Ch.23

[Loredas, 24th of Sun’s Height, 4E: 221]

Rarity nursed her aching gut and lap after I punched her and then gave her a rough hand job. She is in the doghouse after how she talked to Shade just now, but I’ll forgive her if she lets Shade develop more and decide what she wants. “That was both painful and amazing.” Rarity mewled as she followed me from the bathroom.

“No sex for a month from me after this.” I huffed as I glared back at her. “Go to Neethsi or your toy. If I see you with Shade you’re dead.” I snarled furiously.

“I won’t! I swear! I just got caught in a mood and let my fantasies of Heroes and babies get the better of me! Shade’s already attractive and she hasn’t even finished maturing.” Rarity declared and I leered at that last bit. “I am not a pedophile! Look, I don’t know what society you used to be part of, but in Black Marsh, argonians Shade’s age are usually trying to find themselves sexually because the next Change decides their primary gender.”

“Shade does not need help with that!” I snarled as fear spiked in my chest. I remembered that Shade was once male, that male Shade had tried to d-do something unforgivable. If she stays female, she’s less likely to give in to those kinds of urges, right? “If she decides to stay female, be male or go herm like you, that’s entirely up to her.” I can’t control that. As much as it spooks me, I want Shade to make her decision without outside influence.

“Understood Darling. I’ll leave her alone in that respect.” Rarity firmly said and I knew I could count on her word. We found Neethsi looking sheepishly at Shade who was still naked and gesturing to her privates while looking at my mate with a curious expression.

“Well dear. You see. Unlike humans or mer, argonians don’t ovulate intermittently. We ovulate when we want to. When we strongly desire to have eggs. It tends to kick in when we’re at the height of passion, especially with one we wish to have children with. It’s why raped argonians almost never get pregnant and sadly makes us a prime target compared to females of other species.” Neethsi calmly and carefully informed my daughter for whatever her last question was.

Wait. Then all those times before, where I needed contraceptives. My receptiveness wasn’t some ‘heat’ it was all me?! I just want babies that badly?! I know I want eggs with Neethsi and Rarity now, but before our relationships deepened I immediately wanted to give them children? “Wow. So mom really wants to give me siblings. I guess I should just be careful.” Shade muttered before putting on her mage robe, enchanted to supposedly increase learning speed.

“Oh~?” Rarity looked at me with a bright blush and a greatly pleased expression as I shied away from her. “My, my~! I’ll be on the lookout for contraceptives at the market so if passions run high we won’t make beautiful little babies.” Rarity put her hands on her cheeks and giggled with her eyes closed, clearly enamored with having children with me.

Still mad at her, but damn it… “So, what next? You ended our training much earlier than the past couple of days.” I asked Neethsi before watching the beautiful babe transform into the homina homina drool-worthy hunk that was his male form and retrieve a much more regal robe.

“Today is the Summit.” Neethsi cast a Restoration spell, obvious from the golden ‘holy’ glow that swept through us all and washed away my fatigue and soreness. “The Pact is meeting and I will be attending for the rest of the day. I want you to go into the city and stop hiding, Meen-Rei. No Hero besides the Master Tunnel Rat got away with being a reclusive shut-in during their adventure.” Who?

“Right.” I mewled as Rarity looked firmly away from Shade. “Well, where would you suggest?”

“I won’t color your impressions of the city more than I already have. Go where you want, but I advise you to stay away from the Underworks of any canton. There are dangerous people and more dangerous secrets that tend to end up down there. It was frustrating just to root out all of the daedric shrines when I first arrived in the Third Era. I don’t want to know what’s down there now.” Neethsi muttered and finished adjusting his blue and silver robe. “How do I look?”

“Absolutely regal, darling. I would suggest you put on a matching hat if it’s allowed.” Rarity appraised and I shrugged. I preferred him without clothes. I don’t like it when he’s all swaddled up in robes like he tends to.

“Mom, he’s not going to put on short-shorts and waltz into such an important meeting to flex on all the other guys there.” Shade commented and I sputtered in fluster at her somehow catching on to my mindset and then pushing it into a ditch! “That said, can we go to Telvanni Canton? I want to see if I can find any books to compare Breathing Water to.”

