A small girl in a black cloak was meditating in the middle of the small isle. It only had a few coconut trees in the middle surrounded by small mangroves at the coasts. She was sitting under the shade on one of the coconut trees, with her mind focused somewhere. Her small body was mostly covered by her black cloak which was badly matched for her petite size, which made the only visible part of her body everything above her nose. Her white hair swayed with the cool wind and her twin-tailed hairstyle showed off her small sharp ears that would make anyone assume that she was a cute elven child, but in truth, she wasn’t.

Then as she opened her green slit eyes, a massive pulsing wave swept through with her as the source into the surroundings. The coconut trees creaked, the mangroves swayed and the calm beach waves were pushed away, making giant waves against the surface currents from the deep blue sea.

In quick succession, she raised her hand towards one of the floating targets that she placed at a distance in front of her and conjured a highly dense projectile from her small palm. The thing that she was aiming for was the furthest that she could only see a tiny dot in her sight. Then after feeling that it was enough, she unleashed the power that was restraining the projectile and flew through the wooden target in an instant. The speed of the projectile was so fast that it only took less than a second to reach its target.

But it didn’t stop there, as the projectile landed on the furthest distance as her eyes could see in the middle of the sea, it bounced once in the surface of the water creating a massive explosion. The destruction that it left caused another massive wave heading towards the small islet where she was standing. In response, she created a barrier that let the isle pass through the tidal wave that could have swallowed the isle whole.

Then at the horizon, several figures can be seen floating above the surface of the sea. She unleashed a massive wave of unknown spell that struck those figures in an instant. The spell was a detection spell and now she found that the entire isle she was on was surrounded by more than just dozens of figures. She also sensed the condensing Magicka on their bodies, making her understand immediately that they were preparing something powerful.

She smiled. She can now start again.

"Deploy Column Formation!"

After hearing the loud command from one of the figures, she felt the invisible containment fields instantly covered the isle she was standing. The shell that she was encased with continued stacking upon each other until the figures stopped their casting.

Then knowing that they already finished their part, she grabbed her staff that was struck upright on the ground right beside her. And she raised her staff overhead with her two hands, castinf a large spell that displayed a massive multicolored magical circles humming around her small body.

The air around the isle stirred with a dangerous atmosphere that the fishes nearby sensed the incoming danger and swam to the depths of the sea for shelter. The flying seagulls and birds also sensed the same thing and flew away in a hurry for their safety.

Then she unleashed her entire power towards the figures in all directions. A bright white light covered the entire isle, brighter than the morning light. A particle beam struck through the barriers and cleanly bore off chunks of flesh from the figures as the white light passed through their bodies.

It was just mere seconds but the damage was enough to burn the entire isle and leave steaming hot sea water around it. The heatwave was enough to melt the sands around her as she sighed in contemplation for what happened.

The figures that were previously flying around the isle were nowhere to be seen. Then dozens of rifts disturbed the space around her, sprouting human bodies in full black cloaks. They all fell around her, lifelessly.

As she scour her eyes on the dead bodies, the figures were revealed to have the same appearance as her. But all have different fatal injuries on their bodies; some were headless, others had holes on their stomachs and chests, and the rest had a burnt smell with their roasted skin. She clapped three times and then the bodies melted into the sands, leaving only their empty black cloaks.

Then she stood still, silently chanting a spell within seconds, creating a large bubble of purple sphere with magic symbols. The sands on the beach flew around with the strong gust of wind created by her spell, creating a small sandstorm. And the space cracked, just in a short distance away from where she stood. It revealed a hidden golden statue of a giant humanoid beast with several rat heads.

And as her spell diminishes and the space around the statue stabilized, the golden figure started to molt out of its golden coat.

The humanoid statue came to life with a loud shrieking noise is if it just woke up from something. It's voice were like hundreds of dying shrieks, which would make any normal person dread it's existence. And yet-

"-NOOOO! MAN STUFF! ENOUGH! MAGIC NO MORE! SKRITTLE BEHAVES! BEGS SKRITTLE! NO PAIN! STOP PAIN! MISTRESS SH-"

But before it could finish its plea, she immediately cast the new spell that she was previously testing.

