accomodation and a fresh start

Well let's trek the last bit towards qohor,I now got two prime sacrificial slaves to use for my apprenticeship in smithing.

Walking towards the gates while stringing along two bound man, was a weird sight.

The sorcerer kept spouting profanity's so Mairon sealed his mouth with magic.

When going trough the gate both guards made a wide berth around him.

Wanting nothing to do with him.

They looked at Mairon with fear and astonishment, never before had they seem a giant.

Let alone one that could preform magic, and was invincible in battle.

They saw what happened to the slave merchant and his guards from their post.

But it was outside of qohor and thus not their responsibility.

And even if it was they were not going to throw away their lives, for some fat merchant or a down and put sorcerer.

So Mairon easily entered the city.

He was holding Vysesa while she had fallen asleep in his arms.

She was exhausted by the poor conditions and stress of her situation.

So the moment she was taken in his arms and felt safe, she felt in a deep slumber.

Mairon walked trough the streets searching for a inn to rest the night.

While he did not need sleep, the little bundle of joy in his arms did.

She could use a bath too, Mairon wrinkled his nose smelling the dung mud and piss stuck to her.

Months of neglect left her scrawny and feeble.

"I should get her some food and clothing."

Calling one of his shadow puppets he handed over some money from the merchants money pouch.

"Go buy some clothes, and make sure they are of the bes quality."

The shadow puppet nodded his head before taking the money and going off to buy clothing.

(Too bad they only last a day otherwise I wouldn't even have to build a army.)

Moving to the closest inn Mairon looked around the city, the structures looking mostly like the buildings used by the men of Haradrim south of Mordor.

Made of clay stone and mortar to keep the houses cool and the sun out.

Golden domes sprinkled around the landscape both as lookouts, and to be able to spread a emergency message across the city as fast as possible.

Walking trough the alley's and narrow Streets, Mairon keeps on getting weird looks for his size.

While he can shapeshift to a smaller size his power would be hinderd by it.

His size is now optimale to use with the amount of Devine power he possesses.

The energy flow is uninterrupted at this size but as he shrinks his arteries and blood veins shrink too.

Making it so that his energy supply across his body is harder to maintain.

This way his power is greatly diminished.

So when Mairon power grows bigger so does his body.

That is also why Morgoth was 30 ft or 9,1 meters tall.

So size does matter for the gods.

(Well for now I can shrink a bit to mingle under the mortals better.)

(It's not like I haven't done this with the elves before.)

And so he did his size diminished until he stood at exactly 2 meters of height.

Still tall for a mortal but not so outrageous as 2,8 meters tall.

While he may not look like a giant anymore, he still got great amounts of attention.

Seeing as he walked with 9 guards that had black smoke coming from their faces.

And a armour that looked anything but magical.

But this did not disturb Mairon moving on to his destination.

A small in nestled between a bookstore and a mercenary guild.

The rough man from the guild filled the inn drinking to their heart content, when a strange man holding a little girl stepped inside.

Following him were 9 strange guards, when he walked up to the inn keepster.

A young woman who runs the place together with her husband.

"Hello young lady would it be possible to get a room for two?"

"Of course it is, but would your men not need a place to stay?"

"There is no need for that they will not be long among us."

"I understand, how long would you like to stay?."

"That depends, do you know where this seal is from?."

Showing the scroll Mairon found in the magical cave, he hoped the inn keepster could make things clear for him.

The face of the innkeepster paled immediately.

"T-that is the seal of one of the dragon Lords."

"Would you be acquainted with them lord."

"You could say so..."

(I mean I think I have one in my arms, if my deduction is correct.)

(The sorcerer had a totally different way of using magic compared to her or the corpse I found.)

(He uses magic from the surrounding to do his bidding while she has it flowing trough her veins.)

"And where would I be able to find or summon them?"

"You would have to go to the governor of qohor to send message to Valyria freehold."

"Alright and how long would it take for a message to get there and a someone to get here?"

"About two months my lord."

"Alright then I will stay two months for now."

"Including drinks and food sir?" Asked the now shaking innkeepster.

"It would be much appreciated."

"Alright that would be 12 gold goats and 4 silver ones"

Rummaging trough the merchants money pouch, Mairon took the nessesary money before giving it away.

"Here you are my lord."

Said the innkeepster while giving him the key to the room.

"Thank you, and could you possibly warm a tub of water and soap to wash the little one."

"Of course sir"

Afterwards Mairon walked up the stairs disappearing from everyone's sight.

A collective sigh could be heard from the people around.

The air had been heavy and stagnant while Mairon was in the room.

The shadow puppets turned around before walking out of the inn making their way outside the city, to take their final rest.

They did have almost a day left, but Mairon had no use for them anymore.

---------

Meanwhile in a clothing shop not far away.

The atmosphere was awkward when a strange man cloth in black, with black mist coming out of his face enters the store.

The workers had seen some weird people around seeing as this was the city of sorcerers.

But most of the time they at least spoke of what they wanted to buy.

But not this one he just stood there menacingly waiting for them to speak.

"Eeemm... sir this is a woman's clothing shop."

"..."

"...would you perhaps like to see the products."

"....Nods"

"Great follow me"

So they moved to the clothing racks for adults.

But mid way the strange man stopped again.

At the children's size's.

"Sir you won't be able to fit those for a man such as yourself, we have a special section at the back of the shop."

"....."

"Verry well whatever floats your boat."

------

Back at the inn.

Mairon had woken up Vysesa up so that she could bath herself.

Sitting beside the tub Mairon was scrubbing her skalp with soap, getting the grime and mud put of her hair.

While she was playing with the bubbles.

A content smile was on his face, taking care of children was not something Mairon had ever envisioned for himself.

But he was having the time of his life.

"You know little one I never had someone to care for before."

"Till now my whole life has been a fight against those who would enslave me."

"Oh that's not nice of them."

"No it was not."

"But I am finally free to do my own thing now."

"But now I have to see what I am gonna do with you."

"What are you gonna do with me?"

"Are you gonna sell me as wel?l"

Tears started to fall before Mairon even understood the situation.

"What? No of course not."

"Why would I want to sell such a brave young girl."

"Do you mean it?"

"Am I really brave?"

"Of course you didn't even cry when I fought against the guard of course you are brave."

"And you survived months being imprisoned."

Sniff sniff.

"Thank you Mairon."

"Hey Would you like to stay with me?"

"I can adopt you as my daughter."

"I would like that."

She murmured.

"Ah but what about mommy."

"Don't worry we will look for her."

"But I haven't heard about your father yet."

"That is because I never knew him."

"Mother said he died bravely while defending us from harm."

She looked downcast by the development of the conversation.

"Poor thing, but you can call me father if you want."

"Really!!" A hyperactive child.

"Of course." Mairon said.

Mairon never had a family of his own but now that he was free why not try and be happy for once.

He has eternity left to take over the world.

Time and death has no grip on him so why the haste.

Power could wait but this child can not.