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<\/p>\n\u201cAre you alright, my lord?\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Edwyn turned to Agryn and snapped angrily. \u201cOf course I\u2019m alright. Why would I not be?\u201d<\/p>\n
The fact of the matter was that he could smell singed hair. He was very proud of his hair, short though it might be. Many men a tiny fraction of his age had none left, to speak of. He\u2019d worn it long and flowing at one point, so far back that he could barely remember who he\u2019d worn it that way for. But it had been short and close-cropped for a very long time now and to smell it burning was an event that pleased him not in the least.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m\u2026 sorry if I annoyed you, Edwyn. I was temporarily blinded by that fireball and couldn\u2019t tell whether you\u2019d gotten out of the way quickly enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
Agryn had pushed Edwyn back out of the way when the fireball erupted. It had been extremely fortuitous that the Redguard girl had stepped out in front of Agryn when the man \u2013 Dardeh \u2013 had created it. They\u2019d slipped back into the vampire lair to regain the upper hand, in the event that he followed them; but it had become clear quickly enough that the woman was dead and the man had left her body behind.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes. Forgive my impatience, Agryn. You did well with the Redguard girl, drawing him out here to us. His power was not something I would have expected.\u201d\u00a0 He put his hands on his hips and shook his head. \u201cAlthough I ought <\/em>to have expected it. We were looking for a Dragonborn, and we clearly found just such a man.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. Now what?\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn peered at Agryn and realized that he\u2019d been badly scorched by the fringes of the Dragonborn\u2019s Fire Breath. It was of no account, of course; Agryn need only feed and he would be restored to his original state. It was, however, a fortunate thing indeed that he hadn\u2019t been any closer to the fireball.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, my dear friend, we will return to Solitude, check in with your delightful partner, observe my darling wife, and from there go to the College of Winterhold.\u00a0 It seems likely to me that there will be more information somewhere in the archives pertaining to former Dragonborn: their names, their histories, how they were defeated in the end.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCouldn\u2019t we simply make a direct assault on his home, sir? I do know where he lives.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. Not yet. Perhaps it will come to that in the end, but I still hope to take the man and enthrall him, to create a steady supply of Dragonborn blood.\u00a0 If we attack him directly at his home, the chances are high that we will have no choice but to drain him. That simply will not do.\u00a0 If we leave him for the time being he may become complacent and allow us another convenient moment to secure him.\u201d\u00a0 He rubbed his chin, deep in thought.<\/p>\n \u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Edwyn said. \u201cThe other thing we must do is determine the status of the Moot.\u00a0 I suspect it is going to be held fairly soon.\u00a0 If we can do so, I would like to make the acquaintance of as many of the current Jarls as I can.\u00a0 Perhaps we could offer them some\u2026 incentive to select the Archmage of Winterhold as the next High King.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes sir. With any luck, your wife\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026 will be with child. Yes I do hope so.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn straightened his robes and started toward the cave\u2019s entrance.\u00a0 It was, in fact, time for both of them to feed.<\/p>\n I would prefer to go to Castle Volkihar. I would prefer to spend an evening in the company of Serana, to replenish myself at the Blood Chalice, and to commune with the spirit of my mentor before undertaking any significant steps on the path toward our ultimate goal. But I feel certain that Serana will not welcome me and that our presence following Vingalmo\u2019s demise might be a bit of a distraction to the court in the short term.\u00a0 So we will go to Solitude.<\/em><\/p>\n And I will see whether or not that distasteful man has managed to fill my dear wife\u2019s womb.<\/em><\/p>\n They stepped out into the inky darkness.\u00a0 Edwyn considered his options for a moment and then took his Vampire Lord form. He knew that between them and Solitude were several areas where human mortals congregated: Rorikstead, the large bandit encampment at Robber\u2019s Gorge, and others.