The beam of heat and light struck the beast on its head and chest, creating a large gaping hole on the body of a headless figure. It fell to the sand lifelessly.

She walked and stood near the body as if waiting for something to happen. Then, it's torn up flesh suddenly quivered and started regenerating, fully fixing the missing part of it's body. But instead of glee in returning from the world of the dead, the creature cried out in obvious frustration.

"A-ACK! ENOUGH! SKRITTLE BEGS-"

And just like that, it was silenced once again but with another spell that quickly petrified it's entire body. A new statue stood on the middle of the beach.

She was frowning in her thoughts, busy in knowing where she probably made a mistake in her formulas.

Then a voice interrupted the storm in her mind.

“Destructive as always Shatotto.” A man’s voice whistled his great impression. “Creating another Disaster level spell?”

She turned and saw that it was just Mortred with Fang walking beside him. She sent an annoyed glare and returned to her work.

“Unlike the unfiltered Aether, Magicka is much better." She shrugged. "I can finally continue my work that had previously failed, but I wonder if I can bring what I learned to where I hailed.”

Then she unleashed her entire Magicka outside of her body. Showing off a wide pillar of purple aura flowing upward from her body. Even if Fang wasn't knowledgeable about Magicka, she could feel the overpowering presence of Shatoto. Then the little girl crumpled her small fist towards the statue which the void responded, swallowing the statue whole, without touching the sand beneath it and it disappeared.

Mortred who saw that, smiled at Shatoto's unworded challenge and also opened up his limits to his Magicka to answer her. In the manner of a mage, it was only polite to reply with the same. He unleashed his own Magicka, showing a green aura of power, covering the entire isle itself with it's invasive color.

The small mage, feeling satisfied with what she saw, put a cork to her leaking Magicka and yielded to the dominating strength of Mortred.

"As expected, I am still far from the top. It seems I have still a lot to learn on my way up." She sighed. Mortred smiled awkwardly and patted the head of Shatoto as if reassuring her for something while absorbing back the Magicka he leaked to his body. Annoyed she slapped the patting hand of Mortred away.

"To be honest, I'm still curious on this Aether you were speaking of. Too bad, it doesn't exist here." Mortred said.

"Mu... mu." Shatoto nodded. "I'm still trying to find the unseen veil between the two that was hidden. Trying to match the two simultaneously in searching the difference in feeling."

She showed off her small child-size palm then opened it with another bursting bubbles of Magicka and continued.

"I found during my latest research that Magicka is far denser. It gives approximately four times the effective output of the Aether."

Shatoto then thought that the only downside in her research between the Magicka and Aether was that the Magicka is much harder to manipulate and control. She would even use the rare cloning spell of Mariah' Ziah in this research that already took the lives of over a thousand of her magical clones with the sands of the isle as her medium. One of her theories was that her long knowledge on using Aether was blocking her new knowledge on Magicka.

A full cup cannot be filled anymore.

Then she saw Fang using her strange magic on the sand to cut some coconuts that fell during her tests. The brown-haired girl would drink the water from these fruits with great thirst.

Shatoto then remembered the "Hypnosis Process" that was recommended by Mariah' Ziah. But she decided to take a rest for now. She tilted her head towards Mortred as if asking why he was here.

"Ahem... I actually need your help this time."

Half of Shatoto's face was hidden by her coat's collar but Mortred could see that she was smiling with great interest. Afterall, it would be the first time where he would ask for her help.

"I already assembled the twelve, you're the last one."

His next words made her even more interested.

"This must be so urgent and important that you have to gather all of the Thirteen for the first time. The world must be out of place from it's former fine line." She said then continued. "By now, you can take any gods by yourself... so why do you need a bunch of less powerful welps?

"It's not that simple anymore, I may be facing more than one this time. And that land is shrouded from Time and Space itself. I couldn't even sense it from here. It's like... it doesn't exist even if we know it exists." Mortred explained. "And there's something that I must confirm from there. Your destruction magic will be very useful there."

Shatoto's magic was one of the most powerful destruction magic he had ever seen and felt. In fact, she was the only one who managed to injure him in his MUL form which not even any daedric lord or mage had achieved that feat. And another asset was her great curiosity and extreme lust towards the peak of magic which she saw from him only. An antithesis to the principle of Winterhold Mages.

