A Nascent Kaleidoscope.

Chapter 491: Chapter 446

All things considered; it was actually a very polite 'invitation'. Granted, the tone of it didn't sound like it was optional, but still, I've heard much worse in this regard. And considering it was from an entity that could blink me out of existence with a thought, well, I think I should be a smidgen appreciative that this was how they were handling it.

That being said, I had a tiny bit of panic.

"Meridia..." I said very quietly under my breath.

I considered taking out Dawnbreaker and waving it around to get her attention.

'You may go.' I felt her words brush against my ears.

Well...okay then.

I know she wouldn't do anything to harm me, intentionally, but I also know how fervent she was against me consorting with other Daedric Lords.

And my little group were looking at me, as if waiting for me to make a decision when I was utterly unsure of what to do. Meridia gave the okay, but I wasn't all too happy about personally meeting another one of Meridia's level.

"You said your name was Karliah?" I looked at the woman covered in her admittedly cool looking armor.

"No, he said I am." She was probably glaring at Sasaki through the face covering. "But yes."

"Just out of curiosity, what is the relationship between Meridia and Nocturnal?"

"I've never heard anything about an antagonistic relationship." She informed me rather quickly. "But you don't need to be too concerned, my Mistress is fair and reasonable. As long as you don't do anything to overly insult her or steal from her –" There was a big emphasis on that last part. "—then you should be fine."

"Theoretically, what if I rejected this invitation?" I asked purely out of curiosity.

"Theoretically, she would be most displeased, but you would not suffer any meaningful consequences. But I don't suggest crossing a God without a very good reason."

I unconsciously glanced at Odin who shrugged as if to say she's right.

"Lead the way then." I finally relented.

She didn't immediately lead the way. "The Invitation was specific." She glanced at the others with us.

It didn't take a genius to know what she was insinuating.

"We will wait for you to return." Scáthach said simply. "And if you do not, I will know who to kill."

Karliah looked at her silently, and while I couldn't see her face, I'm pretty sure she would be gaping.

"It's fine, we'll go check out the town why you guys do your thing." Jinn didn't seem to care, and frankly, I think she preferred staying out of it. She wasn't particularly enthused by meeting Godly entities, bearing certain exceptions. She wasn't quite like Medea who almost recoiled at the idea but it was honestly not an interest of hers.

I couldn't really blame her in that regard, she probably has some reservations due to her own creators.

"I'll keep them company." Sasaki smiled.

That settles it then.

"Fine then, let's get this settled." I let out a sigh. "Please, lead the way."

[***]

It wasn't actually that far away. A couple hours of trekking to find it away from Riften, and up the side of a mountain, but not bad overall.

"Here we are, the secret temple of Nocturnal and home to the Nightingales, the Twilight Sepulcher." She introduced, and she didn't sound quite that enthused, almost sarcastic in a way. Well, she did emphasize that it was supposed to be a secret place known only to her people, but here we were.

"How is this secret?" Odin asked.

"Pardon?" The woman questioned.

"Well, not to be rude, but it is a steel door built into the side of the cliff." Thorum pointed out.

"It's –"

"And there was a footpath leading up to it." I added.

"That's –"

"Aye, and there were stone pillars outlining the path. And as we got close, there were braziers alight with fire." Thorum continued.

"....no one comes here."

"We're about 30 minutes from a predominant town." Odin helpfully contributed. "Look, someone carved their name into that stone obelisk. 'Odvr was here'.

"Just.....just follow me." She let out a long sigh.

"Oh hey, the door has the same symbol as your armor." I noted.

It's weird how you can't see someone's face, but you can just feel the look they're giving you.

"Also, I just remembered something I was curious about. You're part of the Thieves guild, right?" I asked our guide.

"I suppose that isn't much of a secret anymore either. Yes, I am. I am the current leader of the Thieves Guild." She nodded.

"I vaguely recall I put out a commission some time ago, something about a Blue Glass sword, and it ended up being you guys who fulfilled it." The material that was used to make Mirage. Damn, that felt like years ago. And....I guess it technically was? Considering how long I spent in the Land of Shadows.