\u00a0 He turned to Agryn and smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cShall we have a bit of a hunt?\u201d<\/p>\n He saw Agryn\u2019s brilliant white fangs shine through the darkness. Agryn followed suit, transforming.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we absolutely should. I\u2019m hungry, and I have a bit of\u2026 repair to do on my own skin.\u201d<\/p>\n They fed several times, in fact, as they traveled.\u00a0 Edwyn found himself relaxing, letting the cares of the moment drop away, and simply enjoying the company of the friend and loyal underling with whom he had spent so very many years.\u00a0 It was almost as though they were once again much younger vampires simply causing their own special brand of havoc.<\/p>\n They\u2019d met so long ago he could barely remember it, after Harkon had sent him to Cyrodiil to begin infiltrating society there. It hadn\u2019t been all that difficult to do once he\u2019d met Agryn, because Agryn knew the territory and was happy to share his knowledge in exchange for Harkon\u2019s Gift. It was the realm of the Vampyrum Order at the time. They cultivated the fiction that there were no such beings as vampires, and that they did business in the evenings primarily out of preference rather than necessity.\u00a0 After all, a noble or a high-ranking functionary who was deluged with paperwork during the day could hardly be expected to be seen in public until evening, could he? Edwyn smiled, thinking about it. He\u2019d adopted the Order\u2019s methodology because it made the most sense of anything he\u2019d seen. And Agryn had assisted, and had followed him.<\/p>\n He had to laugh, as he and Agryn made their way from the south of Whiterun Hold to Solitude, leaving drained corpses in their wake. This was most definitely not <\/em>his normal practice, nor his preferred one.\u00a0 He\u2019d never cared much about the hunt, or the blood.\u00a0 But on this dark night the two of them seemed to have silently agreed that their narrow escape from a fiery end warranted a bit of fun.<\/p>\n As they drew near to Dragon Bridge, however, they reverted to human form and cast their illusion spells.\u00a0 He knew that he would have a supple enough appearance regardless of the spell; he certainly never allowed his thirst to wait long enough for him to take on the desiccated, pinched visage of a hungry vampire. Still, he tried never to take the chance that someone would see his eyes and recognize him for what he was.<\/p>\n \u201cAhh, that was fun, my friend,\u201d he told Agryn. \u201cBut I suppose it is time to take care now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course,\u201d Agryn said. Edwyn peered at him. He looked much better; feeding had repaired him. Agryn rarely complained about anything and was always the very picture of equanimity, even when tackling a dangerous situation. The past few hours, though, had proven once again just how impressive a companion he really was. He\u2019d taken the brunt of that part of the fire damage from the Dragonborn\u2019s Shout, saving Edwyn from a great deal of harm, and hadn\u2019t complained at all about it.<\/p>\n \u201cI do need to thank you, Agryn.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSir?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. You might have been harmed to a much greater degree than you were, pushing me back out of the way as you did.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust doing what friends do, Edwyn.\u201d<\/p>\n Something about that struck at Edwyn in a way he wasn\u2019t used to being struck.\u00a0 They slowed to a stroll and made their way across the wide expanse of the Dragon Bridge toward the center of the tiny town, and he glanced at his fellow Breton, trying to determine what it was that he wanted to say.<\/p>\n \u201cAre we?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre we what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFriends, Agryn. Truly friends. Or do you simply consider me your master, and do what you do for me out of a sense of necessity?\u201d<\/p>\n Agryn glanced at him, eyebrows raised, and then returned his attention to the roadway. After a few more paces he stopped, and turned to face Edwyn.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was a serious question?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, it was.\u201d<\/p>\n Agryn paused for a moment before bursting into hearty laughter and continuing on his way.<\/p>\n \u201cEdwyn. Sometimes you truly amaze me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it that is so funny, if I may inquire?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow long have we known each other?