"Mu...mu." she nodded. "But I will then ask for my boon in accordance with our agreement. You should already know what I meant."

"Fine. But I will only grant it after the success of this expedition." Mortred accepted.

"Deal."

"Deal."

Both shook hands with each other.

"And the agreement between us had been made, I shall hype myself then for what you will trade." She smirked and Mortred only replied with a frowning smile.

"I shall prepare myself back in Winterhold then for departure. Will we leave for that new land like you always had in a pseudo rapture?" She asked.

"No, I actually had found portal that will take us there. Meet us in Skyhaven Temple. We will leave next week." Mortred replied then remembered something which made him show an awkward smile. "Could you also send my apologies to Mirabelle?"

"Hmm?"

"She actually cut off my mental connection with her." Mortred could only think that she was truly in rage with what he and Mariah' Ziah did.

Shatoto silently nodded and waved her staff above her head. Then her body shimered in broken cubes before disappearing.

"Well... Let's wait for Arlene's gift." He stretched his back and both him and Fang disappeared as the rift opened then swallowed them. Leaving no one in the burnt isle.

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"Did you know about the theory that the universe was derived from a phenomena that we mortals could only comprehend as music?" A lecturing voice proudly said. Mariah' Ziah, Ciri and Mirabelle was travelling on a carriage that was being driven by a three mages. They had no escort as their transport traveled alone in the deep snow on the road to Dawnstar. It was being driven by two Winterhold soldiers.

"I am not-" Mirabelle quickly opened the window and puked out her lunch outside. Ciri could still remember the heavy drinking of Mirabelle last night while ranting about how Mortred's carelessness made her job even worse.

"Shouldnt we give her some kind of medicine?" Ciri patted the back of Mirabelle to comfort the Archmage but Mariah' Ziah just shook her head, annoyed that her potential lecture had been interrupted grossly.

"Don't tempt her Cirilla. This is a good exercise for her as most mages already forgot the concept of travelling by foot that they mostly had motion sickness nowadays. Their dependence on teleportation and use of portals made their bodies weak."

"Why now though? I could've just made my exercise around Winterhold! And if that fucking Dragonborn didn't leav-"

Ciri glanced at the puking Mirabelle again and it reminded her of the father figure she have that hated portals.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

"Geralt always taught me that portals are unreliable and should not be trusted. Is this the same here also?" She asked.

"Whaaat?! Don't you underestimate us mages! We studied for so many years on the concept of travelling with ease in bending space that we are confident with the capability and structural integrity of our portals!" Mirabelle immediately wiped her mouth with a towel and puffed her chest with pride. "None of the graduates of Winterhold have experienced any error or mistake in creating portals or teleportation!"

Then she leaned closer to Ciri that the latter quickly made some distance away from her face due to the presence of stinky smell of puke.

"And the belief that the user would be sent to a wrong location was an occurrence that stood from unjust superstition, ignorance of the old and ancient fear of magic. There's a very slim chance to nearly impossible to have such event happening from among our graduates!"

She raised both of her fist on the air to protray confidence for her statements.

"But any powerful mages could still redirect portals if they were able to intercept the disturbance in space." Mariah' Ziah killed her mood immediately causing Mirabelle to pout and grumble on her seat.

The elf just laughed at Mirabelle's childish reaction. Ciri however was entranced at the otherworldly beauty of Mariah' Ziah. The latter noticed her fixated gaze of adoration and she replied with a teasing grin.

"Cirilla, I don't want to break your heart this early but I must say this now, I don't swing that way."

The ashen haired girl immediately blushed at the sudden and unexpected rejection.

"N-n-noo! I wasn't looking at you that way!"

"Well I can't blame Ciri for falling on your looks. Back in the college, many mages on both genders had fallen to your inhuman beauty you know?" Mirabelle remarked after seeing the flustered reaction of Ciri.

"I know, that's why I don't go out most of the times."

"Shut in freak."

Mariah' Ziah just shrugged at her intended insult.

Ciri then tried to change the subject to ease her embarrassment.

"B-by the way, where are we heading? And why do you need my presence?"

