Chapter LXVII: Came For Power Of Knife, Left With Power Of God

"You truly do not care for the enormity of what just happened?" Mephala questions, more wryly amused than surprised or annoyed.

I shrug "Someone had to kick his ass in gear, besides change isn't always negative."

She chuckles lightly "Only you Reyvin."

"Of course." I grin and give her a sly look "Speaking off, can I ask a favor?"

She blinks, surprised that I would be the one to initiate "Go ahead."

"Can I have your knife too?" I smile toothily.

She deadpans "And here I thought you finally fell to my charms."

"I am not that dumb." I wink and she pouts, still not answering "Come on, I want to make a super knife!"

She cups her chin then, realizing what I was getting at and slowly nods "Fine, but if you die it goes to me."

I consider for a moment and shrug "Sure, not like I will care about it then." And promptly turn around and grab the razor.

=====

As the razor settles in my hand I feel it pulse with power, my surroundings once more being overtaken with a familiar visage, yet even while familiar it still differed from the one predating it. The realm projection was still one fill with fire and brimstone but the fiery pools now worked to connect and create instead of ravage and destroy, the contrast was rather... pleasant to look upon.

"You sure work fast." I mutter and look up to where I felt Mehrunes make his presence known.

He too looked to be slowly shifting his form, still too used to his demonic exterior to truly transform it but his form was already slowly shifting to something vaguely less threatening, not that he was about to truly divest himself from his truly destructive nature, merely balance it out.

The pondering Daedra stared at me for a spell before speaking, his voice still grating, just noticeably less so "I have no need for such pitiful things as hesitation." He almost seemed to smirk proudly at that even if his face did not so much as twitch, he spread one of his hands imperiously, pointing it at me, and proclaimed "Your words have reached me and your actions convinced me. Now go and spread the hope you preached with my blessing!" 

I felt something attempt to latch onto me before letting it do so after a quick scan and was promptly banished out of the projection without being able to say a thing.

=====

Oddly I found Mephala to be missing, likely having been drawn in to politick with her fellow Daedra about their newfound common cause. Which gave me the perfect opportunity to look a bit deeper and check what just happened.

[Blessing of Mehrunes Dagon, Lord of Destruction and Bringer of Hope:

Having done the impossible and convinced the Lord of Change to change himself you have been granted his highest blessing so that you may bring his work onto the world. He has charged you with never settling with the status quo and always striving for greatness, he will be watching.

-All attacks gain a very minor vorpal effect, increasing the size of wounds dealt (can be turned off)

-All attacks now penetrate defenses with increased effectiveness, invulnerability can be overcome with enough effort.

-Alteration magic now comes easier and is more potent.

-Your words are more able to inspire those around you, as long as you do not fall to despair so too will those beside you stand tall and proud]

'Holy shit' Scorch whistles.

"Quite." I narrow my eyes at nothing in particular "It is almost suspicious how much he has given me."

The bird boi poofs into existence on my shoulder "Or it could just be your paranoia acting up."

"My paranoia is always acting up." I deadpan and sigh "Well, nothing for it, may as well check how much stronger I have gotten."

[Str: 50 => 54]

[Dex: 52 => 55]

[Vit: 76 => 81]

[Mind: 80 => 88]

[Mag: 1560 => 1650(4150)]

I frown as I go over the numbers "It is slowing down."

Scorch shrugs his wings "We are pretty high up now, what did you expect?"

"I know." My frown deepens "I thought the Unbound trait would give me more leeway."

He gives me a look at that "Pops, we can crush people with our bare hands, and that is without adding magic in the mix." His beak flicks in the vague direction of the invisible magic stat inside my head "That one has been growing non stop anyway and you are a mage."

"Yeah yeah." I grumble "Just thought I'd see more numbers going up from fighting literal dragons for some time now."

"You already got a massive boost from beating Krein into the ground and from surviving the big bad." He points a wing at me like I am an idiot "Fucking slow down."

My eye twitches "Ah yes, because slowing down is an option right about now. Come off it birdbrain."

"Bitch I may be a birdbrain but I am also you." He crosses his wings smugly "And what does that tell you?"