She paused in her steps. "That was you?" She turned to face me with a bit of surprise in her tone.

"....is there something wrong?"

"No, I'm just surprised I'm meeting the person who overpaid so much for that sword." She snorted. "But.....I suppose I should thank you. It was a very difficult time, and the sudden influx of gold helped more than you could imagine." Her previous irritation seemed to dissipate a bit. "Let's go inside." She said, walking up to the door. "It's protected against entry to any non-Nightingale. You need to –"

"Boop." Odin pressed his stick against the door and it lit up in various ways, creaking and grinding as it began to open up.

She didn't comment, rather, she took a deep breath and walked inside without another word.

It was....about what one would expect honestly. I wasn't really impressed when she called this place a temple for a Goddess. Out of all the Tombs I've been to in Skyrim, this just seemed like more of the same.

"I will take you to the inner sanctum." She said without much emotion in her tone, pivoting and turning to the side and she didn't give time for a response, pushing open a wooden door and carrying on.

"It is a lot larger inside than I imagined." Thorum said quietly.

As we went deeper, the air started to change. And I wasn't the only one who noticed either. While Thorum and a visible reaction, Odin immediately became on guard.

I was also familiar with the feeling, it was as if we were walking into a God's personal domain.

The fires of the braziers flickered, they were no longer red and orange, but purple and black.

An unnatural dark energy drifted above our heads along the ceiling.

And I felt a rather eerie chill go down my spine.

I felt it before we arrived. It was but a simple door that separated us from the other side. And what existed on the other side was not something mortals should be exposed to. And I came to a realization why this particular spot was dedicated as a 'secret temple' to such a powerful Entity.

Beyond that door, it was no longer Nirn.

I was fairly sure Meridia wasn't unaware of what was going on, and as she had not dissuaded me at all, I didn't say anything.

Even if every fiber of my being told me not to go there, I grit my teeth and pushed forward.

Karliah, seemingly completely unperturbed, pushed the door open and the foreign air brushed past our faces.

There was a strange type of altar, at the center was a bastion of some dark liquid-like substance, and in a triangular formation, there were three platforms representing different phases of the moon. And that same liquid-like substance flowed through crevices in certain formations around the floor.

"Night Mistress, your loyal Servant beckons you." Karliah immediately prostrated herself in front of the strange altar. "I have fulfilled your order and brought the ones you sought into your inner chamber."

The air in the room stilled and then, as if vibrating, it swirled around the altar, the liquid inside shining brightly in contradiction to the dark colors it was composed of. A figure appeared hovering above it, clad in dark robes, with a raver on either side of her shoulder.

Her features were hard to discern, and even her lower half was hazy at best, as if I was looking at a mirage. Barely, I could see the hair behind her hood, the color reminded me of Nyx.

Her eyes were like galaxies, swirling with power.

Overall, ignoring her immediate impression of power, she had a very....stern temperament about her. I would almost equate it to a schoolteacher looking expectantly at her students.

"Well done, Karliah." Her voice was somewhat similar to Meridia. It was slightly flat, but with a hint of authoritativeness. "I can see that you're able to handle such burdensome tasks." The sarcasm was clear for everyone.

The woman in question wisely didn't respond.

I don't know what was going on, but it sounded like she wasn't all too pleased with her subordinate at the moment.

"Hmm." The Goddess turned her attention towards us. "Yes, the child of prophecy, the Dragonborn." She looked Thorum over.

"Greetings, Lady Nocturnal." Thorum bowed his head.

"A polite one." Her tone carried that same uninterested undertone to it. "This should not have been our first meeting, but it seems the tapestry of Fate can be overturned." Her eyes bore into me when she said that I felt a tingle go down my spine, but she didn't settle on me. "And the Foreign God."

"I am Odin, God of Asgard. It is my pleasure to meet a Goddess such as yourself." Odin delivered smoothy.

