The noise of clashing battle lines greeted me as I approached my totally not personal army's training ground, an aged Dunmer yelling at them as they began fumbling at my approach.
"Squad five keep your damn shields up!" The armored man barked "You can't win any glory if you die like complete idiots so PROTECT. YOUR. DAMNED. COMRADES."
A few of the trainees in the opposing unit began snickering but swiftly shut their mouths as he rounded on them "And you lot, what kind of halberd work is that? You may have kept your wall up but if the idiots behind you keep swinging their weapons like wet noodles you'd all be dead before you even noticed your formation crashing!"
He finally notices me and nods before looking back at the two units "If all of you have the time to gawk and laugh then I am obviously not training you enough. FIVE LAPS NOW! ALL OF YOU!" He claps his hands, the sound booming across the large field and making even the least enthusiastic trainee run like their life depended on it.
Considering the punishments for a lack of discipline I've seen my officers implement I'd honestly not be surprised if it did.
"Ah, Terryn! Just the Mer I was hoping to see." I greet the man with a rather suspect grin "I see you've fit into your new role rather nicely."
"Not the first time I had to teach a bunch of brats how to crack heads." He grunts "The tactics you are using are unusual but I can see them being damned deadly when the lot of them are trained up and prepared."
"They have proven effective already." I nod, just a tad smugly.
"I wouldn't know." He shrugs "You kept me chained in a tent when you went to battle."
Seeing as he wasn't trying to sound accusatory and merely stating facts I decided to spare him the verbal beatdown he'd be owed if he actually dared to whine at me.
"Reasonable practices aside." He ignores my obvious glint of amusement "What do you need from me?"
I wave for him to walk with me and quickly wave for Maren, who had been observing from nearby, to replace him as training overseer. The younger Mer nods and jogs over to the unit of trainees, none of them even considering the idea slowing down even as we walked off.
I almost don't want to know what he did to them.
"I've been planning a pair of rather delicate projects recently." I say as we leave everyone's hearing range "The reforging of four weapons of immense power into a pair while keeping their respective powers."
Terryn nods "So you want me to help you then?"
"Just for the forging part." I hum approvingly "I will deal with the enchantments and the power supply but having a master at hand will ensure there are no... unnecessary fuckups."
"Rare bits you can't replace." He states simply "Got it."
"Excellent." I clap my hands, subtly summoning a slip of parchment into my hand and offering it to the elf "Give this to Alor in the tower, he will show you where to go. There will be diagrams waiting for you there so get familiar with them while I run a quick errand."
"Very well." He attempts to hide his excitement and fails miserably "Hopefully it isn't a waste of time." And walks off.
'Cheeky little shit' I narrow my eyes but suppress the sudden urge to trip him with telekinesis.
Shaking the intrusive thoughts away I snap my fingers and teleport to my next destination.
-----
A small secluded building at the edges of Silruhn Fel appears before me as I decide I was now there, the doors opening with the merest flick of my finger loudly enough to alert the building's occupants of my approach.
Though my actions seemed to serve no real purpose as the duo I came to visit were still busy contemplating the absolute asshandling graciously delivered to them by Krein himself.
Esbern was stuck holding a thousand yard stare, his form unmarred but his mind obviously under a great weight, while his partner looked like she was mauled thrice over and then healed just enough to leave no permanent damage.
Her own look was far worse than that of her companion.
"Lesson didn't pan out?" I ask with only a bit of mockery in my tone.
Delphine does not respond but her eyes fixate on me.
Esbern however lets out a long, tired sigh and looks up to me "I wish to accuse you of torment and cruelty but I am old enough to understand that some lessons need to be burned into one's mind lest they be forgotten over and over again." He gives his fellow Blade a scathing look to which she does not react.
"Quite frankly Esbern I have no issues with you." I say as I take a seat across him "You are a knowledgeable old man and loyal at that." My eyes shift to the female half of the old order "Your companion however, has allowed her paranoia and inflated sense of self importance to blind her to her true purpose."
"True purpose." Delphine scoffs, finally deigning to speak up "We failed to defend the Septims, then we failed to fight the Thalmor, and to add insult to injury a singular dragon crushed us without us being able to do a thing."
She sounded incredibly bitter about it, but all I could do was roll my eyes, my voice coming out as a derisive drawl as I spoke "Your arrogance is truly immense if you thought you stood the tiniest chance against Krein. He is older than all of the Empires, and has studied magic to complement his already powerful voice." A sneer twists my face as I look down on her "Quite frankly I find it insulting that you have the gall to be disappointed."
"And yet you were able to subdue the beast." All she offers to accompany her words is an empty glare.
"Call my friend a beast and I will slap the shit out of you." I promise "And understand this woman, I am a fuckmothering Archmage and a Dagoth to boot! Compared to you I may as well be a damned god."