“You won’t, hatchling. It is rare for mentions of the philosophies in Breathing Water to appear because the subject is dangerous for the caster to consider. Very few Alteration masters exist for a reason and I insist that you do not delve much further past adept teachings.” Neethsi said grimly towards my daughter and she pouted. “Don’t try to follow in my footsteps. I am a rare one in a thousand who pursued true mastery of my chosen school and survived. Please pursue Destruction, Restoration or even Conjuration.”

“Sweetling, maybe listen to Neethsi. If anyone knows the dangers of Alteration, it is him.” I still get shivers thinking of the fact that Neethsi’s training involved transmuting himself into metal and surviving! “Besides, wouldn’t you like to throw fireballs or something?”

“But that’s boring basic magic! I wanna be able to fix things without having to get all messy about it or wasting time.” Shade mewled and Neethsi grumbled.

“If that is all you desire, then look only at Adept class books at the most. You don’t need to be a Master to manipulate reality, just willful enough. Branch out into other schools and find one that speaks to you. Now then, I’m off. Stay safe.” Neethsi patted Rarity’s head and she surprisingly cooed and nuzzled against his hand. I gasped and mirrored the action when he did it to me. Shade almost jumped at his hand and nuzzled it. “Have a good day.”

“You too!” We cheered before I felt ideas start rushing into my head, a mental image of a hammer appearing in my mind. The magic and even makeup of the hammer was beyond what I should know, but it was in my head. “Ugh, what just popped into my head?”

“What is it darling?” Rarity asked curiously as she summoned her day dress onto her body.

“A hammer that came to mind. I somehow know how to make it.” I answered in confusion.

“Oh! You want to make your forge hammer?! It was nifty, you could make almost anything with it!” Shade exclaimed with her tail waving back and forth like that stupid annoying kid’s song.

“She could?” Rarity looked between us in surprise as she summoned my own clothes onto-hey~! I pouted at her having just dressed me in fancy new clothes and she winked at me.

“Yes! She made guns, armor and tons of stuff mostly for her friends. She still needed to learn things first, but once she knew she could make it in minutes!” Shade explained and Rarity looked back at me.

“Is it possible to create this hammer of yours?” Rarity asked with some glimmer of hope in her eyes. “If so, it would be a great boon for us. Especially when we get back home. There is going to be much to rebuild with the Dominion trying so hard to bomb the Tree of Harmony.”

“Maybe. I’ll have to go to the shops and-.” I winced at the loud gasp of joy and the sparkling eyes of Rarity before I yelped when she grabbed my hand and yanked me towards the front door. “Ah! Shade! Follow closely!”

“Yes mom! If I don’t, aunt Rarity might take you to the Underworks and give me siblings!” Shade teased and I whined. Why was my daughter developing so fast?! Curse you Displacer~!

📜

The shops of each canton were in the Waistworks or essentially the middle-ish section of the pyramidal structures. Rarity had managed to drag us through the shops of each canton in pursuit of anything that caught my eye. Saint Delyn’s and Redoran had plenty of materials that made my odd ‘craft sense’ tingle and we bought up what we could since I didn’t care to conserve my gold. After all, I was living with Neethsi and was getting paid weekly for a while yet.

The other cantons didn’t have anything that tickled my metaphorical pickle, but it was such a struggle not to buy tomes for Shade at the Telvanni canton that were clearly beyond her skill level. At least the Telvanni, racist asshats with superiority complexes that they are, weren’t about to hand dangerous magic over to a child they felt wouldn’t learn from it. Yet. The general feeling I got was that if Shade were a bit older, they’d have no qualms with watching her endanger herself.

Either way, I ended up not buying her tomes since Neethsi had those in spades. I bought cheap enchanted items specifically meant for those seeking to learn Enchanting to experiment on. This way she could practice Enchanting without draining Neethsi’s stock of disposal trinkets too quickly.

“So, that’s a lot of dwarven metal, moonstone and ebony. I can’t believe how affordable ebony is here.” Rarity commented as we entered a blacksmith back at the Redoran canton. Our shopping trip was over, now I was hoping to rent a workspace here since Neethsi was busy and his apartment lacked a forge.