Nocturnal raised a singular eyebrow. "And tell me, God of Asgard. What matter brings you to our domain?"

"Curiosity." Odin said simply.

"Ah, the most simple yet complicated reasoning that moves even us." The Goddess hummed, and finally, her attention turned towards me. "And then there's you."

"Greetings, Lady Nocturnal." I politely greeted her.

Unlike them both, she didn't acknowledge my greeting.

The Goddess crossed her arms, staring at me and I decided it was best not to run my mouth at this particular moment. Eventually, the Goddess frowned and raised her finger, the shadows around the room swirled and consumed us.

I didn't fight it, nor move to escape whatever it is she was doing. If she wanted to harm me, it was fairly easy for her to do so anyways, I didn't think she would go through this kind of trouble if she simply wanted me gone.

Everything turned dark, utterly and completely dark without a single source of light.

Slowly, something peek through, and as if the shadows began to recede, I was no longer standing within the temple.

All around me were stars, like I suddenly found myself in the further depths of space. Comets streaking across the starry sky, constellations seemed to almost vibrate within their spots amongst the infinite specks of lights. The pulsing of quasars that dotted the Galaxies, and the abundant Nebulas that added color to the night.

One Nebula in particular, it was shaped rather familiarly....and I realized what it was as soon as it blinked.

Well then, I feel wholly insignificant right at this moment.

Quickly, I could see the vague outline of her figure that made up of the night sky. And it began to shrink, slowly forming into the silhouette of a 'person' as opposed to an entity that could treat stars like marbles.

She reappeared, standing upon the void of space as if it were solid ground.

I could get a much clearer picture of her now.

And I certainly did not stare at her legs, despite the fact that the 'dress' she was wearing revealed all the way up to her arms and down her legs on the sides.

"We're not in Nirn anymore." I stated.

"Welcome to the Evergloam." She stated emotionlessly.

Well then.

I found myself looking downwards and I could see a.....world, for lack of a better term. Like how Meridia's Colored rooms had land masses, it was like we were standing above another 'planet' in space.

"Thank you?"

She looked at me with an indiscernible expression which slowly grew into something resembling frustration. "No matter how I look, I cannot fathom it."

"Fathom what?"

"Where these rumors I have heard originate from. You are but a mortal creature, born in different circumstances. It is like comparing the Sun to a candle but a candle is a candle and it will still burn away in time." The goddess crossed her arms, tapping her a finger against her skin. "How long are you going to watch, M???????e?????????r?????i??????d????????-???????N????????u????????n????d?????a?????????."

She said something and it made my head hurt, like when Odin was smacking the statue of Talos.

Very quickly, a familiar and warm light enveloped me, but particularly, something deep inside me came bursting to the surface, forming a silhouette I knew intimately.

"U?????r???-?????D????r???????a?????" Meridia responded in kind. Making me flinch again in mild pain.

The two Goddesses stared at one of each other silently. Or atleast, I think they were silent, they could be having a conversation or fight in such a higher state of existence that I couldn't fathom it. Though, considering how Meridia emphasizes how powerful one of their numbers are within their own realms, I'm pretty sure she isn't here but more like a small projection.

Nocturnal glanced at me, then focused back on Meridia. "You are very protective of your pet Mortal. I've never seen someone with so much of your blessings."

"What do you want?" Meridia narrowed her eyes.

"My curiosity sated." The twitching of her lips led to a smile and she looked at me. "Tell me mortal, how does it feel knowing that your every move is watched by her? That your every action is monitored and calculated. That even in the depths of your soul, her grasp –"

"Oh, I already knew." I interjected.

"You.....knew?" That, for some reason, seemed to take her off guard. "You know that with a single thought, she can remove your free will. She can erase your very essence and turn you into one of her puppets."

"Yup." I nodded. "I don't mind. I know it makes her feel more comfortable, and I trust her. Realistically, if she wanted to do anything to me, there are simpler ways. Also, if she was going to do anything, she would have already done it because she lets me get away with far too much. Frankly, if I want to – " I blinked, looking down at myself in confusion because I was about to say something very personal that I wouldn't in order to protect Meridia's image in the minds of others. "Why am I speaking so forwardly?"