We stare at each other for a moment before bursting into a fit of chuckling "Ah, talking to myself is always fun."

He raises his beak proudly "The rest just can't keep up, what can you do?"

I nod my head a couple of times, making the expression a certain group of japanophiliacs would define as 'Umu' all the while.

Making sure to give Ariovistus a quick checkup in the case of his little prison beginning to disintegrate and noticing he had gone dormant from the energy expenditure of giving me thousands of years of Daedric history, I recharged him and unfurled my wings "Let us be off then, who knows how long Mephala's little meeting will take and the Daedra probably take days to negotiate anyways."

For some reason the moment the words left my mouth I felt exasperation building within me.

---

(General POV)

A four armed demon-like being frowned heavily as he beheld the small images he held within his hands, two of his free hand twitching in annoyance as a white haired old man smirked at him in that particularly annoying way he was one to do.

A flower wreathed elven woman tittered ever so primly at their behavior while smirking at the miniature paintings within her own hands, pure confidence in her eyes.

In the corner of the room a gruff warrior woman of grey skin was totally not sulking in defeat, glaring at the white haired man with pure malice.

"Are you sure that is your final decision?" A seductive elven woman dressed in a masterfully crafted chitinous dress rose an eyebrow at the old man challengingly.

The old man merely pulled a piece of filthy cheese from one of his pockets and took a bite, not once breaking eye contact with the chitinous woman as he placed the contents of his hands upon the table.

The four armed demon snarled and threw his own away in frustration.

And yet the chitin-clad woman merely smirked and slowly lowered her own hands, displaying their contents, her gleeful air of smug superiority evident to the blind.

The old man blinked in surprise and chuckled and offered his hand, which was now incidentally covered in half melted cheese juice "Alrighty then, I am in."

---

(Reyvin's POV)

It was probably nothing, I am sure of it.

'Not even you believe that.' Scorch deadpans and I pointedly ignore his feathery ass.

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

Having delivered instructions to Hilder who was still sitting his ass in the destroyed Traason compound and told him to head to Whiterun and aid Durrak in his dragon hunt, a task which he was more than eager to accept, I found myself with a bit of free time and soon ended up flying to the closest mountain peak and sitting my ass down on a portable chair I carried everywhere.

Nice and comfortable I took a deep breath of the mountain air and began pondering my orb.

Just in time as well, as it seems a conversation was already going on.

[Channel: Inner Circle of Winterhold]

[Skeletor: Preparations are pretty much finished so if you old farts want to cheer me on or something equally stupid you can come if you want.]

[LizardWizard: Now, now, young man, is that any way to ask for help?]

[PaperPusher: Quite so Phineas, we would be delighted to help you out, you need but ask!

Also who in the Red Mountain's fiery scrotum changed my name again!?]

[Big D: Sup gramps.]

[PaperPusher: Reyvin, change my name back right now!]

[Big D: Hmmm, let me thing about it.... No.]

[LizardWizard: Know your place, scrub.]

[PaperPusher: Shalazar, do you even know what that means?]

[LizardWizard: No, but it felt fitting.]

[Big D: Very.]

[Skeletor: Ah, Reyvin. Finally done with pointlessly chasing after dragons?]

[Big D: Nah, just got done treating with Mehrunes Dagon.]

[Skeletor: ...The fact I can't decide if you are fucking with me worries me more than my upcoming project.]

[Big D: What a magnificent segue, my boney friend! Do tell me of what you are working on.]

[Skeletor: Got my hands on some dragon bones to analyze, should be able to permanently transform my own body into pure dragonbone if things go right.]

[Big D: Rather ambitious, you sure it isn't suicidal?]

[I Cast Fist: The ritual has been reworked by all of our number at least thrice, the risks should be minimal but your own understanding of the topic would be of great help.]

[Skeletor: The old fart is right, as much as it pains me your help here would be... appreciated.]

[Big D: Sure thing old fart ;P]

[Skeletor: ...Fair.]

[I Cast FIst: This shall also serve as Phineas' final mastery test as you know.]

[Big D: Oh? And what other masteries have you attained Phineas, if I may be so bold as to ask?] I already knew of course but it was polite to pretend otherwise.

