Chapter XXXVII: Of Pranks and Visits

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Minthara whispers worriedly eyeing the bucket I was hefting, a bucket filled to the brim with ice water.

I turn from wooden door that guarded our minds from the unholy noises coming from within and give her a raised eyebrow "Are you telling me you don't want to?"

"Er..." She raises a finger to protest but just then a particularly disturbing sound comes from within and all hesitation disappears, her eyes turning from worried to outright cruel "If you don't, I will."

I nod and nudge my head toward the door and as planned, Minthara pulls it back.

Before the duo on the bed can realize what is going on I shove the bucket forward, launching its contents in a perfect arc, and as the confused screaming begins the two of us bolt, disappearing behind a corner just as Junia rushes out of the room with a dagger in her hand and a murderous snarl on her face.

They try and search for the culprits but shadow magic is not to be fucked with and they are left to stew in their frustration, cursing at me specifically which I have to say was terribly rude to do without proof.

A good twenty minutes later the rest of us were gathered behind the Respite, and just as Delphine was about to ask where the other two were out came Junia and Marco, both looking immensely annoyed and still shivering.

Marco doesn't even bother guessing what happened, he just glares at me without a word, though his hand twitches with tiny bolts of lightning dancing around it.

'Like a kicked puppy.' Scorch cackles.

Junia on the other hand just gives me a look of disappointment, as if her entire view of me was just shattered utterly "Why?"

"Because I thought it would be funny and it was." I fire off immediately, almost causing Delphine to facepalm.

"Also." Minthara interjects with a deadpan, having gotten the laughter out before the duo joined us "Half the damn inn could hear you."

The Imperial looks outright heartbroken by this "Even you, my lady..."

Marco finally stops twitching and nods to himself with determination "Fuck it" He mutters and promptly launches a bolt of lightning straight at my face.

-----

"Are you sure he will be fine?" Lydia asks hesitantly as we pass the wayshrine and enter Tel Dagoth, her look indicating the scorched form of Marco currently sprawled on Junia's shoulder and barely conscious.

I wave her off "He will be good as new, relax!" I pause and snicker "Though he may have to cut a fair bit of his hair." 

The previously finely braided black hair of the high elf was now a static charged mess looking more akin to a shrub than anything that had any business being atop someone's head.

As my words reach him he just sighs in defeat.

"There... there?" Lydia pats his back slowly, looking like she was feeling, incredibly awkward.

Junia huffs wordlessly and drags him off in the direction of their rooms.

"Alrighty then." I clap my hands without a care, dispelling the awkward atmosphere surrounding the young housecarl, turning to Minthara I ask "What is the plan?"

She gives Delphine and Lydia a firm look "I will be going to Solitude alone, I am simply visiting family so there is no need for a guard."

Both of them seem to want to protest but knowing their dragon overlady for long enough they quickly, and quietly, accept her decision.

Seeing as her primary priority was out of the question Delphine looks to me "Could you teleport me to Whiterun? I feel I should search for more information on Sky Haven Temple if I have the time and most of my research material has been left with Esbern."

"That old place?" I raise an eyebrow, immediately earning a curious look from her "Sure, it probably has something useful for killing dragons, or it will be a good history lesson at least." With a flick of my hand a folded scroll appears within "Would you mind giving this to White-Mane for me? It has some information on his enemies."

She nods and takes it wordlessly.

Satisfied with that, I look to Lydia "Want to visit your family for a bit while we are all at it?"

She gives Minthara a hesitant look, earning an approving nod, and turns back to me with a nod "That would be appreciated."

"Capital!" I clap my hands and before they can react I touch the both of them briefly before effectively launching them through space and toward my mark within Dragonsreach, probably tossing them a bit higher than intended but such was life.

Grinning at Minthara's now hesitant expression I chuckle "Don't worry, I didn't murder them... probably."

"Right..." Her posture turns somewhat defensive as I approach.

Seeing this I deadpan "You know, I can't send you to Solitude if you resist."

She stares at me briefly before sighing in apparent defeat "Just get it over with." Another quiet mutter leaving her soon after "If the spell wasn't so hard I would..." The grumbling becomes a bit too quiet even for me.

"Skill issue." I grin again and poke her forehead, sending her precisely into the Mage's Tower of the Blue Palace with no fluctuation whatsoever, totally because I was feeling nice and not because that would just end up weirding her out more, no siree!

Chucking at my own childishness I shake my head and check the time, quickly realizing that I still had a bit to kill I made my way up my tower with a specific destination in mid. Soon I was greeted with the sound of firebolts hitting wards and came upon a rather interesting scene.

A small, purple-eyed Dunmer child was currently blasting a seated Nightshade with firebolt after firebolt, only for the Falmer to deflect them with barely any effort "In a battle of magic, quality will serve you more than quantity, my wards recover faster than you can damage them otherwise." Nightshade chides patiently as the kid runs out of Magicka.

Irenni huffs and folds her arms "Easy for you to say."

Nightshade smiles patiently "Do you think I was born with all my skill?"

"Well... no?" Irenni tilts her head in confusion.

"Exactly." The seated snow elf nods "And I didn't get access to actual training before I was well into my second century, so when I tell you to do something it isn't because I am mocking you, it is because for me learning those lessons usually involved painful losses."

The child's eyes lower as she mutters a "M'sorry."

"There is no need for apologies, child." Nightshade finally gets up and pats her head "Just listen to what I tell you from now on." She notices me then "It would seem our lesson is over for the day."

Irenni's eyebrows scrunch before she too notices her teacher looking in my direction and follows her gaze, her expression immediately brightening as she visibly stopped herself from rushing at me. Wincing at Nightshade's amused expression she offered a shallow bow instead "My lord!"