"How long do you intend to keep up your tricks." Meridia frowned.

"Do you think I would allow falsehoods to be spoken to me in my realm?" Nocturnal glared at Meridia.

"Ah, am I under some kind of effect where I can only speak the truth? That's strange, what constitutes the variables for 'truth'? Do I have to acknowledge what I'm saying as truth? Can It be a partial truth? Could I lie to myself and get around it? What if I suddenly removed my own memories, would it constitute truth if I unknowingly lied?" I forced myself to stop again. "...sorry about that, I don't know what came over me."

"It is not your fault." Meridia emphasized. "You are inclined to speak truthfully and fully at this moment."

Right.

"And I am having trouble understanding what the purpose of this conversation is." Meridia's tone turned sour. "Why do you, of all of us, care about my matters with him?"

"Because I never thought you would be one to indulge in the affairs of mortals." Nocturnal practically scoffed. "I want to know why."

"Is it really that important to you?" I said quietly.

Meridia looked at me and pursed her lips. "Secrets are part of her domain."

"Is it really a secret?" I blinked. "It's a rather simple answer."

Nocturnal clicked her tongue. "And it is one I cannot accept. Do you understand that what takes us time to simply blink would be eons for mortals? That we can patiently wait for moments, and for Mortals tens of thousands of years passed? She is the sun, and you are a flickering candle, with but a simple breeze to snuff you out."

"So?" I questioned.

"...so?" The goddess repeated in confusion at my response.

"I am well aware of the differences between us. And it would be a lie to say that there aren't moments where we have trouble understanding one another. We are completely different in scope and in extension, we think differently and feel differently. And it's true that it will eventually end. A thousand years, ten thousand years a million years, it doesn't matter. My time will come eventually, and to her, it will be merely a moment in comparison to her entire existence." I looked at Meridia and smiled. "But one day far into the future, when I've already turned to dust in the sands of time, if she can look back and smile at the time we spent together knowing she was loved, then I'm satisfied."

Nocturnal looked at me with the most human-like expression I've seen so far. Was it confusion mixed with speechlessness?

"To answer your question, it is because I knew all of this without resorting to means of forcing answers." Meridia glowered.

The Goddess quickly shifted back to her usual demeanor. "It was simply my curiosity that I asked." She dismissed and apparently didn't want to acknowledge the questioning anymore. "My true purpose is in regards to the strings of fate that have been cut due to his presence."

"Don't act like you care." Meridia crossed her arms.

"It matters when my own interests are interfered with!" Nocturnal shot back. "The Dragonborn would have happened upon my Key by his own hand."

"Thorum?" I furrowed my brow.

"Hmph, that is merely a possibility." Meridia glanced at me. "Do not believe her words. We are all aware of the convergence of fate around him long before he was even born. We have all cast our strings in an attempt to intertwine with his own, yours is just one of many."

"I wonder, is this a side effect of you indulging in mortal whimsy?" Nocturnal scoffed. "Does he not even know the consequences of his actions? The tapestry of fate has been upended, and it barely holds together on the premise of the World-Eater's resolution. If any more strings are undone...I believe the mortals call it a Dragon Break? How fitting."

"Out of the loop here." I found myself blurting out, mostly because I was still under the effects of truthfully speaking my mind without much reservation.

They both looked at me at the same time, and I felt awkward interrupting them, but they knew that I wasn't fully in control of myself at the moment.

"My Artifact was stolen by one of my previous Nightingales. The child of prophecy would have been entangled with it by fate and I would have taken him as mine. Your presence upended that scenario completely." Nocturnal seemed displeased.

"Potentially." Meridia clarified, making Nocturnal scoff again. "Do not try to lay a debt at his feet for which he is not at fault."

"Does this mean you're wanting to claim Thorum as one of your own?" Because I knew that meant much more than simply hiring him as an employee.