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSeveral hundred years, I would expect. I\u2019ve lost track by now.\u201d Edwyn furrowed his brow and cast his mind backward but it was all just a blur of similar events stretching back into time so far that his lovely Serana had still been free and reasonably happy with her family.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are, of course, my \u2026 I hesitate to use the word \u2018master,\u2019 but I suppose that\u2019s what is appropriate,\u201d Agryn said. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t ever dispute that. You gave me the Gift, you at least in part made me what I am today. But it was a long time ago now. A long time. You may be the most powerful vampire I\u2019ve ever known aside from Harkon but surely you realize that I could easily have gone off to start my own clan by now if that was something Tyna and I wanted to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn had a moment of shock. It would never have occurred to him to think such a thing.\u00a0 His subordinates in Volkihar Castle were all skilled vampires, some of them ancient and very powerful, as Vingalmo had been. And yet somehow he never thought about the fact that Agryn, his right hand, could not only quell most adversaries with a flick of magic, but could also strike their heads from their shoulders with his prodigious swordsmanship.<\/p>\n Would he ever leave me? It would be a sorry thing indeed if he ever became an adversary rather than an accomplice.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2026 must admit to you that I truly had never thought about that, Agryn.\u00a0 There is no doubt, of course; the number of Volkihar you created in Cyrodiil alone says that you would be perfectly capable of being your own master, and master of others.\u00a0 So\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Agryn grinned. \u201cYou\u2019re my friend, Edwyn. Always have been. I like you. I like the way your mind works. Like being around you. Do I always agree with you? No, and you\u2019ve heard me tell you when I don\u2019t. I just would rather spend my time with you and Tyna than with anyone else. Particularly in this godsforsaken part of the world.\u201d\u00a0 He glanced once more at Edwyn\u2019s surprised expression and chuckled. \u201cI\u2019m surprised you even needed to ask.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn smiled slowly.\u00a0 \u201cI am indeed surprised.\u00a0 Surprised at myself that it never occurred to me to ask before and surprised that I didn\u2019t already know the answer to the question.\u00a0 I do hope that you don\u2019t hold it against me, Agryn.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, heck no. If I held your utter lack of introspection against you I would have left your service a long time ago now.\u00a0 It\u2019s one of your innate charms.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn suddenly thought about how annoyed he\u2019d been when the Nord named Brynjolf had implied that he needed to work at being charming, and laughed aloud. \u201cI do seem to be hearing that sort of thing more frequently of late. I wonder how old a soul must be before it\u2019s incapable of learning new things?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t worry about it, sir. I may get annoyed with you from time to time but it\u2019s of no great import. Tyna\u2019s the one to worry about. She has a much shorter fuse than I do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have noticed that, to be sure.\u201d\u00a0 Edwyn stretched out his shoulders. \u201cSpeaking of the lovely Vyctyna, I think we should perhaps hurry a bit to reach Solitude before dawn breaks. It will not be too long, now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAgreed. Let\u2019s have a run.\u201d<\/p>\n The two friends broke into the blindingly fast sprint only a vampire could perform, and raced along the length of Haafingar.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t long before they saw the outer gates of Solitude with the towers of Castle Dour looming just behind them.<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t take long for Edwyn to feel exceptionally uncomfortable in his own home.\u00a0 Vyctyna was there, and greeted Agryn with enough enthusiasm that he needed to shoo them off to whatever hidey-hole Vyctyna had found in the area. He had no desire to hear the two of them joyfully reacquainting themselves with each other, especially since Geor was striding about the place looking like a much more pleased and relaxed version of himself.\u00a0 He asked Geor about that, soon after they entered the mansion.<\/p>\n \u201cHow is the progress toward your goal, my good sir?