"We would be meeting down friends which I'm sure you would be glad to meet also."

"Ha..." Ciri just dumbfoundedly replied.

"They are more or less on the same situation as you."

"Eh... I really don't understand."

"Don't worry, this is also part of your training in manipulating the power inside you so better take everything in, leaving no crumbs as a waste. You will also learn a lot from them." Mariah' Ziah said.

"A-ahh! Y-yes!" Cirilla flusteredly replied.

They were quiet for some time until Ciri took most of her courage to ask something that bothered her.

"Lady Mariah! I have something to ask about!"

"Yes?"

"You mentioned once that we are related in one way or another... This includes that man... Mortred. But how?" Ciri asked.

"Hmmmm..." Mariah' Ziah mulled for several moments before replying. "Well you did open yourself to us with your secrets so it's only right for me to do the same. And it's not even that important to remain a secret anyway."

She smiled and continued.

"First about Mortred..."

Ciri was now focused in listening but she could see the troubled face of Mariah' Ziah where she's considering to tell her or not. Then the latter sighed and answered.

"He is someone you can consider a god."

Several seconds of silence occurred before Ciri replied in a stutter.

"E-eh? That man?"

"It may not be obvious or may not even come to your mind that he is an entity that could erase us in the blink of an eye." Mariah' Ziah said.

That man? I thought he was just a powerful mage... Ciri thought.

"I-I thought he is just-"

"Just an ordinary but powerful mage right?" Mirabelle interjected. "He is a special case. But before I answer more, let me have one question. Do you have gods on your world Cirilla?" Mariah' Ziah asked.

"Yes but they're mostly just for providing good harvests, safe childbirth and summoning rains or what-not." She replied.

But she then saw the two ladies with her, laughing.

"Well, he's actually worse than your gods," Mirabelle said after sighing in relief from heavy laughing. "Mortred never always acts directly on the affairs of mortals as the last vestige of his own humanity. He said he would only act if what he swore to protect was threatened or an otherworldly force endangers this continent. But look at him, contradicting his own words by making more enemies while leaving his shit for me to wipe! You will-"

Her words were cut off by another round of vomit to the window. Ciri patted the back of Mirabelle again to soothe her discomfort.

"A being who owns time and space." Mariah' Ziah continued for her. A statement that made Ciri turn.

"Owns?"

"Yes. What you and I struggle to control, he just blinks at it." Mariah' Ziah shrugged then continued. "I know that you are probably thinking how gods are supposed to be inhuman, supernatural, overwhelming and incomprehensible to a mortal mind that picturing that man as a god makes your head hurt."

"Yeah..." Ciri agreed.

"But he is. In fact, those kind of thoughts were actually conjured by his own existence to protect you and others from him when he walks among us. It's like a large ball of fire walking and talking to you, you cannot feel it's warmth because it had to hide its own to protect you unless it wants you to burn to ashes just after you see it."

Ciri went silently to consume the new information she got clearly.

"And not to mention, he likes being underestimated! Even after his ascension, he was already a rothead! Imagine liking and loving the concept of being underestimated by his enemies that he would always lure them into thinking they got the upper hand, then he would suddenly break their will upon revealing who and what he is. A sadistic bastard." Mirabelle countered.

"But you have to admit, it's still an impressive thing eh?" Mariah'Ziah said.

"True. Imagine if Akatosh walks among us and he is actually a lazy jerk who just likes drinking and smoking narcotics." Mirabelle replied with a mocking tone.

"By the way, where are we going?" Ciri asked.

"We're going to the Kingdom of Dawnstar." Mariah' Ziah explained. "To be more exact, on the Dawnguard Branch that was established there."

"Dawnguard?"

"It's an Order of warriors who keeps the continent from any daedric threat and hunts any abomination that endangers the people." Mirabelle said. "Basically they are hunters of rampaging vampires, werewolves, undead and monsters."

So there's similar to witchers? Ciri thought.

"Well, here we are. Welcome to Cruwvendale Castle!" Mirabelle exclaimed she was excited at the thought of walking on solid, unshaking ground again. She was the first one to jump out of their carriage. Then as if her body suddenly remembered something, she crouched immediately and let loose another batch of putrid liquid from her stomach.

"Miladies I hope you had a good journey on your way here." A tall and large man that could be misunderstood as a giant welcomes them with a smile. He was wearing a long hooded overcoat of thick sabertooth tiger with chainmail hauberk underneath. His gauntlets and boots were obviously made only for him as it would seem that no normal human could wear such heavy padded and iron apparels.

"Well, two of us were, that one is still suffering." Mariah' Ziah pointed at the still vomiting Mirabelle on the side of the carriage.

"Ciri, this is Vsral of Clan Borikk. The Dawnguard Maester of the Dawnstar branch. Master Vsral, this is Cirilla." Mariah' Ziah introduced.

"Please to meet another lady as beautiful as the snow." He shook the hands of Ciri.

"I am honored to be here." The ashen haired lady replied. She was partly excited to see the parallel of witchers on this world.

"So Master Vsral, where's the important guests?"

"Other than you here, the two are currently held on the main hall for their safety." He replied with a loud voice.

They were led to the gate until Ciri suddenly jumped out and unsheathed her blade to something.

"W-what the hell is that?!" She yelled.

The three dumbfoundedly stared at the direction she was pointing and saw a giant albino troll in armor beside another guard on the gate. The creature itself was on the size of the gate, larger than any regular troll, with it's three eyes, the red eyeballs glowed with the snow around it. Its breathe was so large that Ciri thought it was breathing fire. For her, it was as large as a cyclops on her world.

"Oh, that's Rakkan. One of our resident guard trolls. Is this your first time seeing one?" Vsral laughed loudly. "Well, anyone would flee at the sight of him. He's much larger than any troll or even giant I've seen."

"Is he the one that you captured on the ruins of Valahkthal City?" Mirabelle asked.

"Yes, he's guarding the labyrinthian sewers that directly led us to the hidden treasure vault. It's a waste to kill him so I had my men captured and tamed him." Vsral answered.

"Y-you tame monsters? I thought you hunt them? Wasnt there a risk of rampaging in the future?" Ciri asked in shock. She now realized that Dawnguards were actually much different than witchers.

"They're only considered as monsters if they can't be reasoned with or tamed. Like the two beautiful ladies you had travelled with, they're more like monsters than humans if we apply your statement young lady." Vsral said.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Mariah' Ziah smiled.

"Anyways, let's enter now. Don't worry, he won't attack anyone that he deemed to be a danger to the castle or us." Vsral said and added. "He was already bound to this castle."

Vsral continued leading to the inside without care to the increasing concern of Ciri in seeing werewolves and seemingly, vampires and even Leshen-like beings on the premises of the castle as if they were inhabitants. For she was used to the teachings and atmosphere of hostile creatures on her world that her mind was confused on what kind of treatment she will give them.

"Cirilla dear, are you alright?" Mirabelle asked after seeing the cautious and alerted mood of the young woman. "Vsral may have not explained it completely but the Dawnguards didn't just consist of human hunters. Sometimes only a monster could hunt another monster."

Mariah' Ziah then scoffed and added.

"The Dawnguards also protect these creatures from violent discrimination. Not all monsters you know loves eating and killing humans. Some of them were just acting on their bestial nature, territorial tendencies, felt threatened or out of self defense."

Ciri then remembered the past strange rumors about Geralt. How he would sometines choose to spare those he hunted even without compensation. She slowly felt a calming effect after remembering her father figure.

"Here we are miladies." Vsral stopped at the large building with circular structure. Something Ciri considered to be the main keep of the castle.

"Vsral, tell the guards to create a perimeter and leave the premises of the keep until I deem for them to return." Mariah' Ziah said which the large man bowed and yelled his orders. Several men and women in full armor got out of the keep until Mariah' Ziah could only sense two beings inside.

The three then entered and was welcomed by a sight of a large white bear, larger than the albino troll which Ciri saw earlier. The beast was sitting on the center of the room, licking a large barrel which Ciri could smell to be full of honey. And a beautiful woman in her teens. Mariah' Ziah then noticed the young woman's strange but familiar features which she had read before. Something that was only found on a certain race of the east.

"An Akaviri?" Mirabelle spoke out loudly what the snow elf also thought.

