Chapter 74 - Hitting The Road

Three weeks have passed and now it is the 1st of Sun's Height (July), 4E-196. An annoying Middas (Monday) as any other.

I just finished the Rank Up exam and ranked to Evoker. Not just that, but as someone who worked on the Atronach Mounts with Nurina, I got to submit a Flame Atronach Horse spell.

Of course, I didn't give them the Arabian Horse one, I gave them the bulky Nord horse that runs like a duck.

All that time, rumors were going around about me riding on a Fire Horse in town and many people came and asked about it but I turned them all down.

I just submitted that spell and made it more complicated than normal so it doesn't go around easily.

I didn't really want to submit it but it was the best one I do, all my other spells were a bit over the norm, and by submitting it after the Rank Up exam, I now have the qualifications to rank up to the 'Scholar' rank but it would take a while before I start thinking seriously about it.

By the way, I ranked first in the exam too but it wasn't by a spartan over the top score like last time, I just got the full mark and nothing looked weird about it. Well, until I discovered that the second student rank didn't even get close to me.

Sigh!

I am being looked at once again.

Unlike last time, I am now known as the leader of the Creation Club and the Thane of Winterhold, no one can mess with me.

Speaking of the Creation Club, we made few good achievements and got credited for the machines in the Bathhouse which I asked Elishka to submit a request for. This all added to the popularity of our team and some new members joined.

Eliel handled the new members as I was mostly the mascot of the club anyway. My job was to put projects and give them ideas, I also help but I leave most of the work to them like any good boss.

The most interesting new members were Rundi and Brovir who just ranked up to apprentices and were my roommates when I first arrived here. They are brothers and twins at that. Still, the disagreed with each other over every little thing, but they shared an overwhelming love for mead.

They wanted to open a meadery that can rival the Black-Briar and Honningbrew meads.

I heard their ideas and promised them support as long as they establish that meadery in Winterhold. I also gave them some warnings about the dangers of their research and all that.

Why would I do all that? Well, there is something here that most players wouldn't really know.

Rundi and Brovir are NPCs from the game, they may not give any impression to a player like me and they were hard to remember at first but these two along with Yisra and another student were under a quest called 'Missing Students'. The player has to go look for four students that have gone missing just two find four horrible death accidents occurred to them.

This is a College quest that got cut from the game but one can actually find the corpses anytime around Winterhold.

I intend to change that.

Rundi and Brovir are two good fellows and deserve saving, Yisra may be an arsonist but she is a talented mage and a friend, I met the fourth student once but I will at least give him an advice.

The Creation Club was doing just fine now. But there is one more important news.

We are submitting the two projects we worked on now.

To submit such a project, we had to go through some regulations and paperwork but we left that to Eilel, perverts are good with paperwork anyway.

The first project is the Magickameter which can measure one's Magicka. It was met with some suspension at first but I made sure it was working well by comparing it to my system. It showed nearly 520 MP but of course, I would keep that a secret to myself. When it was submitted after the exam, some students from the other clubs wanted to try it but their reactions were not that friendly, an Altmer student made a fuss when the device showed 130 MP for him and the same score for a Nord student, this caused more problems but the submission overseer was Teacher Tolfdir himself who confirmed that the device is right as the racial difference was mostly in talent but not Magicka, when Tolfdir himself used the device it went over the 1000 MP mark by a little. Actually, the device was made with a common soul gem which its capacity doesn't exceed the 1000 MP.

The device was submitted and adopted by the College. This gave enough contribution points to the team for a rank up and a big reward.

The second device was the Dareumeter that I shamelessly named after myself, it can detect the output frequency and block it if it goes haywire. Unlike the Magickameter, this was completely under my name as the lead researcher and a device that made the submission overseers, as well as the other teachers, jump from the scare when they heard the description. For them, this device is just too great to not stand up for. As I intended, it was a glove with a measuring device on its back, when a spell gets cast, it detects the flow of Magicka in every phase of the spell. Once it goes haywire, the glove cancels the spell. The value of this device in their eyes was high so I prepared few of it and gifted them to the overseers immediately. It is not that expensive.

This alone secured me enough contributions to advance for the 'Wizard' rank. I still lack some other qualifications but I will take my time anyway.

Of course, we celebrated and all, the rewards of the College were always generous and I was congratulated by Savos Aren himself.

After this point, I had no more work or researches I want to do at the College. Also, I was packing my things for the journey.

Before I leave, I had to check the town.

It has been a week since I moved to my new Manor, I called it 'Seamist' Manor. Most beautiful and artistic buildings have its unique names like 'Lakeview' or 'Honeyside' so I called this way.

The place was great. The furniture was good and everything looked as I imagined.

I finally had my own kitchen where I can try making the food I wanted to make long ago.

I want to make noodles, shawerma, kusharie, pizza, and all these good stuff but my experience in cooking is not something to be proud of so I will learn bit by bit.

My room was the most amazing place in the world in my eyes right now. Jullanar wanted to make the attic her own room so I gave it to her anyway. Nefertiti also loved the place and ran around everywhere.

In the basement, there was a door made of Dwemer metal that has three keyholes and looks sturdy as hell. This was the combined work of me, Morbagog, and Mahran. Of course, the three keyholes were just a distraction, the original keyhole was behind a brick in the wall and it needed a special key to open.

This door leads to the vault. A safe room reinforced by metal and contained most of my money and important research papers, it is also made to keep the artifacts that I will obtain in the future.

Other than that, I tried to think of planting some winter herbs around the manor but will leave that for later.

Other than the house, the Bathhouse was working just fine and it made some good income. The town started to feel the circulation of money and things started looking good. I also sneaked to the bathroom a few times to spend the night with Elishka.