“Outlanders I see. Of course you wouldn’t know that Vvardenfell flows with Godsblood.” The dunmer man behind the counter snorted in amusement rather than derision. I liked the Redorans compared to the Telvanni. They were generally congenial if still a bit standoffish. “What can I do for you? I believe I saw you three in here earlier buying materials from my apprentice.”

“I’m in need of a workspace, but my mate’s forge is inaccessible right now. I was hoping to rent your forge.” I spoke immediately and bluntly, to which the dunmer grunted.

“A woman of the craft? Show me your hands.” I warily held them out and he traced his calloused and rough fingers over mine. “Hm, smooth. You haven’t worked your hands in a long time, but I feel the tendons are still strong. What do you wish to make in my forge?” Whoa. I can’t tell if he’s really serious or he just wanted an excuse to touch my hands. I think it’s the former.

“A smith’s hammer if you would believe it. One that carries mystical innate properties unlike a standard enchantment.” I honestly answered and he hummed in consideration.

“You wish to use my smithy to make yourself a smithing hammer? Made of dwarven metal, moonstone and ebony?” The blacksmith questioned in intrigue.

“Yeah! Mom made lots with her last one!” Shade butted in.

“‘Her last one’ you say, young one?” He questioned with a raised brow. “Regardless, I will lend you my forge, but it will cost you a good Septim. It is both my livelihood and my apprentice’s time in the workspace you’re asking to take up.”

“I had expected as much. It’s not like this is Skyrim, where the smiths are almost ecstatic to let strangers use their tools if it means the craft is being practiced.” I commented and the smith cackled.

“Aye, that is how I learned my craft in fact. Nords are often as thick-headed and xenophobic as the average dunmer, but their passions in some ways run even higher than us daedra worshiping old mer. Well, I’ll charge 100 Septims for you to rent my workspace for the rest of the day in consideration for the goods Talras won’t be making.” I fished out a coin purse with said volume and handed it to him for him to count. “Good doing business, serja. Talras, good news! You have the rest of the day off!”

“Huh?! What was that Dedeth?” A younger dunmer man asked when he came into the shop from the back.

“I said you can go home, you half-deaf swit. This lady is renting the forge for the rest of the day.” Dedeth said to his apprentice, who looked at us and he grunted in realization.

“Ah, so you’re going to be using those materials you bought. Right then, mind the kiln, it’s got a crack in the crucible.” Talras said as he took off his leather apron and gloves which he handed to me.

“Blast it Talras, you’re supposed to let me know when the crucible is going out. Watch it so that it doesn’t leak serja. I’m afraid I do not have a second one at this time. At least I know where the gold you paid me is going.” Dedeth grumbled and I nodded in understanding before going into the back. “Ladies, I ask that you either wait here with me or go elsewhere. My forge is too small for more than one person to work safely at a time.”

“Understandable good-.” Rarity’s response cut out when I passed the threshold between the shop and the forge. Ah, no wonder Talras couldn’t clearly hear Dedeth shout if the door frame is enchanted to muffle noise. That must’ve been a running joke between them back there.

I got the apron and gloves on before retrieving my materials from my satchel and started measuring the amounts. I then went into a fugue, half awake and half asleep as my ‘power’ of sorts took the reins. I knew what I was doing, the processes, the motions. I just wasn’t consciously doing it so much as being an active observer. As if a master smith slipped into my scales and I was the apprentice watching.

Some time later, time means little when in such a state, I came out of the fugue to find myself looking at a beautiful hammer. It wasn’t like the original I’d initially been Displaced with. This one seemed more. Its handle was made of the uniquely durable and innately magical dwarven metal that nobody in this era could reproduce without harvesting from dwarven ruins. It was connected to the moonstone core of the hammer head, which itself was cast in ebony.

I picked up the weighty tool and felt the magic inherent to it. With this magic tool, I could craft nearly anything from scratch like the way that Neethsi manipulates reality. My own unique and focused kind of Alteration magic I suppose. I left the forge after hanging the apron and gloves next to the door. “Finished.” I said with pride and held it up.

