Trials of Hircine XV

"That doesn't count! He cheated! You can't just jump off a cliff to get away!" The woman pouts.

"Dearola, the prey alluded you... Accept your defeat with the grace of a huntress and strive for improvement. Even you could learn something from Blüdtoth." Hircine lightly chastises his daughter making her pout even more before sighing in exasperation and disappearing into the fog of the forest.

"Ummm... Is she going to be okay?" I ask Hircine, not used to Daedric parenting.

"She will in a decade or two, until then I advise against traveling to the Oblivion Domain of Archery, if you have a choice." Hircine warns, though the tone in his voice sounds as if he is smiling. Not that you can tell through his deer skull mask.

"But, that is for another time, now it is time for the worthy Hare to receive his accolades. Even if the hunt was interrupted by a certain interloper..." Hircine says while glaring at my cheese wheel tattoo before continuing.

"For successfully alluding capture and even hunting your hunters. I declare you my champion, Blüdtoth." Hircine says before taking his spear and placing the pointed end of his spear against my heart.

I feel a strange power flow from his spear into my heart as a primal power courses into me and a blinding amber glow shrowds my heart and glows out from behind my ribs before it slowly dissipating into the surrounding mist and I'm greeted by an interesting status effect.

[Hircine's Champion: You have proven worthy of Hircine's attention and become his champion. You now hold greater mastery over your werewolf form. Those who follow Hircine will know of your accomplishments and will show you deference, but this position attracts many hunters to try and claim your title.]

"Thank you for your recognition. I'll make you proud." I tell him with a deferential nod.

"Enough, you are no meek lamb. My pride is meaningless to you, what matters is the strength I give. You are a hunter, and have earned the strength I offer. Stand tall for yourself, Blüdtoth. I have one more boon to provide before you go, though this is one that must choose you..." Hircine says dismissively before disappearing into the mist though as he disappears six beings emerge to surround me in a large semicircle.

From right to left, there's a man with an eerily similar build and look as Hircine. They twirl their spear around before striking it into the ground. After doing so, he shakes his head and disappears into the mist.

Next is a large man wearing a wolf's head covering and strong clawed hands he holds crossed across his chest. He then shakes his head and disappears into the mist.

Next stands a mighty dark stag, towering above the men. With blood red eyes, it snorts before stomping the ground with its hoove before disappearing into the mist.

Next is a large, brown bear. Similar in size to the stag, it roars at me before growling and laying itself down and resting as it disappears into the mist.

Next, stands a massive owl, almost large enough to ride. It has spotted speckles across its feathers and beautiful amber eyes. It screeches at me before throwing up its wings and disappearing into the mist.

Lastly stands a small fox. Eyeing me the entire time, with keen intelligent eyes. It slowly walks towards me.

I lower myself down to its level and reach my hand out to it, unsure if this beast will reject me like the others had.

It comes closer and closer, before sniffing my palm, licking it, and giving a mischievous nip before unexpectedly hoping into my open arms.

"Whoa! Easy there!" I say catching the fox in surprise.

It smothers my face in licks and nips before bumping its snout to my neck and the weight I felt in my arms disappears. Replaced with a cool, circular disc on my neck held by a thin chain.

I hold the small pendant up to the faint sunlight filtering in through the endless canopy and notice an intricately carved fox, hopping through a grassy field on a bronze pendent.

I quickly check my inventory description for the item and am intrigued by the description I read.

[Medallion of Gulibeg: A medallion bestowing the favor of Gulibeg the Trickster to the wearer. Granting the wearer the ability to understand all less conventional forms of communication.]

"Huh, that's interesting. I wonder what I can do with this?" I think aloud before feeling a similar fading sensation as darkness shrouds me and all my senses become dulled to the world around me.

I then feel my senses return as I wake up to the sight of the early morning light filtering into the decrepit ruins I had gone to sleep in the night before.

After waking up from the hellish trials of Hircine I'm slightly disoriented as to when and where I am...

It takes several moments to process that I'm in a creaky bed in a set of rough spun pants I wear as night clothes with M'rissi curled up beside me only in her underwear as she pulls herself close into my warm chest.

"The items!" I quietly exclaim, carefully checking my inventory I discover all the items I had picked up in the trials were removed including the documents I was hoping to use for later... Luckily, the medallion came with me, and a quick check of the status screen reveals my latest rewards and curses are still there.

"Damn... I wish I could've kept those papers on Ulfric... Guess I'll just have to break into the Thalmor Embassy again and steal the proof I need..." I tell myself before I feel something wet and sharp latch onto my neck and I have to resist the urge to jump in shock as I notice it is M'rissi bitting me in her sleep, again.

M'rissi begins gently sucking on my neck in her sleep and I begin to feel something stirring in my roughspun pants.

(Author's Note: Hey everyone! Here's a bonus chapter to finish out the Hircine arc and a warning the next chapters will be smutty, as a reward for preserving through this long arc.)