I cannot help but chuckle at the excited attempt at courtesy "I see your lessons have been fruitful, kid." 

"M'not a kid." She pouts.

"Sure you aren't." I wink "Now I have some business with your teacher and lunch should be served soon so off you trot."

Her pout deepens but it was obviously forced and soon she failed to keep her smile from forming. She bobbed her head again and ran out of the room with far more energy than she had any right having after destruction training.

"Such an excitable little thing." I shake my head in amusement "You'd think she never even heard of a shithole like the Quarter with her attitude."

"She is... hopeful." Nightshade allows with a smile of her own, before going for a bow "Greetings, my lord."

I stop her from fully bowing "None of that now, I don't need you to keep to formality in your state."

She doesn't look one bit surprised at that "Your insight is as always, terrifying." She says, not at all terrified.

"But of course." I raise my nose pompously "Though I do wonder if Davos got my little hint."

The respectful and somewhat solemn air around the Falmer immediately changes to one of irritation "Of course he got it, the damn fool." She scoffs "Naturally instead of talking about it, the moment he got your order he decided to take it on himself instead of sending someone else to do it just to escape his discomfort."

I chuckle "Well, the first time is usually the worst, good thing I didn't send him on a milk run."

She seems confused at my apparent familiarity with the subject, then grows even more confused at the milk run reference and just decides to file everything I just said into her 'Reyvin's bullshit' folder which at this point must be the size of a small mountain.

"Besides." I continue as if I didn't just perceive that in less than a split-second "He is too stuck in his 'you don't work you don't eat mindset'" I say, mimicking airquotes "Already told him to get used to his position but apparently it is taking him a bit."

Nightshade nods in frustrated agreement "It is almost as if he wants me to freeze his stupid face off."

"Funny you should mention that." I mutter and pointedly do not explain myself.

She just gives me a tired look at that "Was there anything you actually needed, my lord?"

I shake my head "Just felt like checking in on you before other things decided to bog me down." I pause "Now that you mention it, give Edrassa the go ahead for the forge expedition when you see her, I should be able to make the time for it soon."

"As you wish." She nods.

I turn to leave, before pausing "And Nightshade."

She tilts her head.

"Do make sure to sit Davos down when he comes back, can't have him running for too long now can we?" I say with a grin.

Her polite mask breaks for a moment, summoning forth a rare grin of her own.

'Poor guy.' I lament falsely.

Bird man rolls his eyes 'Favorite punching bag more like.'

'That honor is Marco's, I am afraid.'

'Yeah, at least this one is useful.' Scorch cackles.

'Rude.'

Ignoring any further voices in my head I make my way toward the basement of my tower, I still had an hour or so and I may as well give the ole' parents a visit.

'Still fucking surreal...' I shake my head at the thought of summoning the spirits of the dead and open the way to the shrine.

(Minthara's POV)

I blink in surprise as I realize I was standing in an open round hall, with no nausea or any other annoyance forthcoming. With my paranoia reasonably roused I look around the place, and even scan it with my newly discovered sense only to discover... absolutely nothing.

"Of course, if it isn't pranks then it is mind games." I grumble with no heat to it and start descending the familiar stairs of the tower. For a place I spent a scant few months within it sure did carry a lot of memories, both happy and not, being here again was... nice, I guessed.

My conflict and discomfort didn't leave me even as I left the structure behind, the halls of the Palace evoking similar such thoughts even if I spent far less time within. A couple of guards and workers briefly questioned my presence but grew much, much more respectful the moment they realized who I was.

'It was just as I feared, news have already reached even here and now I can't talk to anyone without them going "oH drAGonBoRn, wHaT an hoNOr."' I pause at the sudden disgust I felt and shake the thoughts away, and a good thing I did too as I almost bumped into a richly dressed woman I quickly recognized to be Thane Bryling.

"Ah, Minthara, was it?" The Thane asks, surprisingly carrying none of the usual awe.

"That would be me, yes." I answer a tad too drily to be polite.

She ignores the faux pas completely "If you are here to see the High King and his army off I am afraid you are a bit too late, they marched out of the city at dawn. Only myself and Thane Erikur have been left behind to see to the city's defenses."

'And totally not because you are corrupt cowards.' A part of me scoffs "I am visiting family, actually." I correct her, even as I offer a grateful nod at the information.

"Not here to join the army for some glory then?" The Thane looks almost surprised "Well, color me surprised... then again a Dragonborn doesn't really need to do much for their glory, now do they?"

'And there it is.' I give her a mildly annoyed glare, much to her amusement, and decide to get back to the point "Is Ingvar in?"

"Why yes, he is." Bryling confirms, still smiling "He is sitting in for his father, doing a pretty good job of it, all things considered. You can find him in his office."

"Thanks." I say and quickly walk away lest I be tied up in another conversation about how it felt to slay a dragon and absorb its power. Far too many people knew about that ability for my liking.

Luckily for my growing irritation, Ingvar Firebeard completely ignored the whole Dragonborn thing and dutifully informed me of where my siblings were situated, he did give me an odd look for a moment which I couldn't quite place but I was too focused on my current goal to question it.

And so, covering myself with a cloak and hood, I made my way toward a freshly rebuilt building in the former Sprawl, a very well funded orphanage from what I could see at a glance. It didn't take me long to gain entry and have the matron, whom I had known previously, quickly lead me toward where my siblings were housed.

"Bella." The old woman calls out "You have a visitor!"

The familiar face of my once-sickly sibling, whose condition set me on the path I was on, moves from a children's book she was reading before morphing into an expression of utter surprise. That look of surprise quickly shifts to one of anger as she forces herself to glare "Look who finally decided to show up."

And yet even as she was trying to burn a hole in my face with her eyes I couldn't stop the smile from worming its way across my face.

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