Chapitre 13: Fragments of the Past pt2
The Hyodo Family House.
The next morning, Alduin told his family the sad story of how he broke into the women's locker room in the middle of a session and what happened to him as a result.
His father and Issay were thrilled with his bravery, but his mother declared that since he was suspended from classes, he would be under house arrest.
After everyone dispersed, Alduin cast an invisibility spell on himself and hurried to the nearest river, where he put his clothes under the bridge, turned into a dragon form, and transferred to Akatosh's plane, from where he began his nocturnal journey through the planes of Oblivion.
Alduin returned home only after lunch with a very pensive expression on his face.
After a snack, he went up to his room, lay down on the bed, and began to analyse what he had seen. The more he pondered, the darker his thoughts became.
In his usual understanding, there were no Daedric Princes.
Their worlds were inhabited by creatures that were very different from their previous inhabitants but carried the aura of the Daedra, albeit insignificantly weaker than that of their ancestors.
Even the Planes of Oblivion themselves have changed. The Deadlands of Mehrunes Dagon remained as Hell in mortal understanding, though they sharply contrasted with what the plane looked like in his time.
Looking at peaceful cities, forests, and laughing children, Alduin would never have recognised Mehrunes Dagon's ruthless Dremora, who knew no mercy and considered mortal flesh a delicacy. And the strongest auras in this plane only matched the level of Markynaz.
Moving on. Only asteroids were left from the Apocrypha of Hermaeus Mora, and nearby floated parts that once belonged, apparently, to Masser, the largest moon of the past.
It was not clear who and why pushed Masser off its orbit and hit the Apocrypha with it.
The planes of the other Daedric Princes were inhabited by various entities that imagined themselves to be gods and had different contents of the auras of the Daedra and Aedra. But most of all, Alduin was struck by the Cairn of Souls, the Colored Rooms of Meridia, the Cold Harbor of Molag Bal, and the Moonshadow of Azura.
They also lacked a true ruler, but they played a huge role in the modern life of the mortal world compared to the past.
The Colored Rooms turned out to be the chambers of the Biblical God, and the main stronghold of the forces of light.
Alduin was extremely surprised when he felt not only the absence of Meridia, but also the absence of any traces of a Daedra's aura. The Plan of Oblivion had become the Plan of Aedra.
The Cold Harbor turned into an icy desert and almost merged with the Deadlands, becoming known as Cocytus. The Moonshadow turned into a semblance of Sovngarde, now called Valhalla.
Only the Soul Cairn remained as a realm of the undead, except that now mortal souls awaited rebirth there, rather than becoming fodder for the Perfect Masters.
Alduin didn't make it to Sovngarde this night.
In summary, Alduin admitted that he didn't understand what had happened to the world.
It was as if he had adjusted to mortal beliefs, which should not have been possible in principle.
The very idea that the personification of the essence of a Daedric Prince could change under the influence of mortal thoughts was absurd. But despite all this absurdity, reality was cruel.
The Deadlands became what mortals called Hell, and only there did Daedric energy reign supreme. The afterlife, which was replaced by the Soul Cairn, was similar to how mortals described Heaven in different religions. But the Colored Rooms most closely resembled the description of paradise. It was not surprising, given that Meridia was more of an Aedra than a Daedra.
But where had all the Et'Ada gone?
The only hope remained in a journey to Sovngarde and that Shor would be in a sane state and able to clarify the situation.
The fact that he was alive was confirmed by the beating of the Heart of the World, the heart of the Lost God.
After determining who was right and who was to blame, he could start doing his favorite thing - tyrannizing mortal races and pitting them against each other.
Although he increasingly caught himself thinking that pitting mortals against each other when the world was in such a state was a thankless task.
Alduin had established a clear sequence of actions for the near future.
First, find out what had happened to Nirn. Then deal with the sectarians to whom had joined his foolish brother. And then find his brothers, after which he could make plans for the more distant future. Or just live for his own pleasure, forgetting about all his debts to the Daedra, Aedra, and all the inhabitants of Nirn.
Lost in thoughts about how he would lead his brothers to a better life, spreading the Greater Good in other worlds, Alduin fell asleep. Sleeping until the evening, Alduin was awakened by his mother, who sent him to the store for groceries, saying he had rested enough.
Grumbling a bit about the mortal pestering the dragon, Tatsumi took the list and the necessary cash and headed to the store. But halfway to the nearest supermarket, he met...
"Oi, Shitori-kaicho, good evening? I didn't expect to see you here at this time."
"Good evening, Hyodo-kun. Would you mind explaining why you skipped today's classes?" Sona asked as she stopped by Tatsumi's side.
"I was suspended as a punishment, wasn't I?"
"No one suspended you. And since you have no valid reason for your absence today, I expect an explanation from you during the break tomorrow."
"And did you really come all the way to my home just for that? Kaicho, you flatter me."
"Kuoh Academy is an exemplary school, and student behavior is closely monitored."
"I read about it in the brochure my parents gave me. But why did you come to me personally?"
"Knowing your reputation, Hyodo-kun, I decided to personally inform you of the error of your actions. I don't need troublemakers at the school."
"Did you really come to the main pervert's lair in the school to demand an explanation that won't even be due until tomorrow at lunchtime? Kaicho, I'm flattered by your attention."
"Since your goal has come to you, would you mind if I escort you like a true gentleman?" Tatsumi asked, taking Sona's hand and kneeling down.
