Chapter I: Contemplation

Why are we here... Just to suffer? Every moment I can feel the bo-

"Pops" Scorch pops onto my shoulder with an annoyed squeak "It has been an hour, I swear if I am forced to continue listening to your inner monologue for one second longer I will blow myself the fuck up." Before I can respond that he does that anyway he narrows his eyes "In your library."

"Alright fine" I sigh dramatically, taking a long pull from my cigar as I leaned back into my gloriously overpriced armchair "I will stop amusing myself and wallow in my own misery in silence."

"Right." He does not believe me for a second "Where is miss bone-breaker anyway?"

A clipped bout of laughter that most assuredly did not sound broken to my ears leaves me unbidden "Victory was mine" I smile a bit too widely before looking away "But at what cost..."

"Alright seriously-"

Before Scorch can go on another perfectly justified tirade the door to my personal study is opened by a tired yet happy looking Davos whose eyes light up the moment he sees me before his entire expression shifts into a mix of horror and amusement a moment later.

"Um... Boss?" He speaks hesitantly "Are you..."

"I am perfectly alright Davos, thank you for asking." I cut him off quickly, definitely not seeing him wince at how hoarse my voice was "Something happen?"

He blinks his current distraction away and speaks up "Right, Nightshade gave birth while you were... busy. We wanted to introduce the kid to you as you requested but" He pauses and shrugs, pointing at my exhausted-looking self.

'Shame I missed that' I grumble internally and get up, holding back a light wince I sent another burst of restoration into my bones and began walking "Lead the way then."

Getting introduced to little Varador was like a balm to my weary soul, the kid was practically brimming with magic and seemed to have been blessed by both Auri-El and Mephala at apparently no cost whatsoever.

For a moment I pondered pointing this fuckery out but I found it best I left the kid to grow up normally and not with priests looking for him every waking day of his life. Nightshade also seemed to suspect something was afoot with just how powerful he was at less than a day old but it would seem motherhood had mellowed some of her more hardline views out and she said nothing.

Davos, bless him, was as always utterly ignorant about things above his proverbial paygrade.

Which was not many things now that I thought about it... With him being the blessed follower of a Daedra and all that.

Unlike before the two of them did not attempt to hide their affection behind the veil of professionalism and soon I started feeling like I was intruding, so I gave them my congratulations, promised to teach the kid personally should he will it, and reiterated my not-quite-command for them to hold a wedding as soon as reasonable as a bit of neat propaganda.

Davos looked just about ready to protest but one look from his intended had him shutting up and nodding along.

I'd have made a joke about whippings but honestly with the quite literally bone-deep soreness my entire body was wracked in I found it best not to provoke Murphy on that one.

My next destination was the great hall, quite miffed to find that my numerous servants had been ran completely ragged catering to everyone before they too succumbed to the atmosphere and ended up just as drunk as the guests, leaving only a trio of them coherent to give me a report.

I would forgive it just this once.

Potential layoffs aside, no one died during the celebrations! Which was an achievement and a half believe you me considering most of the guests were armed and the rest were the weapons themselves. That there were only twelve close cases where a healer needed to be called in was a bloody miracle sent down to us by Talos himself!

Hearing about Torygg's fate however made me cackle for a minute straight, frightening servants and waking guests up as I strolled to the peak of my tower.

By the time I had finally reached my lounge all of my soreness was gone and I was feeling completely renewed, so much so that I was almost tempted to go back and see if I could distract myself for a bit longer before having to actually consider things.

Say what you will about getting your bones nearly broken for a quick tumble, I personally would not have it any other way.

Snorting to myself I shook my head and leaned back so I could stare at the lightly clouded skies. That was enough distractions for now.

===

Within a moment I was once more deep in my memories, back in Sovengarde after I had chugged down a totally-not-suspicious drop of blood.

The possessed suit of armor who I quickly realized was straight up an aspect of Shor himself stopped moving completely, its purpose fulfilled it turned into yet another suit of ornamental armor near the nearby wall.

But I was too distracted to focus on something like that as a few seconds after I had imbibed the divine vitae I felt my own blood begin to boil with power, my bones half snapped before realigning themselves, my eyes lost their light for a moment before returning with a sight sharper than ever before, my mind began moving at indescribable speeds, and my very soul felt just that little bit bigger.

Such was the surge of power that for a moment I lost control of myself and my Magicka and divinity both burst from within for just a split second... and nearly toppled a third of the Hall of Valor, only my rapid mind and honed control enabling me to pull it all back in without blowing the hall nor myself up into tiny bits.

The feeling of absolute power and growth subsided after a while but now each breath I took felt like nothing I experienced before. I felt as if I had become something more, something greater than I was previously with only a singular barrier remaining before I could realize exactly what.

A barrier that had something to do with my blood, my mind supplied without prompting.

'That would have to wait though' I noted as I heard Ysgramor give his speech and saw every. single. bloody hero of Sovengarde begin marching after Minthara.

Best not have them ask questions and fall in now, I will deal with the implications of this later.