“My goodness. I never imagined using anything better than iron for smithing tools to be worthwhile until now.” Dedeth commented with audible awe. “May I?” I smiled and handed my creation to him. “What the-Alteration magic?! Good gods serja, how did you accomplish this?!” Dedeth asked me in shock and I winked at him. “Ah, right. Smith’s secrets. Hmph, fine, take your secret from me before I get too greedy. Why, if I had a hammer like that, I’d make masterworks. Then again, it would somewhat cheapen the effort put into my craft.”

“It’s mostly so I can craft anything anywhere without needing to rely on a full workshop. I enjoy losing myself in making something the traditional way too.” I said as I took the hammer to put away. This was a wonderful form of meditation for me in a way. Whenever and wherever I get to settle down, I need to have my own workshop.

“Considering how smooth your hands are, then I can tell you’ve been too busy to be able to work on your craft. If I couldn’t ply my trade, I’d go madder than a Sheogorath worshiper. I’m glad my forge could give you a means to work your craft on the go.” Dedeth nodded respectfully to me. “Come by anytime. After seeing that hammer, why, I think it’d be a crime not to let you use my workshop whenever you wish, so long as you help me train my worthless apprentice.”

“Gladly! Um, where did my companion and daughter go?” I asked, only mildly worried about them being alone with one another. I trusted Rarity’s word, but I didn’t trust Shade and her disturbingly quick mental development matching her physical growth.

“Daughter? Good gosh you argonians breed young. Well, they didn’t exactly tell me where they were going, just that your little girl was asking your unicorn friend if they could go back to Telvanni canton. You be careful with her around those fetchers. They’d sooner skin an argonian than to give one proper instruction in magic.” Dedeth warned me and I nodded in understanding. I already got that impression earlier.

“I’m well aware, but they’re the best magisters in the region and Shade has her heart set on magic. As her mother, who am I to stop her from pursuing her passion?” I shrugged and Dedeth hummed with an approving nod.

“You’re a better mum than most dunmer just with those words alone. Take care, serja.” Dedeth bid me farewell as I was leaving, to which I waved in reply.

📜

This whole affair was new to him. He wasn’t used to feeling so weak, so normal, let alone so useless. “By my wife’s glorious tits, this is so damn boring.” The hulking man in his drastically augmented Praetor Suit muttered to himself from where he stood along the wall where the personal guards and attendants for the gathered political rulers were made to wait.

“Then why are you a guard?” The only other human among the guards, a beautiful brunette woman with fair pale skin in a suit of elegant, but serious rune-engraved steel armor, questioned the Berserker.

“Because Twilight made me her personal guard. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be here right now.” Berserker answered with a sigh.

“Ah, owe her a debt, eh? I owe my king too much to account for myself.” The woman nodded in understanding, only for Berserker to huff and shake his head.

“More like she’s protecting me from whatever legal actions that argonian prick of a captain would use against me. I basically usurped the chain of command of the Lilmoth city guard. I couldn’t let them all die out there so needlessly.” And in doing so, Berserker ensured that the defenses would hold, along with getting the Thieves Guild to join in the fight against the Thalmor saboteurs who had decided to try nuking the whole city when the university proved impervious.

“Don’t forget about the battlemage aid you gained. They were also of great help.” The argonian guard in intricate lamellar leather armor on his other side commented with a hissing tone of approval. “It was about time Miun-La got a good kick in the groin.”

“How could you manage all of that and still coordinate so effectively? Have you done it before?” The woman asked in bemusement and Berserker nodded.

“Yes, I have. I’m a lot older than you think.” He answered as the politicians continued to argue. “Well, at least I don’t have to deal with this hot mess.”

“Dad!” The Mind Noodle shouted when she appeared from the air and hugged his head like the feathery snake she currently was. Said noodle was covered in sawdust, soot and ink.

“Blech! Dang it Hermais, not now! This is an important summit!” Berserker snarled as he yanked the adorable danger noodle from his neck.

“Sorry. I just got blasted from Apocrypha to the Shivering Isles down to here just now.” Hermais groaned, clearly in pain. “I swear, I’m gonna rip Herma Mora’s essence to shreds next time!”

“Berserker, please step outside.” Twilight called and he growled before obeying.

“What are you doing fighting a Daedric Prince?” Berserker demanded in exasperation.

Next Chapter: Ch.24 Estimated time remaining: 15 Hours, 11 Minutes