"His soul belongs to Time, it would never be mine to claim. But while he lived, he would do my bidding." She didn't hide her intentions.

Well....if Thorum chose that route, it would be his decision. And I didn't have a particularly bad feeling towards her so far. I mean, she scared the shit out of me, but I think that's normal.

And so far, Nocturnal didn't seem like the worse option. I was one hundred percent sure she was only humoring my presence because of Meridia, otherwise she would never be treating me this well, but even so, she was much more amicable than I initially thought.

"What do you want?" Meridia finally asked. "Your question has already been answered."

"It was a coincidence that he appeared within my reach, I merely desired answers and to see the source of chaos in person." Nocturnal looked me over again. "However, I now sense something on you that I desire. Let me see it."

Before I could give an answer, she reached out towards me and I felt a presence rummage through my storage ring.

In her hand appeared a very familiar vial of golden liquid. "This is curious, I want it."

"Liquid luck."

"Hmm, this name is acceptable." The Goddess looked at it. "It is made from things not found here, I presume. Do you have the ingredients it is made of?"

"I do...."

"I will offer you a trade."

I glanced at Meridia.

"Luck is also her domain." Meridia revealed. "Ask for something if you wish, it is not a significant transaction, so do not expect much."

I wanted to make a joke about the reward I asked from Meridia initially, but I felt like as soon as that left my mouth, I wouldn't be able to stop myself from revealing several embarrassing things. And while I do enjoy teasing Meridia, I don't do it infront of other people.

"Can you give better terms to Thorum for recruitment?" I honestly didn't really know what else to ask for and I was a bit intimidated to ask for anything valuable. If Thorum was potentially going to be 'employed' under her, well, better terms would be a good thing, right? Worse case, he rejects her, and I wouldn't really mind losing out on something I could easily get more of.

"Your request is for me to offer better terms to the child?" Nocturnal looked at me strangely.

"....yes?" I answered unsure. "Is that a problem?"

She was silent for a moment. "I am speaking to him now, and he has not yet rejected my terms." She went silent. "Very well, I will allow this as payment. I originally was to allow him to be my key bearer, but I will bestow upon him a second of my Artifacts. His reluctance annoys me, however, I will allow him to have a taste of the power he will wield should he accept for a period beforehand. This is the grace I bestow, is it acceptable?"

"Yes, thank you." I didn't expect much, but I would happily take it.

Giving Thorum a trial run? Sure, why not.

It seems like she genuinely wants him for some reason, and that other girl spoke well of Nocturnal, and Meridia was.....not hostile.

"Can I ask a question?"

"You have this allowance due to the nature of this meeting." Her look towards Meridia was all the explanation that was needed. Once more, I was given face due to her presence.

"Really, it's two questions. First, you're talking to all of us simultaneously, so what's going on with Odin?"

"The Foreign God." The Goddess frowned. "He vexes me."

".....he's flirting with you, isn't he?"

She didn't confirm it, but the look on her face said it all.

"And you were wanting to induct Sasaki Kojiro into your order, right? Make him a Nightingale?"

"That being is inordinately qualified for my blessing."

"Presence Concealment..."

"Quite." The Goddess apparently already saw through his nature.

"Thank you, that's all." I didn't want to push my luck here. I searched my ring for some of the ingredients needed to make the Liquid Luck potion. "I don't actually know how to craft it, and I don't know if it matters to you, but I have a copy of the book with the instructions if you want." I offered.

"I will accept." Nocturnal said passively, sweeping up everything I presented as it disappeared to places I don't know. "The transaction is complete, your presence here is no longer required. I will return you from whence you came."

I barely had time to blink before I was swept back to where I was originally, standing in the middle of that 'temple' of hers.

Besides me were both Thorum and Odin.

However, Thorum took most of my immediate attention because he was now sporting armor that looked very similar to Karliahs'.

"Nice threads!" Odin shot him a thumbs up.

"I.....do not know why I am clothed in this, I did not accept the offer." Thorum seemed confused.