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, now, I\u2019ve got no real way to know that for certain, master; but the mistress does seem to be very content with my efforts, that I can tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn had found himself with a wrinkled nose and a surprisingly unpleasant feeling running through his gut.\u00a0 Vyctyna had seen his discontent and stepped up to speak to him.<\/p>\n \u201cIt hasn\u2019t been long enough to know, boss. She certainly hasn\u2019t said anything out loud and if she\u2019s going to get the sicks because \u2013 you know \u2013 it probably won\u2019t be for another few weeks.\u201d\u00a0 She gave him a mischievous grin and leaned in closer. \u201cDon\u2019t get jealous or sumpin, boss. You need him to do this work for you and let me tell you, the two of them are working hard<\/em> to get it done!\u201d\u00a0 She giggled.<\/p>\n Edwyn sighed. \u201cYes. Thank you very much for your update, Vyctyna. I appreciate it. Now go spend some time with Agryn. He saved me from a great deal of damage last night and took some himself.\u201d<\/p>\n Her eyes got very round. She ran to the basement stairs and scurried down them, and he could hear her calling out.<\/p>\n \u201cAggie? Aggie! What happened? Are you ok?\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn heard Agryn\u2019s gravelly chuckle as he made his way toward the bedroom. The truth of the matter was that he personally was exhausted.<\/p>\n Exhausted, frustrated, and angry. Nothing that I have attempted to do in the past short while has gone to plan. Perhaps I\u2019ll feel better with some rest. I\u2019ll just need to be certain to be up and gone before Elisif returns from the Palace.<\/em><\/p>\n He fell onto the bed and was almost immediately asleep.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n They were gone before Elisif returned, and while Agryn was decidedly and obviously tired, he had no complaints about the trip to Winterhold that started before sunset. They decided to take the shortest route; namely, to fly along Skyrim\u2019s northern coastline from Solitude to Winterhold. Flying at all, in their massive Vampire Lord forms, was faster than running; but flying across the water was nearly instantaneous travel compared to anything else they could do.<\/p>\n They did stop for a moment, near Dawnstar.\u00a0 Edwyn hovered on the shoreline, looking around in perplexity.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it?\u201d Agryn asked.<\/p>\n \u201cSomething important happened here,\u201d he said. \u201cI get this feeling every time we pass this area. Something important happened here and I don\u2019t know what it was. There\u2019s a lingering sense of \u2026 power, I would say. It\u2019s getting fainter as time passes, but it\u2019s still here.\u201d<\/p>\n Agryn\u2019s great gray eyebrows furrowed. \u201cHmm. I don\u2019t get much from the spot but maybe? I\u2019ll take your word for it. Is there something else troubling you?\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn nodded. \u201cI don\u2019t know that \u2018troubling\u2019 is necessarily the correct term for it. \u2018Envy\u2019 might be closer to the mark.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat in the world do you have to be envious of?\u201d Agryn chuckled. \u201cYou\u2019re the Archmage of the College, and we\u2019ve got fingers in every one of the other magical organizations. You\u2019re the Lord of the Volkihar, and we\u2019ve got outposts in High Rock, and Cyrodiil, and a few in Hammerfell.\u00a0 What else are you missing?\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn sighed. He\u2019d been thinking about it for hours, ever since they\u2019d nearly been sent to the Void by Dardeh\u2019s fireball.<\/p>\n \u201cI am envious, my dear friend, of the fact that the Dragonborn can not only read and understand, but use<\/em>, the language of the dragons.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm\u2026\u201d Agryn gestured toward the shoreline, and they started drifting down it and away from the town where they might be noticed.\u00a0 \u201cI would have assumed that the word Dragonborn meant that he could use the language. What is there in that to be envious of?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI cannot,\u201d Edwyn said flatly. \u201cI have come across the places where words of power are said to be etched into those huge, concave walls. I see nothing, only scratches.\u00a0 I can make no sense of them whatsoever.\u201d<\/p>\n Agryn shrugged. \u201cSo you\u2019re not Dragonborn. Few are.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn growled. \u201cThat is the case, to be sure. I\u2019m convinced now that the man called Dardeh has ability beyond all other mortals\u2019 capacity for the language. But think about what we know of Ulfric Stormcloak. What do the tales say about him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey say that\u2026\u201d Agryn paused for a moment, his thoughts almost visible between the beats of his huge wings. \u201cHe shouted High King Torygg to death with his Thu\u2019um.