All in all, life was going well.

I went to my room and threw myself on my ridiculously large bed to get enough sleep for tomorrow.

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Tomorrow became today, and the morning was cold. I returned to the College and went to see Nurina, Laaneth and my friends.

Nurina heartlessly gave me another shopping list. I was waiting for something more but I was told off.

Laaneth gave me a tome with some ideas and spells she worked on and told me they will prove helpful in the adventure.

After that I left the College and met with Ongeim, I told him to meet me some time from now in Windhelm and bring an extra crew with him. I had some business there.

Finally, I gave Trudvar some money and a new weapon, I also took my hammer, the Agni-Ra, back. I'll be needing it in this journey.

I had my gear on, my scaled armor from the tournament and all. I covered myself in a traveling cloak and carried Nefertiti who was warped in some warm fur. Julls followed carrying a knapsack.

Just like this, we sneaked out of town under the cover of daylight. Don't ask how.

As we walked a fair distance away from the town we I conjured two fire horses and Jull conjured one.

We put our stuff on one and rode the others. I don't think Jull or Nefertiti can handle a high-speed ride so we just rode on moderate speed.

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Six hours passed and we reached 'Whistling Mine', I went down and greeted the people over here. It was also a good chance to rest from riding.

The place has changed.

On the other side of the road, a small village was built. This was not here before and definitely looked like progress to me. I think I can fund them to make an inn here.

I didn't stay for too long, I wanted to reach the Shrine of Azura before the sunset.

The shrine is on top of the mountain that the cave is under, there is a steep route but I will have no problems with it.

Normally wolves live in this area but one of the perks of riding a Flame Atronach Horse is that the wolves won't dare to approach.

The path leading to the shrine is found not far south of Whistling Mine and rises sharply to the west. To reach it, one should travel southeast along the path from Winterhold in the direction of Windhelm. If the weather is clear, it is possible to see a long way in all directions.

After two hours of fast riding, the shrine showed itself sitting atop a stone fort-like structure that was supposedly built by Dunmer, who revere her.

There is an altar in front of the massive statue, in front of this is where a woman Aranea spends all her time worshipping.

To the right of the altar on a level below is a small camp consisting of a small tent.

We arrived right before the sunset and climbed the stairs to the Alter area where I remember Aranea spends her time.

Indeed there is more tents than I thought and some more Dunmer people who came for the pilgrimage as it seemed.

I looked at the massive beautiful statue and felt the wonder of its beauty, I don't know who exactly build it but they are artists.

Azura of the Crimson Gate, also known as Azurah, the Queen of Dawn and Dusk, Mother of the Rose, and Queen of the Night Sky, is a Daedric Prince whose sphere is dawn and dusk (the magic in-between realms of twilight) as well as vanity and egotism.

Azura is one of the few Daedra who maintains the appearance of being "good" by mortal standards and presumably feels more concern for the well being of her mortal subjects than other Daedric Princes. She is one of the few Daedric Princes who constantly maintains a female image, and is perceived accordingly.

Although she is never overtly deceitful, the way Azura always gets what she desires in the end and how titanic events always follow her interventions can be portrayed as disturbing.

Her followers acknowledge that she is "cruel but wise". While she is considered one of the "good" Daedra by the Dunmer of Morrowind, elsewhere she has been known to be allied with Molag Bal, who is known to the Dunmer as one of the Four Corners of the House of Troubles. The people of the Iliac Bay region believe that Azura bewitches some of her followers to become her "lovers" and "virtual slaves".

Azura's realm in Oblivion is called 'Moonshadow' is a realm created and ruled over by her. The realm claimed to be so beautiful that visiting mortals are half-blinded. The realm contains flowers and waterfalls, majestic trees, and a city of silver. The wind smells of perfume, and the realm is known to have rain. Azura lives in a rose palace and is welcoming to mortal travelers.

This is what all I could remember from reading about her. For her to be the first Daedric Prince I try to deal with then I sure am not bad.

I was in deep thought that even Nefertiti in my hand didn't move and kept quiet.

"Azura ha.." A voice came from the side that made me jump away.

The one who spoke was a Dunmer woman in the robes of monks, she was covered in fur because of the cold weather and looked a bit bothered.

"Ehem! Azura has seen your coming, traveler. It was not curiosity, but fate, that has led you here." She said.

I looked at the woman who seemed to be Aranea, the priestess of Azura.

I looked at the statue and smiled, "Well, even curiosity is a fate. But I guess Lady Azura can see me coming from miles away, I mean, we can see her statue from Winterhold of the sky is clear."

"No, Azura has given me the gift of foresight. I had a vision of you walking up the steps to this altar long before you were born. You have been chosen to on be her champion. I know it is unexpected, but do not worry. It will all unfold as she has predicted."

"And?"

"You must go to a fortress, endangered by water, yet untouched by it. Inside, you will find an elven mage who can turn the brightest star as black as night." She said, "It is cryptic, I know, but Azura's signs are never wrong. I believe the fortress may refer to Winterhold. Ask if they know this elven enchanter."

"I guess I know who I am looking for. But can I camp here for the night?"

"You are welcome here!"

"Thank you!"

"May the twilight guide you."

I left the woman and told Jull to bring our camping gear, this will be a cold night.

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-Bonus-

▪On the mountain of Azura's Shrine.

"Hooman, what is that, nya?"

"This is our Kingdom, Nefertiti."

"Our kingdom, nya?"

"Yes, anything under the sun is our kingdom."

"THE TENT IS GETTING COLD YOU IDIOTS!"