Karliah stood up from where she was kneeling, and I'm fairly sure that the 'meeting' only took a few moments from her perspective. "The mistress relays that you may make use of her Blessings for a months' time to decide. You should be honored for this unprecedented leniency and good will."

"....aye." Thorum didn't sound too sure. "How do I....change out of it?"

"Merely it, the Armor of the Nightingale will hide within your soul."

Thorum looked down at himself, and his armor flashed and he returned to his normal attire. "Oh, that is convenient."

"If that is now settled, I will lead you out of the temple." She wasted no time ushering us out.

It's almost like she didn't want us here.

[***]

The trek here from Riften was annoying, but it was fairly easy to go back. After knowing where we needed to go, I merely had to open a portal.

Karliah departed from us rather quickly and went off to who knows where, not that we really cared too much.

"I didn't want to say anything in her presence, but what's up with the offer?" I asked Thorum.

"Uh, Lady Nocturnal asked me if I wished to be her Champion. I.....admit my hesitance due to the nature of such a deal."

"Hmm, it isn't a decision to be made lightly." Odin stroked his beard.

"Your soul wouldn't belong to her, if that's what you're worried about." I remembered what she said initially. "And actually, I may have had something to do with your new armor. I had something she wanted, and she made a comment about recruiting you, so I figured I would see if I couldn't get you better terms. Don't take this as me trying to coerce you into accepting, I just didn't know what to ask for and she was rather intimidating, so I wanted to get it over with quickly."

"Aye, it now makes more sense. I did not speak in front of Karliah either, but it is not just the Armor I have...erm, inside my soul?"

"She did say she was going to let you wield two of her Artifacts." I nodded. "But don't' take them out now, you don't know who's watching."

"As you say, my friend. I admit I am not against it entirely. Out of all the Daedric Lords, Nocturnal is a very honorable one. I have not ever heard a bad word about her. I will consider the role carefully." He replied as we approached the gates of Riften, pushing them open easily as no one seemed to bother with us at this point.

"Meridia seemed.....alright around her, for what it's worth." I gave my two cents. "And she didn't really threaten me in any way." Although she was obviously towering over me and only acknowledged me as a 'Mortal'. But that's neither here nor there. "Anyways, the girls and Sasaki should be up ahead. Looks like a Tavern."

Odin looked cheerful at that, and he stepped forward, pushing the tavern doors open. It was very hard to miss Jinn's explicit figure, but the people she was sitting with stood out pretty handedly.

"And there they are." Sasaki raised a mug of something at us.

"Well this definitely saves us some time, I was wondering how we were gong to go about finding you two. Archer, Rider, it's good to see you two again."

"Been awhile." Rider grinned. "Heard that Ruler's back now, eh?"

"She is." I couldn't help but smile.

"It'll be nice to see her again." Archer nodded.

"These are the last two then, brat?" Odin sat down at the table along with Thorum.

"A God?" Rider furrowed his brow.

"Hmph, you can tell right away, a Demi-God, huh?" Odin inspected Rider. "Not from my neck of the words, Greek?"

"I'm Achilles, son of the hero Peleus, and the Goddess Thetis." Achilles taped his chest.

"Hoh, now that is a famous name." Odin grinned. "And what about you, my beautiful feline lady?"

"Atalanta, Huntress of Artemis." Atalanta nearly growled at his naming.

"Interesting." He stroked his beard, nonplussed about her behavior. "You can call me Odin. Want to come with us to save the world?"

"Sure."

"Okay."

Odin's face dropped. "Well that was a lot easier than I would have thought."

"Got bored of Skyrim?" I asked.

"Well, not so much bored..." Achilles scratched his head.

"We had been getting annoyed by a bunch of the local leaders and even the Emperor....we didn't really want to get involved with them.....It's not like we're unused to being treated as heros, but we really didn't want to delve into the politics here." Atalanta explained.

"Ah, say no more." I completely understood. "So, what exactly did you two do to get the attention of the Emperor?"

Atalanta scowled. "It all started when we found this vampire masquerading as a child."

[***]

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