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. And when I was last in Castle Volkihar, on that occasion when Vingalmo met his rather unfortunate demise, one of the last things he told me was that the late Lord Andante could also use the language of dragons.\u00a0 Why should an upstart, unknown vampire from who knows where have been able to use words of power and I, a master of nearly all types of magic, cannot?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Agryn shrugged. \u201cI don\u2019t know, sir. We don\u2019t know much about the man aside from what they\u2019ve told us there in Volkihar. Perhaps he was just uncommonly gifted with languages.\u00a0 What difference does it make now?\u201d<\/p>\n He chuckled and flew on ahead of Edwyn. Edwyn followed, thinking about it.<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t make any difference, not really.\u00a0 But that ability \u2013 that is a form of magic, is it not? Should I not be able to use it, as easily as I use all other forms of magic?<\/em><\/p>\n That isn\u2019t exactly true, if I\u2019m honest about it. I\u2019m hardly a master of restoration magic. Most everything else, yes; but not restoration.\u00a0 Perhaps\u2026 perhaps I should focus on building my skills in that area of study and stop being concerned about something that is completely outside my control.\u00a0 Perhaps I should.<\/em><\/p>\n For once in my life I should stop trying to measure myself against the rules that apply to others.\u00a0 But damn it, when I look at the walls there is nothing there, nothing at all! <\/em><\/p>\n They\u2019d nearly reached Winterhold, and were reverting to their human forms at the base of the cliff beneath the College, when he had another thought. He had to force himself not to grin so much that Agryn would notice him.<\/p>\n I wonder whether I\u2019ll gain the ability to use the Thu\u2019um when I drain that man of his blood.<\/em><\/p>\n The more he thought about it, the more excited he became at the prospect.\u00a0 He tried to push the idea out of his mind, though, knowing that it would do him no good in the short term to become obsessed with something that might never come to pass.<\/p>\n \u201cGo to the Arcanaeum,\u201d he told Agryn once they\u2019d reached the College proper. \u201cI want you to begin searching for materials on the legends of the Dragonborn. I need to know what we\u2019re likely to be facing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlright. I\u2019ll be there.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn paced around his quarters a few times before spending several minutes in meditation to Molag Bal. He wasn\u2019t entirely certain that veering away from the specific plans Lord Harkon had laid out for him was the best course of action; but he was certain, beyond any doubt, that if he were displeasing their deity he would be told so in some unmistakable way. He then rose and made his way down through the tower and out into the College\u2019s courtyard. It was time to check in with Tolfdir, the senior wizard and the man who worked most closely with new students.<\/p>\n He had spent a fairly good amount of time with Tolfdir when he had begun his campaign to take over the College of Winterhold. As a \u201cnew student,\u201d and in spite of the fact that he knew far more magic than any of the other new students likely had ever heard of in their short lives, he\u2019d been assigned to Tolfdir for beginning lessons.<\/p>\n Those had been comically simple. He\u2019d barely needed to lift his hand in order to cast the ward spell; but he could sense the extent to which Tolfdir had restrained his own fireball attack when he\u2019d cast it against the ward. It had been clear that the apparently bumbling academic was a force to be reckoned with, old or not.\u00a0 Edwyn\u2019s beliefs about the man were confirmed as they had made their way through the ruins of the ancient city of Saarthal. Tolfdir had battled draugr with the skill and vigor of a man many decades his junior, clothing himself with magical armor and casting ferocious fireballs at the ancient draugr called Jyrik Gauldurson.<\/p>\n Tolfdir had studied the Eye of Magnus for hours on end after they\u2019d found it there in the room with Gauldurson, and then in the College itself after they moved it. He\u2019d stepped into the gap left by the deaths of Savos Aren, the prior Archmage, and the former chief wizard, Mirabelle Ervine, after the Thalmor envoy Ancano had caused the Eye to discharge in a deadly magical explosion. And he\u2019d kept the business of the College going once Ancano had been slain and the Eye of Magnus removed to parts unknown by the Psijic Order.