She still seems just a tad defiant but has enough brains to keep silent.
"Also the Blades did not fail the Septims." I add after a brief pause "Without your order Martin would have never even managed to get out of Kvatch, much less mantle Akatosh, however briefly, and face off against Dagon."
That does brighten them up at least a bit.
Good, because they would probably not like what came after "But, I am not here to lambast you for your foolish decision, I have no doubts that the elder amongst the two of you has already done enough of that for a decade."
Esbern lets out a "Hmph!" Making Delphine wince, likely in recollection of his words.
The old man turns back to me "What is it that you've come to inform us of?" There is no hesitation in his voice, his back is straight and his determination practically radiating off him. The old man was quite perceptive and understood quite well that between myself and Minthara I was the tactician.
For now at least, or so I hoped.
"We will be moving against a gathering dragon cultists near Windhelm soon." I inform them simply "You, Esbern are to join the magi and arm up on as many supplies as you need. Remedial lessons will be provided as well should you require to catch up on some magic and a elixir will be provided to restore some of your vitality."
He nods, accepting without question.
"You Delphine, are in much worse waters however." I shift my gaze to the woman "Your bumbling has annoyed Minthara enough that she has started to doubt your loyalty in earnest."
Esbern's composure finally breaks as he hisses, almost as if my words physically stung him.
Delphine looked close to breaking down, her already unstable psyche drawing ever closer to shattering under the constant assault of the past few days.
"You are lucky though, as I've proposed a better way forward than merely getting rid of you." I smirk, ready to offer the proverbial carrot.
And like a ravenous beast she bites onto the bait without hesitation "What do I need to do?" Her voice is a rough croak, filled with desperation which in turn was held back only by a mix of stubbornness and grit.
"You will be given some of the best equipment I am able to provide." I inform her "But, you are also to be sent against the enemy elite, and likely the dragons themselves when we inevitably meet them." She does not react so I go on "Should you survive you will be given another chance. Should you die the records will have your position and honor remain intact." I lean down, narrowing my eyes threateningly "Should you deviate from instructions given to you, I will personally rip out your soul."
"I accept." She says immediately.
Unsurprising that "Most excellent." My whole serious demeanor disappears as I smile and clap my hands "You two make sure to rest up, we will be moving out soon and having you both dead on your feet would be wasteful."
"I will make sure we are both rested and ready." Esbern gives me a nod.
"Good." I smile and turn to Delphine one last time "This is your last chance, do not waste it."
She goes to respond but I am already out of there.
-----
The cacophonous noise of my grand foundry slams into me like a wave, the dozens of apprentices moving about in a hive of activity as they all busied themselves sorting numerous different bits of the aetherium forge and placing them for later study and reconstruction.
A diminutive figure draws my eyes as I see him looking over a pair of whispering young Dunmer, the theme of their conversation rather obvious judging by the fact both of them were blushing and giving each other some very not workplace appropriate looks.
"Hear anything interesting?" I whisper into Eldor's ear and he jumps up with a squawk, no noise escaping him as I block it from drawing attention.
"Fu-" He stops the curse but not the eye twitch "My lord." He bows "How may I serve?"
"Just a quick report on the forge will do." I wave for him to get up.
He does, visibly relaxing at the dismissal of formality "We got a good two thirds of it transported already, mostly the piping and the outer shell but we will be moving onto the forge itself soon enough. Edrassa is back through the portal overseeing everything."
"Odd." I hum "I'd think she would insist being the one to return as often as possible."
"She drew the short straw." Eldor shrugs.
"Fair enough" I snort "Any attempts at infiltration?"
"Baring the bout of nightmares Zagren had, nothing." He shakes his head, the apprentice Dunmer enchanter immediately reported a wave of nightmares and was promptly cured from Hermetic fuckery by myself days ago, he was still on paid leave to make sure nothing else happened to him.
"Good." I smile "Keep up the good work, all of you are getting a bonus after you are done."
"I do so love getting rich." Eldor grins and rubs his hands greedily.
Word in the house was that the diminutive Falmer wanted to open some sort of emporium and get into trading once he gathered enough money. A good avenue to explore later so I would give him my approval.
I offered him one final nod and left for my personal forge, secluded from the rest of them and recently modified for what awaited.
The reinforced gateway was already open and waiting for me, with Terryn and Minthara discussing something about the schematics I left there earlier today.
The moment I walked in Terryn rounded on me "What the fuck am I looking at here?" He asked, raising the diagram of a hammer and a dagger, naturally including their materials.
"The diagrams confuse you?" I raise an eyebrow "Surprising."
He scoffs "Don't pretend to be daft Dagoth. You didn't tell me I'd be working on Daedric artifacts!"