[Skeletor: As if your bullshit eyes did not already inform you.]

[Big D: I am certain I haven't the faintest clue of what you are on about my good man.]

[Skeletor: Of course you don't, how foolish of me. In any case it should be obvious to even an idiot, it is Conjuration and Mysticism.]

[LizardWizard: Indeed my most oblivionous of students! If our dear bone boy is successful the Fearsome Foursome shall ascend into the Quarrelsome Quintet!]

[Skeletor: What the fuck are you on about Shalazar?]

[LizardWizard: Worry not your cavernous cranium my most calcified of students!]

[Skeletor: DId you just fucking call me stupid you old fart?]

[Big D: Rather redundant question there.]

[Skeletor: ...I am not getting pulled into this shit] He goes offline.

[PaperPusher: So very shy.]

[LizardWizard: Smh.]

[I Cast Fist: ... Even I am curious now, what are those new expressions you keep using Shalazar?]

[LizardWizard: Hm? What expressions? What are you on about?]

[Big D: You should know by now that you aren't getting anything out of him.]

[I Cast Fist: Hah, fair enough.]

[PaperPusher: When should we expect you Reyvin?]

[Big D: Going to need to check on something else first but unless I get more dragons on my ass again I should be there within the week.]

[PaperPusher: Very well, I will make sure Skele- Phineas is informed.]

[Big D: Heh.]

I chuckle and flick my connection from the Winterhold channel to a private one with Minthara.

[Big D: Oi Minthara, what is taking you lot so long? I've been neck deep in dragons for over a week now.]

It takes her a minute to respond but the amount of power I was blasting through the connection was quite swift in drawing her attention.

[DragonOverlady: Oh, hey Reyvin! We uh... got held up by some dragons of our own?]

[Big D: Are you asking me or telling me? And what is with that name? Finally accepting your inner self?]

[DragonOverlady: You are only talking shit because I can't kick your ass from here.]

[Big D: As the ancient masters would so grandly say, you are a thousand years too early to kick my ass junior.]

[DragonOverlady: ...I am not sure why but those words just made me shiver in disgust.]

[Big D: That is the appropriate reaction.]

[DragonOverlady: Right... So what did you want?]

[Big D: Get your ass back to base so we can go to High Hrothgar again, the longer we let the dragons fuck around the more damage they do. It is only a question of time before they start attacking cities in force and even I am not enough to stop a group of the stronger ones... Well, not without massive damage to the infrastructure anyways.]

[DragonOverlady: We will stop wasting time then, just need to deal with an idiot and we will move out.]

[Big D: Delphine went full retard, didn't she?]

[DragonOverlady: Stop using your clairvoyance so much damn it!]

[Big D: Heh. Also I wasn't using clairvoyance for that one, just my big brain.]

[DragonOverlady: Yeah... she was pretty obvious.]

[Big D: Insultingly so. What do you plan on doing with her?]

[DragonOverlady: Still not enough to just kill her, but then I can't retire a Blade now can I? She has too much information for that to be wise.]

[Big D: Throw her at the dragons.]

[DragonOverlady: Isn't that a bit cruel? She is still an ally.]

[Big D: If she wants to play with fucking fire then let her get burned Minthara. You babysit children, not a fucking middle aged woman.]

[DragonOverlady: You are right of course. I have much greater things to worry about than some uppity bitch.]

[Big D: That is the spirit! I could almost feel your desire to call her an uppity mortal bitch there as well. So close!]

[DragonOverlady: ...]

[Big D: Anyway that was it, hurry your ass up so we can go yell at the monks, bye!]

I do not wait for a reply as I unsummon the orb.

Realizing a moment later that the damn thing was still useful I summon it again and open the coordinate system, slowly flicking between locations and then focusing on exactly the top of Tel Dagoth and clicking it.

The orb immediately transferred all the necessary information to me and the space around me cracked, the numerous wards suddenly surrounding me recognizing me as their master and stopping the murderous barrage of spells they were about to throw my way.

Now then, whomst to annoy to death...? 

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Hath thee a stone to throw in this glass house of mine?

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