<\/p>\n Edwyn didn\u2019t necessarily like Tolfdir \u2013 he tended to be pompous and long-winded \u2013 but he had a healthy respect for his mastery of magic and appreciation for his devotion to duty.\u00a0 Even after being named Archmage himself Edwyn never worried about being away; for just as Mirabelle Ervine had handled the day-to-day operations of the College for Savos Aren, Tolfdir did the same for him.<\/p>\n Tolfdir was asleep when he found him.\u00a0 He knew that Tolfdir was asleep well before he found him, in fact; for the sound of his snoring nearly shook the walls that even the Great Collapse had not been able to destroy.\u00a0 He might have felt bad about disrupting the man\u2019s sleep if not for the fact that everyone else in the College would likely thank him for it.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy hello, Archmage!\u201d he said, rising slowly up off the bed. \u201cSo good to see you. What can I do for you on this fine\u2026 evening?\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn chuckled. \u201cYes, I\u2019m afraid it\u2019s actually the dead of night, Tolfdir, and for that I do apologize. However, I only have a limited amount of time to spend here and I wanted to be certain that there\u2019s nothing I need to know.\u201d<\/p>\n Tolfdir rubbed his chin for a moment. \u201cWell, ah, as it happens I think there is. We\u2019ve been contacted by the Jarl of Dawnstar. It seems that there is some sort of disturbance in the area. From what few details we were given, it sounds quite familiar.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh?\u201d Edwyn\u2019s mind went immediately to work. As he\u2019d told Agryn, he needed to meet and ingratiate himself with as many of the Jarls as possible before they agreed to hold the Moot.\u00a0 If he could do them some small service as well, all the better.\u00a0 \u201cDo tell.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI suspect that the power released by the Eye of Magnus was not fully contained, and has coalesced in this part of Skyrim.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHmm.\u00a0 That\u2019s not very reassuring.\u00a0 I\u2019ll definitely go see whether I can be of any assistance to the Jarl.\u201d\u00a0 And possibly make my way into his good graces if at all possible. <\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI do hope you still have the Staff of Magnus somewhere. You may need it!\u201d Tolfdir\u2019s brows were so furrowed they nearly met at their outside edges.<\/p>\n Edwyn smiled. \u201cI do indeed. It is in my quarters upstairs. Don\u2019t worry; my friend Agryn Gernic is with me. He\u2019s a rather powerful mage in his own right and I am certain that between the two of us, we will be able to contain this problem.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery good. Do hurry!\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn nodded. \u201cWe\u2019ll be off just as soon as I\u2019ve had an opportunity to speak with Colette.\u201d<\/p>\n Colette Marence was the Master Wizard in charge of Restoration magic. She was a strange one, always defensive about the way others spoke of the school of Restoration.\u00a0 Her quarters were in the Hall of Countenance, across the courtyard from the Hall of Attainment where Tolfdir and the apprentices stayed.\u00a0 Edwyn trotted across the courtyard, enjoying the silence and the dark, and thought briefly about slaking his thirst on one of the sleeping mages there; but in the end he simply made his way to the second floor of the Hall and found Colette sleeping in her room.<\/p>\n \u201cColette, my dear,\u201d he said, shaking her gently by the shoulder. Colette was a fellow Breton, and like Agryn and Vyctyna he had a special place in his heart for her.\u00a0 She always received his very best behavior, whereas with some of the other mages \u2013 Imperials, in particular \u2013 he might not have been quite so patient or forgiving. \u201cDo wake up. I need some assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRestoration is a perfectly valid field of study! You do believe that, don\u2019t you? Well, don\u2019t you?<\/em>\u201d she said as she rose, just as though she\u2019d been engaged in an argument with someone over that issue in her sleep and just continued it into her waking state.<\/p>\n Edwyn chuckled. \u201cOf course I do, my dear. In fact, that is precisely why I am here. I need to advance my own understanding of the subject.\u201d<\/p>\n Colette frowned, pursed her lips, and shook her head at him. \u201cWell, I can\u2019t teach you anything more; you already know all that I know. Flattered, I\u2019m sure. But still\u2026 Maybe there are some specific spells that you might not have in your repertoire? Let me show you the tomes I have for sale.