DS 734 (Patreon)

734: The Hidden Twilight 1

"Hey!"

"Don't hey me!"

"My legal team shall contact your steward to pay for the damages."

"You don't even smell anywhere near sorry."

"Dragon fighting has a lot of occupational hazards."

"Not what I want to hear."

"Sorry."

"Well… nope… too easy!"

Jon Dare and Arcgmage Neloth were a very unusual mix. Jon vs Neloth is basically a hopeless narcissist vs another hopeless narcissist.

And it doesn't end there.

It is a self-accomplished man vs another self-accomplished man.

A self-centered asshole vs another self-centered asshole.

An aristocratic magic supremacist archwizard vs another aristocratic magic supremacist archwizard.

Jon may have had an idea about Neloth's personality from the game but he was just swayed by the glamor of a Telvanni Wizard. The first time the two met, Neloth's attitude made Jon muster out his attitude too and they became very tense with one another.

"I wasn't going to let your precious tower get destroyed anyway. I know you keep a Black Book there." Jon said.

"I believe my Black Book is none of your concern, Nurina's disciple." Neloth replied.

"It becomes my concern when it is about Dragons and Dragonborns." Jon said.

"You spit those words and people seriously get to open doors for you?" Neloth asked.

"When I ask them in Dragon Tongue, I tend to be convincing enough for doors to open on their own." Jon replied.

"At least try asking nicely." (Neloth)

"Please." (Jon)

"The fact that you didn't hesitate takes all the seriousness away from your nice act." (Neloth)

"The fact that I don't hesitate while being nice made you hesitant." (Jon)

"The fact that you thought I got hesitant makes you the funniest guy on Solstheim, maybe Tamriel, or even across all Nirn." (Neloth)

"I don't need your acknowledgment for that. I'm the funniest guy period." (Jon)

"Get a room, you two."

While the two gentlemen were having a personality deadlock, Jullanar spoke out her mind casually as she was dusting off the ash from the fight.

"Good idea." Neloth didn't seem to mind, "I have one Black Book while you have multiple last time I asked around."

Seeing how Neloth seemed to be living under a rock, Jon found it unprofitable to keep up the banter.

"I have four." He replied.

"Show me what you have and I'll show you mine." Neloth said.

"Lead the way."

Agreeing to follow him into Tel Mithryn, Jon followed Neloth with a tail of three individuals following and asking him about the Dragon he turned into in the sky.

***

"I turned into a Dragon?" Jon asked.

"Yes, dude!" Wulfur excitedly replied.

"I told you he didn't. Dragons are divine beings. What we saw may be the reflection of his Aura or maybe a shout manifested something spiritual within him that caused such a phenomenon." Alina rationally said.

"Wow! All that happened?" Jon asked, "I was just beating up a dragon. I even used magic and Thu'um less than usual."

"I also witnessed the phenomenon. Mysterious as it was, the world offers a lot of unexplained phenomena for those with the eye to see and appreciate magic. Anything could have happened up there, just as the infinite possibilities of magic." Neloth said as he put the Black Book of The Hidden Twilight on the large central table in the middle of his mushroom abode of Tel Mithryn.

"I think I know what happened."

But just like her usual self, Jullanar raised her hand with a mad glint in her eyes.

Everyone turned to her, a bit doubtful, and seemed to be at least willing to hear her out.

"When Jon and the big bad lizards swooshed into the sky, their fight was so intense and filled with mystical energy that the world couldn't help but turn them into greater versions of themselves so they could beat the crap out of each other in a mystical way." She said.

They at least spared her a moment before returning to the main subject.

"You said there were strange things that appeared and redirected the Dragon's fall at the last second. What exactly was that?" Jon asked.

"I don't know." Neloth said, "Nirn spirits, mystical forces, your guess is as good as mine. I don't owe these things anything though. Tel Mithryn could have withstood the impact and any damage would have been mended easily."

"And you?" Jon asked Alina.

"Couldn't see them coming, to be honest. They surprised me too." She replied.

"Another mystery." Jon sighed, "I wasn't expecting all that at once."

"So, the Black Books." Neloth asked.

"Right." Jon flicked his fingers and four Black Books appeared out of thin air under his right.

A fifth also appeared on Jon's left but he seemed not to be handing it out.

"This one is damaged." He said as he waved the Black Book with a hole in its center.

"It'll heal over time." Neloth said.

"And it leads right to the center of Apocrypha." Jon added.

Neloth looked at the book for a second before turning away.

"Not interested."

Jon would usually comment that the difference between Divayth Fyr and Neloth, who hold similar positions to each in House Telvanni, that if it was Old Divayth, he'd find it even more interesting to get into the center of Apocrypha and mess with Hermaeus Mora, unlike Neloth who preferred rather not to. He didn't say it but he was smiling with the thought running across his head.

"I know what you're thinking. The great Neloth must be scared. Look at him! Oh how the mighty have fallen!" Neloth said mockingly.

"Nope. Didn't even think of that." Jon denied it and took the Black Book of The Hidden Twilight that Neloth brought him.

"By the way, this is four books for one." Jon said.

"One for one and the other three are compensation." Neloth said.

"One for compensation, another for the other book you know its location but don't seem to have. And the last for a favor I didn't think about just yet." Jon said.

"How annoying!" Neloth sighed, "Just keep the damn book then."

"You don't want it?"

"I was done with it a long time ago."

"Cool."

As Jon was done with the exchange, he and Neloth took opposite corners of each other and prepared for their Black Book research. And by research, it meant delving into Apocrypha through the books.

Previously, Jon has explored four Black Books and got four different and useful abilities. From the Black Book of Untold Legends, he learned the Bardic Inspiration, the spell which he used and abused to its maximum potential. From the Black Book of Filament and Filigree, he gained the Secret of Arcana, an ability that contributed greatly to his current ability as a spellcaster. From the Black Book of the Winds of Change, he gained the Scholar's Insight, another ability that buffed his ability as a magic learner. Finally from the Black Book of the Sallow Regent, Jon learned the Seeker of Sorcery ability which improved his spellcasting and enchanting in general.

Now that the Black Book of the Hidden Twilight is in his hand, it is natural for him to pick another magic buffing ability but he knew that this won't be possible with this one. The powers this book offers are either too comical, too boring, or plain but useful.

[A/n: until the chapter goes on WN, I'll make a vote on Discord between Mora's Agony, Mora's Grasp, and Mora's Boon. Kinda know how this vote is gonna end but whatever.]

Still, after making enemies with Hermaeus Mora and Miraak at the same time, will Jon be okay if he steps into Apocrypha, Oblivion during this heat?

"Well… I'll just have to keep the mischief at max heat." Jon mumbled with a grin and then looked at his own hand.

Something felt strange but it felt him with power and it was a good feeling.

He finally completed all the Sin Artifacts and it felt good, it felt right.

He still couldn't understand where his power was taking him but his heart was bursting with energy and he needed to let some out. Even that Dragon Fight wasn't enough to push him where he wants to go.

Hell, he was only left wanting to fight more.

"Honey, I'll get going." Jon said and opened the book for many tentacles to come out and start wrapping themselves around his arms and his head. 

"Don't be late for dinner." Alina smiled gently and saw him off to Oblivion.