trip I take it?"
Marco sighs and begins to speak.
(Marco's POV, flashback)
'Fuck, why does she always have to hit so hard?!' I wince in pain and begin jumping around while hissing and uselessly tapping my no doubt mangled foot.
"Fuck this." Minthara snaps "He is not getting away and that is final." And without even taking a moment to consult us she breathes in and shouts "WULD NAH KEST!" Completely uncaring about launching us about with the suddenly violent air as she appeared almost right next to the poor fucker who did all he could to speed his way north.
"So." I mutter, my pain forgotten "We going to chase her or?"
Junes sighs and begins walking to the edge of the wall, a grappling hook already in hand.
(Reyvin's POV, back to the present)
"So let me get this straight..." I pause "You chased the dragon across half a hold?"
Minthara nods happily.
"And then you..." I trail off, unable to comprehend just what in the actual fuck I have just heard.
"And then she proceeded to disembowel the poor fucker with her hammer, jump through said bowels and rip out his spine through his stomach, yes." Marco finishes helpfully.
The smug shit that was Minthara couldn't look more proud if she tried.
"After which she ate his soul" Marco adds even more helpfully and mutters "As if taking his dignity was not enough."
"Yes, I do think that is what I've heard you say." I sigh, part impressed and part disgusted.
The far too enthused demigod crosses her arms "You sound disappointed."
"Not disappointed." I correct "Just... amazed." I choose my words carefully and she beams "Oh and also go and get a wash, you stink of dragon gut."
As I teleport out of the way of a very unwanted bloody hug I shout over my shoulder "Oh and call Paarthurnax to meet me on the clearing, we have a plan to cook up!"
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(General POV)
Atop a clearing behind the great tower of Tel Dagoth and the Chantry of Auri-El a group of individuals was gathered, most of them seated upon alteration hewn stone slabs while the two immense Dovah coiled around themselves so that they cold lean low enough and join the conversation.
As for the mortals present, most of them were either cautious or outright worried, all save for the serenely calm Reyvin and the far too eager Minthara. Most of those hailing from House Dagoth looked to be in differing states of tired, all of them having been scrambling about for a while now as a massive order of automatons was placed and all the soldiers were instructed to be on high alert and prepared to be shipped off to battle at any moment.
The Dragonborn's companions were more than content to sit in their corner and listen in. Well, all of them excepting the duo of Blades who were eager to participate in the upcoming talks.
Their return from Riverwood was met with a grudging respect from their host and very eager cheer once he met the group of Companions who followed them.
Though the odd stare he gave the ebony clad Redguard warrior who joined them did raise some eyebrows. Thankfully the man was accepting of his exclusion from the upcoming discussion as no one was about to trust a newcomer, no matter how good a warrior he was.
Durrak and a recently healed Aela seemed agitated for some reason but kept it to themselves, whatever worried them was of a far lesser concern than what Reyvin had called them up here for.
The final figure though, is what raised the most eyebrows. A rather insistent King Torygg, who had in no uncertain terms demanded to be present, was currently glaring holes at no one in particular, the recent revelations having made the man immensely irritable and agitated and most importantly practically frothing at the mouth for a chance to kick Alduin's head in.
"Right then." Reyvin claps his hands, stopping any and all whispering going on "I do believe it was high time we started."
"Yes." Torygg's voice was cold, carrying none of his usual cheer "Let's"
For once, Reyvin kept his quips in check and spoke seriously "As you all know, Alduin has retreated into Sovengarde, making the task of killing him rather difficult in most cases. However" He adds before anyone can interrupt "I have heard tell of a place, one belonging to the ancient Dragon Cult and more importantly one which holds the portal between Nirn and Sovengarde itself."
"And you know where it is?" Both Torygg and Minthara speak over each other.
"I have an inkling." Reyvin nods and looks up to the looming dragons "But I do believe our scaled friends would know more than myself."
The dragons share a glance and Krein is the first to speak "The eldest should be the one." He rumbles "Tell them, Zeymah, so that they may achieve what we could not."
Paarthurnax stares at his brother, then at the expectant elf, and finally at his youngest sibling "Very well." He half sighs half hums "The place you seek was once the highest of temples to all those who worshipped the firstborn as their god. It is an old place, and powerfully guarded but it does keep the way to Sovengarde, under the careful watch of the loyal slain."
Minthara immediately cuts off his rambling "Where is it located?"
The old dragon's eyes twitch in a mix of amusement and disappointment that he would not get to speak further but he does acquiesce in the end "Far in the eastern mountains, named after the prophet Veloth, atop the many crags and cliffs and unreachable by mortal man lay the grand temple of Skuldafn, I know of its location, and so does any other Dov."
"Unreachable by mortal man?" Esbern mutters to himself and looks up to the dragon "What do you mean by this?"
Before Paarthurnax can descend into another longwinded speech, Reyvin cuts in "You can't get there by foot."
"Ah." The scholarly Blade nods "A rather simple but brilliant defense mechanism."
"Do not be fooled." Paarthurnax cuts in "It is a veritable fortress, reachable only by those who may traverse the skies."
"That doesn't change anything." Reyvin cut in again "Just adds an extra step really."
Torygg, who was about to start cursing at being left behind, promptly shuts his mouth.
"You have a plan already, Lok-Wunduniik?" The secondborn of Akatosh rubmles.
"But of course." The elf smirks "Here is my proposal." He turns to the rest but mostly to Torygg "We will marshal our forces in one place, only the strongest and bravest will be allowed to join, there will be no use for fodder on this mission."
"Once we are ready I will have Krein carry Minthara and I and whoever else we see fit to bring to guard our backs to Skuldafn, where I will erect a portal and a ward to guard our assault." He raises his hand and clenches it into a fist "The poor bastards won't know what hit them when an entire army of champions falls onto their heads."
Murmurs begin to spread amongst those gathered but soon a loud agreement, of varying levels of enthusiasm, dominates the field.
"Say Paarthurnax." Minthara interrupts the clamor before details start getting mentioned.
"Yes, Dovahkiin?" The old dragon rumbles.
She tilts her head, considering her idea briefly, and focuses her stare on the dragon "Do you think that some of our kin have begun doubting Alduin's authority by now?"
The dragon stares back at her for a good ten seconds and then slowly nods.
"Thin you could set up a little... meeting with them for me?" She grins with barely contained eagerness.
Looking almost pained, and hesitating for a long moment, Paarthurnax finally relents and lets out a long breath of hot air "There are some who would hear your words, Dovahkiin. But not without holding proper Tinvak first."
She did not look dissuaded in the least.
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