I chuckle just a tad bit too darkly "Then it is a good thing those 'Daedric' artifacts are very much under my ownership. Uncontested ownership at that."
His eyes widen and he mutters "I can understand the Ebony Blade, but the fucken' Razor as well?"
"Long story." I smile 'mysteriously.'
"You sure this ain't going to bite me in the arse?" He gives me a look of doubt.
"We are making a pair of godslayers Terryn." I grin at him "Get with the program or get the fuck out."
Minthara raises her eyebrow at me, her expression saying 'Are you sure you want to scare him off?'
Her worry was swiftly proven unfounded as Terryn scoffs loudly "Like hell I would give up on a chance to make weapons like that. Those things define a man's entire lifetime and I get to help make two. Sign me up!"
"Knew you wouldn't be able to resist." I smirk at the man and turn to Minthara "You ready to do your part as well?"
"Yes." She nods, foolishly believing this would take less than most of a day.
"Didn't know the girl was an enchanter." Terryn gives her a surprised look.
"A mere adept sadly." She notes "The hammer will need me to help with the enchantment on my ancestor's oathblade, otherwise you wouldn't be able to touch it."
"Soulbinding, I am familiar with the concept." Terryn nods, his voice just a tad bitter.
"Well then, now that we are all caught up let's get to work!" I voice eagerly and the forge lights at my mental command.
What followed was as amusing as it was grueling.
---
*one hour in*
"Keep those bellows moving girl!" Terryn yells as Dragonbane (the sword) fails to melt.
She rushes to follow but the moment she steps a bit too far she stops "Can't keep the connection like this."
"You have wind magic." I grouse "Use it."
"Oh." She shuts her mouth and blushes.
---
*three hours in*
"Keep striking, it is almost connected!" I call out, my Magicka almost blinding as it followed Terryn's strikes into twisting and Ulrika's Oathblade, the two completely melted swords slowly forming into the head of a proper polehammer.
The master smith grunts, his hand twitching slightly at the numbness of the constant hammering "Shit." He curses "Fingers are giving out."
I go to heal him but Minthara preempts me by taking a deep breath and "LAAS GAAN!"
In the blink of an eye the elder Dunmer looks rejuvenated and even just a small bit younger as his aim rights itself and he strikes his target, the enchantment sliding into place and the entirety of my power slamming down upon it, charging it and fusing the materials.
---
*seven hours in*
"Finally managed to heat the bloody dagger." Terryn wipes sweat from his brow.
"Now for the razor" I grin sadistically.
The duo groan in unison.
---
*eleven hours in*
"IT ISN'T WORKING DAMN IT!" My fellow dark elf barks, incredibly frustrated after hours of work.
"Fuck it." Minthara mutters and faces the fires of the forge.
"HOLD THE FU-" I go to stop her but it is already too late.
"YOOOL TOR SHUUUL!!!!" A wave of dragonflame slams into Mehrunes' Razor, covering it and the forge in their entirety.
I was just about ready to smack her but the flame receded swiftly enough to reveal a properly heated razor so I held myself back, she'd still get hers later though.
The sudden shiver of terror at her back did satisfy me slightly.
-----
*Sixteen hours in*
"It refuses to connect." Terryn looks just about ready to throw his hammer at the wall.
Minthara grabs it and strikes the fusing daggers with barely sufficient precision but the hammer merely does a repeat of its previous bounce.
My mind clicks and I snap my fingers, summoning Akulakhan and pointing him towards the spiderweb crack covered anvil "Smack that for me, will you?"
The construct doesn't hesitate and grabs the hammer from Mitnhara, aiming the strike perfectly and slamming it into the dagger.
Azura's Star appears in my hand and the entire room is covered in brilliant white light as I begin my own work, even my third eye beginning to blur by the time I was about to finish my work.
-----
*Eighteen hours in*
All three of us groan as we slump against the wall of the forge, Akulakhan dutifully holding the duo of majestic weapons in his hands.
"Never... again." Minthara mutters, her eyes staring into the distance lifelessly.
"Fucken'.... slavedriver...." Terryn coughs.
I levitate a pair of stamina potions at them while downing one myself discreetly, the pick me up tasting as clear water after a desert march.
"Mmmh." Terryn groans "Delicious."
"Oh wait, those weren't the stamina potions." I say in 'surprise' "Those were the giant urine samples."
Minthara just gives me a tired glare, not believing me for a second.
Terryn on the other hand does a perfect spit take, retching in disgust as I burst into deranged cackles.
My cackling only intensified as realization struck him and he began glaring at me helplessly.
He did look some twenty years younger after getting shouted at for close to a full day, he'd get over it.
-----
LAAS GAAN = Life Endurance
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