\u201d<\/p>\n She took him to a cabinet at the side of the room and showed him her collection. He happily selected a tome for a much more powerful healing spell than those he already knew. Casting that once or twice rather than casting his existing spells several times in a row might well be the difference between life and death \u2013 or undeath and real death, he thought to himself with a smirk.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are these?\u201d he asked, running a finger along the spine of a book entitled Ruin<\/em> and another called Horrid Wilting<\/em>. \u201cThose seem rather imposing titles for restoration spells.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh yes, Archmage. But as you know \u2013 or as you should<\/em> know, I would hope \u2013 Restoration is all about the balance of natural forces. Tweak them just so, and the results can be very beneficial for yourself, and not so beneficial for your opponent. Very useful indeed. The wilting spell will dry up the living opponent, the way a vampire sucks the blood from his victim\u2019s body.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn raised an eyebrow, and tried not to look amused. \u201cIs that so.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is. The Ruin spell simply returns the magical energies of the opponent to their original state, over time. Balance, you see?\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn grinned. \u201cI do. I\u2019ll definitely take those two from you.\u00a0 And then what are these? Blood Boil?<\/em> Nature\u2019s Balance?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThose are Expert level spells, sir, and of course you should be able to learn and cast them very easily with your level of skill.\u00a0 Nature\u2019s Balance is the simplest of things, but highly useful in a tight situation. It will exchange your level of health for that of your opponent. If you\u2019re in a bad way, well\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn nodded. \u201cGive the bad way to the adversary and take his health for my own? Useful! And the other?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell that\u2019s a bit harder to explain, but it still falls within the laws of balance. It creates a\u2026 cloud, almost. Or maybe a disc, would be a better description. It\u2019s made of blood, and it is every bit as effective as a fire or frost cloak spell. But\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt uses your blood. You take some small amount of damage in casting it. But it\u2019s all balance, you see? Exchanging one force of nature for another.\u201d<\/p>\n Blood. Now that seems highly appropriate under the circumstances. And I will never run out; for even if I do not have enough of my own blood to spare I always have plenty of it with me in potion bottles. <\/em><\/p>\n The power is always in the blood. Isn\u2019t that true, Harkon?\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYes, well in that case I will purchase these tomes from you as well. And one or two more soul gems, if I might.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Archmage.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Colette. I much appreciate your help. This is the school of magic in which I am the weakest and I fear that a day is approaching in which I need to be weak in none whatsoever.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI do hope not, sir,\u201d Colette said, smiling. \u201cBut I\u2019m happy to have been of help.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn took his spell tomes and made his way back across the College\u2019s courtyard. He would learn these before he did another thing at all, and he would practice up on the roof of the Archmage\u2019s quarters until he felt confident in his ability to cast them.\u00a0 There was something about the idea of surrounding the Dragonborn in a cloud of his blood \u2013 of Harkon\u2019s blood \u2013 and then stealing his health that excited Edwyn in a way he hadn\u2019t been for a very long time.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you alright, my lord?\u201d Edwyn turned to Agryn and snapped angrily. \u201cOf course I\u2019m alright. Why would I not be?\u201d The fact of the matter was that he could smell singed hair. He was very proud of his hair, short though it might be. Many men a tiny fraction of his age had none … <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/baakay.com\/FanFic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/5-2-1-2.png\")
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<\/p>\nPart II: Resolution<\/a><\/div>\nPrevious<\/a> \/ Next<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"