Gods! But do I love procrastinating~

===

'Why thank you past me!' I grumble internally before finally deciding to check what changed within me.

[Blood of Dagoth => Lorkhansblood: Just one step below being an actual demigod, you are now touched with an aspect of Lorkhan's domains, notably those of trickery, deception, manipulation, mortality, and defiance. Your blood desires more, it is yet incomplete.]

Ah, so that was the constant if silent hunger in the back of my head? Great! Just what I bloody needed, a mental influence powered by a good known to not give a shit about the rules, and I can't even whack him for it!

The Altmer are right, fuck Lorhkan, all my homies hate Lorkhan.

'I am probably overreacting' I sigh 'I known damn well where I need to go to fix this and the only thing making me angry is my pride.' And thus enlightened, I shoved my worries into the deepest recesses of my mind went on with reading the notifications.

[Str: 56 => 80]

[Dex: 58 => 86]

[Vit: 85 => 120]

[Mind: 93 => 125]

[Mag: 1700 => 2100 (10500)]

I couldn't help but whistle at seeing the numbers practically explode compared to what they were before. Drinking compatible godsblood was just on another level and I guessed as much but this was way outside of my expectations.

The bunch of large numbers may not seem terribly indicative of what I was experiencing but I now knew for a fact that I had stopped aging, with my brain being so capable as to be able to scan every single cell of my body and notice that they were not degrading and were instead growing stronger at an admittedly slow pace.

Yup, you heard it right! Ya boi was officially an immortal!

But wait, there is more!

[Dagoth's Fury => Reyvin's Reticence: A power once inherited, now made to be your own. A separate pool of power intermingled with your Magicka you are now capable of molding your divinity into any purpose you are capable of. Particularly effective against Divines/Daedra and scales with anger/disdain/enmity you hold for the being in question.]

'Ah, so this must be what happened when I offered a prayer to myself' My eyebrow jumps up and I hold out a hand, willing the power to move as I desired. And just like the description said, I felt a light film of energy peel off from the torrent of Magicka coursing through my body and practically jerk into position with how eager it was to listen to me.

Choosing to start it out slow, I made a grasping motion with said hand and willed the spark of shadowy-grey divinity to form into a simple bolt, and once more my divinity listened, forming into a perfect copy of my most basic attack spell.

Before I fired it off randomly though I thought better of it and sent a mental nudge to my Daedric friend? 'Oi Mephala' A curious purr was the instant answer 'You have some expendable Dremora prisoner you don't mind me testing something on?'

Before a singular second could go by a light flash of Daedric power appeared some three meters to my front and Mephala's puppet body materialized next to me, the bound form of a distinctly Balite Dremora squirming under our gazes.

"How nice of you to finally invite me dear~" She purrs into my ear "It was very cruel of you to not call for me once you were done with the inexperienced little dragonling. Skill is half the fun, is it not?" Each word was said with such an inflection that there was no guessing at what she was implying there.

I, naturally, only gave her a deadpan stare at that, earning a chuckle from the eternally horny demon woman "Fine, fine!" She raises her hands in 'surrender' "What did you need the little pet for?"

Now that was a temptation I could get behind "Got something interesting in Sovengarde, wanted to see the effects" I answer simply.

"Your growing Aedric abilities?" She smirks "Why I would be de~ ligh~ ted~ to observe."

My amusement at her sudden bout of competitiveness did not go unnoticed and her seductive smile swiftly shifted into a pout as she crossed her arms and looked away in a huff.

I just chuckled "Blink and you will miss it" And launched a bolt of divinity at the Dremora's leg, the string of power was comparatively tiny to my usual bolts of fire but the moment it touched Molly's little slave he burst into a flash of grey flames before a soul-deep scream pierced the air and his entire form was shattered.

Shattered, not banished.

"Oh my" Mephala's voice now lacked any playfulness "That is quite scary."

My eyebrow rose "Should I expect attempts to... remove the threat?"

"The threat is what makes life fun my dear" She smirks "Though I would recommend you not spread the news as it were, most others are still far too skittish about such simple things as death."

"Right" I snort "I will be saving this up for a certain squid fucker anyways."

She pauses and blinks before her smirk grows even wider "I will be watching eagerly my dear." Her smirk disappears as she sighs just a tad bit too dramatically "I must be away now dear, Dremora do not die just like that and I can't let Molag get suspicious, do enjoy yourself~"

She disappeared before I could answer and just in time as well, as a moment later I could feel more than hear the distinct 'noise' of levitation and within a few seconds a rather tired and excited Minthara stepped onto the platform atop my tower, her legs wobbling uneasily as she landed.

The first thing I noticed was the folded scroll with the Mede sigil on its broken seal, the second was the fact that Minthara refused to meet my eyes, even as she walked past me and took her own seat, her face resembling the color of her hair near perfectly.

A smirk was already worming its way onto my face, it was time for retribution.

----------------

My heart beateth with a rising greed

Many a stone more do I need

My desire you will heed

Or soup will have those who did.

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