"Stop clowning around, Hyodo-kun" Sonja said. "I don't need an escort."
"Wow, the student council president is also a Dremora, and on the same level as the one who seduced my brother. Except she smells different" Tatsumi thought, noticing Sona's aura.
"Kaicho, wherever you go, I'll go with you. It's getting late, and my brother is wandering the streets. He might run into you and seduce you in a dark alley."
"I think I can take care of myself." Sona replied.
"I don't think so" Tatsumi said, standing up and pointing into the distance.
"The night is full of dangers, and even though you're not Issei's ideal, he's ready to jump on anything that's lacking male genitalia and has at least a sign of convexity around the chest area." "And who can protect the fragile student council president other than the younger brother of the Premier Espada of the Hentai Trio?!"
"Stop it!" Sona snapped at the boy, blushing, overhearing the gossip of an elderly couple passing by about lewd young couples.
She pulled her hand out of the boy's grip and gave Tatsumi an angry look.
Tatsumi mentally chuckled and restrained himself from giving Sona HIS angry look, which made some of the Princes of Daedra lose their soul or whatever they had in place of it, and jump out of their skin.
"So, where are you going, Sona-san?"
"Will you ever calm down?"
"It's just good manners. Even though I'm used to breaking the rules, I still abide by some fundamental truths."
"I live close to the school" sighed Sona.
"Then what are we waiting for? Oh, let's celebrate our meeting by going to a café? I know one that's open 24 hours, in four dark corners and a back alley nearby."
"I have to decline, Hyodo-kun."
"Sona-san, what is the club my brother joined doing?" asked Tatsumi, walking with Sona for a while.
"The Occult Club? They study various supernatural phenomena."
"So it's not a cover-up for a group of cultists sacrificing innocent cats during a full moon and divining by goat anus?" asked Alduin, and a small smile appeared on Sona's face for the first time.
"Why did you get such thoughts in your head?"
"Well, my little brother came out of the club with a bunch of flyers with propaganda material, and you know what they write on the internet about those who are into occultism. Listen, Kaicho, maybe the Occult Club is a cover-up for a local terrorist cell? Maybe we should report it to the police right away?"
"Relax, Hedo-kun, those flyers are just a simple initiation for new members."
"So, because of that initiation, there are only four people in this club? Were the other candidates? Arrested?" Sona's smile grew a little wider.
"No, they just didn't pass the test."
"Can we report them to the police, since my brother is in there?"
"It's not necessary. But, as for your brother, I'd have to think about it. Thanks for walking me home, Hyodo-kun, I'll go the rest of the way myself."
"Maybe we can grab some coffee? There's a café here. Just two corners and a dark alley away."
"No, I'm sorry."
"Too bad. I was glad to meet you in an informal setting, Sona-san."
"Bro! Kaicho-san?" came a voice from Issei.
"Here's the terror of dark corners and innocent women of all ages. Now that he's here, you're not in danger anymore. I'll hold him back, Sona-san! Run!"
"Hey! I don't know what you're talking about, but you're clearly throwing sticks at me!" protested Issei, threatening his brother with his fist.
"Goodbye, Hyodo-san, Hyodo-kun" said Sona, nodding to the boys in turn, and looking at Tatsumi for the last time, "since you're feeling better, I hope to see you at school tomorrow, Hyodo-kun."
Kaicho, for the love of God, at least when Hedo's concentration in the vicinity exceeds one, call me by my name" grumbled Alduin.
"Auch! Goodbye, Kaicho" said Issei goodbye to the girl.
"Yeah" nodded younger Hyodo.
"What did you mean, Tatsumi?" asked his brother Issei.
"Huh? Oh, since I ran into you, Mom asked me to go to the store for groceries. So let's go, my pack mule, great deeds await us!" exclaimed Tatsumi joyfully, heading towards the supermarket.
"What with the student council president?" asked Issei, following his brother.
"Girls love bad boys who have a wild look and take care of themselves. Who knows, I might lose my virginity in the arms of a senior student before you" Tatsumi said.
"Go to hell!"
"The reality is cruel, bro."
"Stop feeding me bullshit. I'm sure you got lectured for skipping the class, Shinra-fukukai-cho came to see you."
"I was planning to ask her out for a cup of coffee, but then you showed up."
"So, it's my fault?"
"It always has been" Tatsumi nodded, entering the store. After wandering around for a while along the shelves with products, he turned to his brother. "Issei!"
"What?"
"How was your first day at the club? Stin Baar Hah (Pure Clear Mind)" Alduin asked, disguising the Clear Mind Thu'um as a cough.
"I'm good. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. You better tell me, did you already take a look at the goat anus in the Occult Club?"
"What does my club have to do with a goat?"
"Well, you're in the Occult Club, as far as I understand. So you should study demons. And to study modern demons, you have to look at a goat's anus, sacrifice black cats to Satan, and eat babies in his name" Alduin listed, noting how Issei flinched at the mention of demons.
"We don't do anything like that!"
"How so? Demons are clusters of lust, debauchery, and bloodthirstiness that drink the blood of virgins for breakfast, eat babies for lunch, and mate with goats. That's what it says on Wikipedia anyway. It also says that they're horribly ugly and have hairy legs."
"They're not like that at all!"
"And how do you know?"
"Well, I read..." Issei started to mumble.
"Heretic! In the name of Princess Celestia and her prophet Twilight Sparkle, begone demon!" Alduin shouted, hitting Issei on the forehead with a frozen turkey.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone