Chapter 524 - What We Have In Store
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On the roof of the Hall of the Elements, Jon and Nurina were sitting alone on a wooden bench as he was showing her a flame that he conjured on his hand.
"I have heard the stories yet after 201 years, the legend comes back to life." Nurina said.
"I tried smoking some weed with it last night, it was amazing." Jon replied.
"You little shit! You used an Eternal Flame to smoke? This thing… I don't think this is something any magic can replicate at all."
Nurina was closely inspecting the Flame that Jon summoned on his hand.
The Dragonfires.
This flame disappeared from the world over two hundred years ago with the death of the Last Septim Emperor, Martin Septim.
The Dragonfires is the symbol of Akatosh given to the Dragonborn Emperors. Jon acquired it when the "Blessing of the Dragon Guardian" was absorbed by the "Blessing of Akatosh" and the Ashen Flame mutated into the Dragonsfire.
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[Dragonfires] <Eternal Flame>
- Summoned by igniting the Dragon Blood.
- A Divine Flame with Scorching, Cleansing and Protecting properties.
———————————
"It seems like an all-purpose Eternal Flame. Nothing too fancy." Jon said.
Nurina looked at him with the urge to throw him off the roof yet she couldn't help but laugh at his silly joke. She really missed it.
"It surely is interesting but the Dragonfires in your case depend on your Vitality. It is not a problem to you since you achieved the Astral Access which gives you a passive equilibrium between Life Force and Magicka but don't overdo it." Nurina noted, "Also, you can ignite it using your blood, not by a medium like the Emperors of the past. They would rely on the CHIM-EL ADABAL to manipulate the Dragonfires but you just naturally do it."
[A/n: CHIM-EL ADABAL means Royal-Honorable Godstone. It is the red gem of the Amulet of Kings.]
"I am awesome, let's keep it to that."
"Won't lie, you are impressing me. What else can you do?" She asked.
"Something called the Inner Dragon. Now I know what you're thinking and no… I don't have a Dragon inside me." Jon said.
Jon's other power that replaced the "Dragon Affinity" was the "Inner Dragon".
———————————
[Inner Dragon]
- <Incomplete>
———————————
Nurina put her palm on Jon's back and sent a strong wave of Magicka to try and awaken any hidden entity inside him but it was of no use.
"That's a shame! I wanted to see a Dragon sticking out from you." She said.
"Wow! You are merciless." Jon said.
"Either way, if the ability mutated and never brought out its full potential then it means that it still needs more of the energy that fed it."
"You mean a Dragon Soul?" Jon asked.
"I am not sure how you are so in peace about fighting another Dragon to death but yeah, another Dragon Soul or maybe a few more may awaken this Ability. Still, you must refine the one inside you now first." Nurina provided guidance.
Jon thought for a while as he inspected the Dragon's energy inside himself.
"Truth be told, I have never experienced such harmony while absorbing any energy before. The Dragon's Soul entered my Energy Core and started nourishing me slowly for the past two days but I had that weird thing happening." Jon said.
"What is it?"
"I took a try at refining the Dragon Soul yesterday but I noticed that it wasn't increasing my power that much… not the way I wanted anyway." Jon said.
"Explain further." Nurina said.
"How do I say it… imagine building a tower and trying to make that tower go higher except that when I use Dragon Soul, the tower doesn't really go up faster but it feels like the Dragon Soul is making it Grow Wider." Jon said.
"Grow wider?" Nurina tilted her head but suddenly, her eyes widened. "This can't… oh my! It is Enhancing your Foundations!"
"My Foundations?" Jon frowned, "My Foundations were always firm. You always said that my Magicka is purer and richer than some High Elven mages."
"Yes but that was in the past before you awakened as a Dragonborn. Absorbing a Dragon Soul is bound to change your soul, changing your soul changes your body and foundations. You are a human now but you are also becoming more than just that, I guess that is one of the reasons why the rules don't apply on the Dragonborns."
Nurina wasn't good at delivering shocking news without causing the other party to panic and Jon was making their weirdest of faces.
"Wait! You mean I am becoming something that is not human?" He asked.
"Hm? No. You are like a Dragonborn Human… call it whenever you want but that's the most logical explanation. Part of your soul is Divine after all."
"I see…" Jon said, trying not to panic too soon.
"All in all, you are reaching a new potential. It is good but remember that you mustn't slack off, higher potential means a longer journey ahead. I am proud of you." She said as she messed up his hair.
"Thanks… other than that, the Dragon's Soul seemed to have memories of its own especially regarding the Thu'um." Jon added.
"Great! You will train on the Voice like the good old days then. How about I record and observe your progress again?" She asked.
"Don't remember you asking for permissions before."
"Oh, believe me I wasn't. Hehehe."
*Hahaha!"
She asked him about everything there is regarding the Dragonborn Abilities and provided him with her insights and advice on how to cope with his new power. Nurina always gets excited when Jon comes with things he can't solve and they keep conversing for hours if possible.
After Nurina mustered up her courage, she started asking Jon about the details of their journey in the Chaos. During the past year, Jon has asked all these questions to Shadow and thus he got answers.
He knows that the place was an abyss and it is a sealing place for many evil things. The sunken Tower of Babel is there to be the sealing ground for its architecture who fancies himself to be God, the man known as Armilus the False.
More to the mess, the Beast that met them is the Guardian and it is there to examine those who come and go as the place always has visitors. Jon and Nurina got a strange mark of protection called the [Mark of the Beast] and it is to ward off the influence of Armilus.
Armilus tried to mark them as well with his blood but the [Mark of the Beast] was stronger and resisted the Corruption. From what it seems, the Mark Jon carries is a special one and has something to do with "Peace", Shadow carries a similar one that is related to "Virtue".
"You? Peace?" Nurina asked.
"I know, right?" Jon agreed.
"I think it is related to your standing regarding the Civil War."
"It would seem so but I am not sure how the Mark of a Beast would help with Peace. I don't even see it."
"Maybe time will tell."
"Yeah."
The two of them left things to Fate regarding what they don't know. They are powerhouses and all but even they have limits when it comes to knowing things.
And speaking of limits, Jon finally got the chance to ask Nurina a question.
"What on Earth is that, Nurina?" Jon said, showing up the ring on his hand.
She raised her brows and didn't know how to respond at first but finally made her mind. The ring she gave him a long time ago carries an important secret after all.
She held the ring and undid some sort of a seal then pulled it out.
"This, my dumbass student, A very sophisticated ring that I put a Curse on." She said.
"A what?"
"Got stones in your ears, boy? I said a Curse."
"Yeah, I heard it the first time but I wasn't sure my ears got it right." Jon said.
"Good, can't afford you dumb and deaf now, can I?"
"Okay, let me rephrase it correctly." Jon said and shouted, "WHAT ON NIRN, WOMAN? WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY A CURSE?" Jon returned to be calm, "Got my point now?"
"Aha! I see what you mean… wait! Don't tell me… pfft… you're afraid of curses. *Mimic Jon* Oh! Look at me, I am Jon Dare and I fear nothing except curses waa waa."
"Okay okay, the Curse. Why did you put a curse on the ring?"
"Because you're a dumbass who may lose it or something. The curse on the ring makes you forget to take it off and if you remember somehow, it makes it impossible to take it off by normal means. I encrypted the spell a few times so that you can't figure it out." Nurina said.
Actually, to encrypt something by magic runes and make Jon unable to figure it out is quite the feet. Jon is a Master Enchanter after all.
He can easily take the ring off by using the [Skeleton Key] but there seemed to be more to the ring that Nurina just told.
"I know that the ring has a recording function." Jon said.
"You knew?" She was taken aback.
"A Time Recording function to be precise."
"Tsk… now I regret teaching you too well." She said with a bit of frustration then sighed and held the ring up, "It is just some countermeasure in case something happened to you?"
Her words were finally genuine and she wasn't trying to lose him in the conversation.
"So you record my time, put a sophisticated curse on it so you can use it to travel back in my timeline if by any chance… I died?" Jon concluded with narrowed eyes.
Nurina's eyes widened but she soon realized that she fell into a trap. Jon wasn't sure as he said that so he was monitoring her reaction but he was mostly trying to make a guess… which hit the mark accurately.
Seeing Jon who was coldly looking at her, she realized that he is no longer all laughs and smiles.
"Tsk… I really taught you way too much." She said.
"I am grateful for the effort you took but you realize the consequences of such magic… traveling back in time this recklessly may cause a devastating consequence. You taught me that 175 years ago, right? You will cause a Dragon Break, two realities snapping at the same time with me dying in one and living in another, it may return me but will fuck the rest of the world."
"Hey, language!"
"…"
"Yes, be silent you insolent student and watch your fucking tongue." Nurina acted offended and looked away after successfully changing the subject.
Meanwhile, Jon was simply baffled. Even if she caused a Dragon Break, she wouldn't even regret it, would she now?
"So shameless… I truly admire you." Jon gave up.
Nurina smiled widely and turned to him.
"That's my baby boy." She said.
"Still… I want to know how you made it. I've been thinking about it for a year and I never understood how an object can make a backup for reality and Record Time itself." Jon's inquiry made Nurina go back into teacher mode.
"That is a good question. There is no way a non-living object can record Time thus if you want to employ it to do that much, you need something that can do so and seal it into it." She said.
"So an object sealed into another. Quite the formidable technique. What is that sealed object then?"
That last question made Nurina very happy.
"Watch closely."
Nurina carried the ring between two fingers and then turned her fingers to the other direction as if making a hand trick. In that case, a pigeon should normally come flying from her sleeve or the ring turning into a playing card but it was not the case this time.
This was some of the most real magic Jon has ever seen. Reality itself was manipulated to Nurina's will and the ring became…
Jon jumped off his place with a pale face.
"Why are those things popping up so much these days?"
… an Elder Scroll.
"It is mine, the one I had from 175 years ago." She said.
"How? But we were…"
"Together with the same Elder Scroll? I know it is confusing but the Elder Scrolls exist by their own rules and the Elder Scroll of the Unrecorded is weirder than the other scrolls." She said.
"The Unrecorded?" Jon asked.
"Yes. It shows things that aren't recorded in history yet altered its course significantly. I haven't read it though."
"Woman… you're insane… and that's me admitting it." Jon said with a tired face.
"I'll take it as a compliment then." Nurina said and noticed someone approaching, she quickly returned the Elder Scroll into its sealing ring and held out Jon's hand quickly jamming it back on his finger.
"Hey!" Jon said as he seemed to be unwilling to put it back.
"That's not up to you." Nurina raised a finger and spoke seriously before turning to the one approaching them.
Once she saw a young girl coming their way, she smiled cheerfully.
"Well, aren't you a lovely little thing." Nurina spoke to Beth.
Beth walked towards them hurriedly as she was lifting up her oversized college robes.
"Grandmaster, Master." Beth greeted Nurina and Jon.
"Master, this is Beth. She's my apprentice, I introduced her to you yesterday but you were quite… absent-minded." Jon said, justifying Nurina's reactions the other day.
"Oh, that was just a busy day." Nurina waved her hand and turned to Beth, "You look quite good for your age, 12 and almost an Adept, not bad at all.".
"Thank you, Grandmaster." Beth said full of excitement.
Jon started introducing Beth properly starting with her origins to her experience and talent all the way to her Mystic Tattoo unique skills.
"I have never seen or heard about anything like this Mystic Tattoo. Maybe some paints and body marks were a result of making pacts with higher beings but that's as far as we know. To make a tattoo that can suppress the Aura or even to Channel the Chaos, I would have loved meeting someone like that a long time ago." Nurina said.
"I see your point." Jon agreed.
Unlike Jon who used Tattoo to control the Chaos, Nurina had nothing to use which made her refine the Blood of Chaos directly in her blood causing her great pain. Her infertility is a side effect of such practice.
"What about you? Why do you have so many tattoos on your body and face?" Nurina asked.
"I was born like that." Beth said.
"I see… it may be a mutated bloodline in the end just like mine. Very rare to happen, most unlikely to be powerful. In your case, yours is good, Baldie." Nurina said, patting Beth's head.
Nurina stood up from the stone bench and nodded to Jon.
"Guide her well, did you do that Initiation Ceremony?"
"Not yet." Jon shook his head, "Shouldn't have all the fun to myself, should I?"
"Well done, let's set a time and a place for that then. Right now, I have a lot of paperwork to be done with… or pass it to Laaneth. Maybe…"
"Let's get out of here." Jon took Beth and initiated a fast retreat knowing that Nurina was thinking about dumping some of her work on him. Classic Nurina.
"Hey, don't turn your back on your master. Is that how you teach your student?" Nurina shouted.
"Lesson one, Beth. Never lower your guard eith Nurina."
***
After getting out of the College, Jon had a lot of free time now. He sent Beth home and went to visit Master Nurelion the Alchemist and returned the [White Phial] to him. The two had a very deep conversation about Jon's Moon Crystal Aether [Lust] and Jon gifted him a few Meteoric Glass crystals that he once extracted from the Abyss almost two years ago.
With that, the old man was very happy as his Transformation Potion which he gave to Jon when he fled Skyrim was repaid with a handsome benefit. Following Jon Dare to Winterhold was surely the best decision he made.
After finishing up with Master Nurelion, Jon was still free so he decided to visit Isha and Mirren who were choosing a new house for themselves. After two years of living like vagrants, Jon wanted those two to have a place to settle in. Mirren was completely fine while Isha was skeptical about living in Winterhold away from Hammerfell. She holds the title of the Spear Battlelord now even though she didn't want to have it as she saw herself to never be a match for either her master or her brother. Jon didn't tell her what happened to Zain's body in the Heart of Chaos but he always felt some guilt towards not giving him a proper burial.
Still, with Alina showing Isha around, the latter finally made peace with her conflicted thoughts.
On the other hand, there was Miranda who kept alienating herself for some reason. She felt rather strange around Jon's family. The most intimate family she experienced was her master in Elsweyr, her brother Mirren, her sworn sister Isha and her lover Jon. Getting to know all those faces all at once was overwhelming her a little bit.
As Mirren and Miranda are both parts of Myr, they were always close and would complete each other easily but when Myr was struck by the Chaos Infection when he went to save Jon, he was getting weaker and weaker making strange effects appear on both Mirren and Miranda.
It is strange that Mortals like Jon and Nurina were getting stronger by controlling the infection while a Pseudo-Immortal like Myr was dying from it. Jon would always try to maintain Myr in both Mirren and Miranda but somehow, Myr himself was slowly trying to let go.
What would happen if Myr was gone?
Nothing. Mirren and Miranda will stay as what they are but will never be Myr again. It is very sad that such a pure and innocent person may fade from existence any moment just because his essence is dissolving in the world. The Ehlonfey were always doomed to this fate which is nothing Fair.
It's still felt like the Altmer twins are being orphaned at the rate they are losing connection to Myr. The only difference is, Mirren was respecting Myr's decision while Miranda wanted to save Myr.
Jon hoped to stop the Chaos Infection from consuming Myr but he is powerless with it at the moment, not even Nurina would be able to halt such a process anyway.
With his new worries weighing him, Jon put his head together and decided to fix things one at a time. Eventually, there is an answer for everything.
"Augur." Jon spoke as he was watching Winterhold from the nearby mountain.
< You are willing to talk now? >
"Always, old friend. How is your analysis doing so far?" Jon asked.
< It is beyond my ability. The experience you have been through is truly beyond this world. You deserve all the praise that can be spared for making it this far. >
The Augur seemed to be showing emotion for the first time since the day Jon met him. It caused Jon to shake his head.
"I hope that one day you will find what you are seeking."
< What I seek is the "Truth Further". It was the last will before my Death. You helped me see something I would have never seen on my own and for that, you have repaid all the help I offered you if not more. >
Jon has long since understood what the entity called the Augur is all about. As the remnant of the Soul and Astral Form of a very talented Mystic, the Augur was someone whose goal was to satisfy his curiosity and know more thus the College kept him for the sake of the answers they can't get on their own. "Knowing More" is his only quest. However, his only flaw is his inability to keep it to himself. The Augur may give a warning before answering but will eventually answer with all his knowledge.
"Come on! Don't tell me you are going to pass on after fulfilling your last attachment in the world!" Jon said sarcastically.
< That would be too soon. I think sticking with you will give me more to analyze and study. I fulfill what I want and you get benefited… even though, both of us know that you don't need me anymore. >
"That's right. I no longer need your services." Jon said and smiled, "After what I experienced in the Chaos, I am now too formidable. I don't see a limit to myself quite frankly. Before, I needed you to divert the Daedra from looking into my Head but now, the Daedra can't manipulate me anymore. They can never see through me no matter what they do and they can never influence me even if I am in their realms."
Jon started some hard facts as he sat down on top of the southern hills overlooking Winterhold.
"I can even generate the System by my own head now and play a thousand different songs at the same time. I can close my eyes and live a thousand years inside my mind then open my eyes and not a second has passed. Can you offer me more, Augur?"
< No. > The Augur answered like a machine.
"I know." Jon nodded, "Still, I need you around. Talking to myself would make me more insane than what I already am. You also have a good sense of humor sometimes and I still feel indebted for your help. I am not some ungrateful bastard."
< I understand. >
"Nice."
Everything Jon said has a very strong truth backing it. He experienced the Chaos and his mind is more formidable than anything else. Nurina may have had a similar experience but she didn't lose herself in the Chaos, didn't go through a literal Existential Crisis and didn't have to put herself back together. That is why Jon's journey in the Chaos was unique.
More to that, Jon also has the same power as Nurina that she used to stand against the Daedric Princes, the Chaos Infection. The power they inherited from the Man who is called Armilus, the one who defied the Heavens.
"Augur, tell me your thoughts on the Chaos Infection."
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[Chaos Infection] <Variable Effect>
- The purest form of defiance to all worldly laws. Chaos is Invincible, Indestructible, and very Unstable.
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"Amazing, isn't it? I can defy all the laws, block the Daedra from reading my mind and free myself from their influence. I will have a lot of fun regarding some future enemies that I want to take care of. Thankfully, my identity is safe with all the Daedra except Molag Bal and I have a lot of unfinished business with the Vampires."
Jon started thinking for a while, aside from the Dragons, he has to take care of two threats which are the Vampires and the Cult of Miraak, both are supported by a Daedric Prince each.
Regarding Molag Bal, he knew that Jon once came to him in Markarth and offered human sacrifice in exchange for power. Molag asked for agony and he got what he wanted but he backstabbed Jon with the Vampires.
This was one of the reasons why Jon hid his identity during the Labours as Krilon and now as the Dragonborn.
Molag Bal knows Jon Dare and thus the Volkihar Vampires know too. If Jon was known to be Krilon, the Labourer of Azura, to the Molag Bal, Serana's betrayal would be revealed and this time, the Volkihar Vampires would directly attack Winterhold which is extremely dangerous.
Either way, Jon had to keep an Eye on the Volkihar Vampires who are still trapped in Coldharbour and that Eye is this guy.
"Mortal! Ahahaha, we are back to this place. Remember the last time we were here, we had lots of fun and killed a lot of mortals. Let's do it again. Hahahahaha!"
"Evil bastard." Jon looked annoyed at the creature he summoned.
It is his good old pal, Xikil. A former low-ranked Dremora, a current Daedric Titan whose size is half that of a dragon but his appearance is a few times as dreadful as any Dragon.
"Keep your voice down. How is the situation in the Hollow City?" Jon asked.
"Expanding. Sir Caldwell may be a little bit hollow-headed himself but he's managing the herd." Xikil said.
"Good. And the merchandise?" Jon asked.
"The Storages are full. The Realm is expanding and we are discovering a few new places. How lucky you are, Mortal! To have a Daedric Realm under your command all by yourself."
"Sub-Realm." Jon corrected him, "I want to visit the Hollow City but my presence will make some questions rise and may cause some entities to notice our little project. Either way, once I get things fixed here, the Next Phase shall go up and running."
"Hehehe! I am excited."
"Now, tell me about the Volkihar Vampires? Have you been monitoring them?" Jon asked.
"Hmmm… they don't question my presence too much so I know a fair share about them. After you escaped, the henchmen of the Vampire Lord were in a disagreement about what to do. They think that you were taken by the fellow called Krilon and they wanted to travel back to Nirn through an old portal but their Lord stopped them and uncovered the mystery behind the sabotage of his Domain. He extracted a strange vampiric plant which drained all the energy of the Chaotic Creatia of his place and sealed it somewhere but the Domain still needs to be recharged to return to Nirn."
"How long will it take them?"
"Not long."
"That's not good, I don't think I would be able to finish up with Alduin before that. I still don't know much about Solstheim either." Jon said as he started thinking deeply, "Alright. I'll contact you once again once I am ready to start the next phase."
"Mortal, is it close?"
Jon thought as he took out his sword [Bloodskal] and raised it up inspecting it. The blade seemed to have taken a lot of damage because of the immense energy that controlled it for two years and it needed to be reforged.
"I have been a thorn to the side of both the Imperials and the Stormcloaks for five years. With the war at its current scale, someone would do something stupid. The Imperial General Tullius is new in Skyrim and as rash as how he was to capture Ulfric Stormcloak, he will try to deal with me soon. And I need more Dragon Souls… Goddammit, why do I have to do so much?"
"You were taking a vacation for a whole year, you shameless mortal."
"Watch your tongue, lowly Daedra. I have been training all my life for this so let's see what Fate and I have for each other in store and God as my witness, I am bringing down the fucking storm."
———<Status>———
• Name: Jon Dare (Jonhild Firemane)
• Title: The Boss, Thane of Winterhold, Krilon
• Race: Human (Nord)
• Age: 20
• Level: Early Frozen Heart Formation
(Game Level: 69)
• Class: Master Mystic Warrior
• Craft: Master Binary Enchanter
• Condition: Normal?
• Bloodline: Firemane (Fireborn/Titanborn)
• Birth Sign: Serpent (Shadow)
• Soul Bonds: Familiar (Nefertiti) - ??? (Inner Dragon) - Domain (Hidden Dragon Isle)
Greed (Dark Matter) - Wrath (Odokuro) - Pride (Elder Staff) - Lust (Moon Crystal)
———<Powers>———
[Nord]
- Battle Cry (Active)
- 50% Frost Resistance
[Firemane]
- Fireborn: 50% Fire Resistance
- Titanborn: Beast Master
[Astral Access]
- Vitality and Magicka Equilibrium
[Eternal Flesh]
- Disease Immunity
[Serpent Birth Sign]
- Serpent Tyranny: Compatible with all Birth Signs
[Ahzidal's Genius]
- Ahzidal's Enchanting Knowledge
[Gautfang Martial Style]
- Force Channeling Martial Arts
[Enchanted Tattoos (21%)]
- Channel all energy into the tattoo to increase Efficiency and bind them from leaking out or losing control
[Chaos Infection]
- The purest form of defiance to all worldly laws. Chaos is Invincibile, Indestructible, and very Unstable.
———<Blessings>———
[Akatosh]
- Dragonborn: The Gift of the Dragon's Blood and Soul, Highest Affinity to the Thu'um, Highest Affinity to the element of Time
- Dragonsfire: Eternal Flame (Active)
- Inner Dragon: Not Complete
[All-Maker] - Root of Power: 2500% Magicka Regeneration (Active)
[Talos]
- Greater Amulet of Talos: Fortify Thu'um 50%
- Old Man's Coin: Fortify Luck
[Kyne] - Thunder Child: 25% Empower Thu'um
[Sheogorath] - Mad Champion: 2500% Vitality Regen (Active)
[Azura] - Dawn's Beauty: 50% Absorb Magic Attacks. (Active)
[Boethiah] - Berserk: Take half damage and do double damage in a Feral State of mind (Active)
[Mephala] - Golden Tongue: Persuasive to all beings (Active)
[Hermaeus Mora] - Bardic Knowledge: Summon knowable Music Instruments to cause a Tonal Effect (Active)
[The Shadow Stone]
- Hide in Shadows: Fortify Stealth in through the shadows
- Blur: Fortify Speed during Combat
———————————
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[Pride] <The Elder Staff of Power and Fate>
- Imagination Magic
- Will of Pride
———————————
[Greed] <Devouring Shadow Aether>
- Reform Weapons
- Perfect Stealth
———————————
[Lust] <Moon Crystal Aether>
- Metamorphosis
- Desire Inducement
———————————
[Wrath] <Bone Samurai Colossus, Odokuro>
- Howl of Wrath
- Howl of Death
- Bone Lord
———————————