"Vsral?" Mariah' Ziah asked via telepathy to the Maester outside the keep.

"Milady, the large bear introduced itself to be Misha and the young woman to be Shen Zo. They claimed to have come from a distant lands to escape certain death as they were being chased. And they were also led here in their search for someone." Vsral replied, knowing that they have seen the two as soon as the three entered the keep.

The bear itself showed signs of being treated as what the bandages around it's body. But Mariah' Ziah could sense some kind of power from the woman.

Something that she also felt from Mortred on their first meeting. Then she decided to test the two.

Without warning her two companions, she unleashed an unfiltered bloodlust towards the bear and the strange woman.

This sudden hostility caused the bear to drop what it was doing and sent frost breathe to separate themselves from the attacked. The woman named Shen Zo, prepared a combat stance which Mariah' Ziah could only interpret as a preparation for combat spells.

But much to her surprise a blinding light covered them and the next thing that occured was the destruction of the entire keep. Mirabelle was quick enough to cast a ward and a barrier to protect herself and Ciri from any incoming attavk. And by the time Ciri and Mirabelle opened their eyes, they were welcomed by another sight of open sky as the roof of the keep was destroyed. But that wasn't the one that surprised them the most.

It was the sight of a serpentine-like being floating on top of the giant bear. It had an appearance of a snake with four limbs, green but majestic scales, two horns on its head and long whiskers on its maw.

"M-my lady?!" Vsral yelled mentally on his connection with Mariah' Ziah in great concern.

"Stand down Vsral, You shan't worry, we are fine. I apologize for the mess though." Then she asked. "Did your men suffer any casualty during the destruction?"

"N-no milady, our vampires were able to sense a burst of energy from the inside and casted ward spells just in time. No injuries also."

"Good, stay there and be alert." She cut off her connection with him and went back to

"A dragon... How interesting." Mariah' Ziah amusedly spoke her impression.

"How dare you attack us after welcoming us in your dining table! Have you lost your manners as hosts?! Is this what this country treats those who eat at their table?!" An echoing voice rang as the strange serpentine dragon opened it's jaws. Three of them could sense the angry state of the creature.

Mirabelle could hardly argue from that statement as her companion blasted them with hostile intent to cause them to be wary and cautious. She knew dragons were very proud being that would never forgive such slight as this was not her first time to see another enraged dragon. She was about to scold Mariah' Ziah but the latter spoke first.

"My apologies for my behavior just now. I needed to confirm things without hiding anything between any of us. It's also our precaution from being lied to as our last experiences with 'guests' were not without conflict."

The dragon however didn't accept her excuses and growled instead with pure fury. But Mariah' Ziah knew it would not dare to attack as she already confirmed that the dragon was trying to defend the bear fiercely more than angered by what she did. Cirilla on the other hand was shaking in dread and fear that she was already preparing herself the worst by teleporting until she felt Mariah' Ziah's mental communication to calm down.

The Archmage knew that something must break the stalemate of the talks and initiated an introduction.

"I am Mirabelle, Archmage of Winterhold. This is Cirilla and-"

"My name is Mariah' Ziah, just a Librarian." Mariah' Ziah introduced herself. "And you must be Shen Zo and Misha. We have started our introduction in a bad taste but please allow me to welcome you to Tamriel."

Shen Zo who was mystified by the apparent minute shock of the perpetrator despite revealing her dragon form, was also thinking on the possibilities that could result on her decisions. Shen Zo, could also feel that the women in front of her, especially the source of the bloodlust earlier, were powerful enough for her own confidence to waver. For her, dragons like her were not just rare but usually connected to divine beings. And she was proud of this bloodline.

But it's as if, the women in front of her somehow knew of dragons. The only one who showed a normal reaction in seeing a dragon as she expected was the ashen haired young woman. But the two just showed her respective interested and worried look. Interested as if she found a new amusing little creature, and the other one was worried, not by fear as Shen Zo sensed none but due to being impolite. She noticed then that the source of that bloodlust had pointed ears.

An elf? Shen Zo thought.

As she was musing on what to do next, the elven woman opened her mouth again.

"Oh yeah, and also... Welcome to Nirn."