#vulon

Vulon before they were a part of society

podtwins

ahraan / vulon

Brak'aath stood beside her, his arms folded behind his back. The only sound, aside from the crackle of the fire and the rumbling breath of Vulon, was her quill scratching on the parchment. Her gaze was fixed on what she wrote, the letter to her friend in Nirn.

"Majesty, this is not a good idea." Brak'aath reiterated to her.

"This one does not have much to find joy in here, Brak'aath. Let her have this." She asked him. He had to admit, the smiles she wore when he brought her the letters were something he found himself craving. He glanced at the parchment to see what she wrote, pausing when he saw his name was mentioned. He couldn't read exactly what she had written, but it seemed to be about him.

"Majesty...." He began to speak.

"This one is telling her friend about how you try to make things better for her." She explained as she signed the parchment. "How, despite your correct concerns, you deliver these letters just to make this one smile. Even at risk to yourself." She stood up, rolling the parchment into a scroll and sealing it with a wax seal over a tied ribbon. She smiled sadly as she held it out to him. "One more letter, dear Brak'aath. Then this one must fall silent. Master is getting suspicious."

He took the scroll, looking at it before looking back at her. "Your letters will only be silenced for a moment, my queen. Once the suspicion has fallen, I will deliver them for you again." He swore to her with a bow. She nodded, watching as he opened a portal and vanished through it.

Why she thought marching her army through Nirn to attack Windhelm was a good idea, she would never know. Already, they had been forced to stop for six fights, countless arguments, and if she saw one more fireball being thrown, so help whoever threw it. She rubbed the bridge of her nose as another argument broke out behind her, Vulon turning his head to look back as the sound of ebony armour colliding against ebony armour filled the air.

""Lead the army to victory." He said. "It will be easy." He said." She sighed as she looked back. "Drovus, Vyr'erath, separate them." She ordered. The two warriors bowed before wading into the army where the two Daedra fought. Hissed curses and growls emerged from all parties as they were forced apart, insults still being hurled.

"Zemarpak!" One of them hissed.

"Dhomaj!"The other snarled as they continued to try and attack each other.

"Enough!" She snapped, drawing all attention to her. "We have wasted enough time as it is. You are warriors of Molag Bal, not mortal soldiers. Act like it!" She snarled at them, watching them all bow before her. Such disagreements were inevitable between her soldiers as they all tried to best one another for her favour. She shook her head as Vulon turned and began to walk forward again. They marched onwards, with her words seeming to have brought an end to the arguments for the moment.

After several more hours of travelling, they were forced to stop again. But this was due to another problem. A large lake lay in their path, blocking their route. As her warriors waited for orders, Vulon took to the air with her. She looked around, taking in the path around the lake.

"Majesty?" A grievous twilight flew alongside her, awaiting her orders.

"Marching around the lake runs the risk of us being discovered. And would add more time for our enemies to prepare themselves." She murmured. "But there is no other route."

"Then we must go through the lake, majesty." He queried, watching as she nodded.

"Inform the warriors, Knoshvus. This one wants the daedroth to test the depths." She ordered. Knoshvus nodded before descending to inform the army. She looked back out on the lake, frowning slightly. The water did not appear to be moving, despite a slight wind. Was it a trap?

A roar startled her from beneath as she looked down. Two Daedroths, both only slightly smaller than Knoshvus, were wrestling with one another, roaring and snapping at each other. She rolled her eyes, nudging Vulon to descend as they rolled around.

"What did this one say?!" She demanded, just as one of the daedroths picked up the other. It hurled its fellow beast out towards the lake, every member of the army watching as it spiralled through the air. Only to slam into something on the water. Her ears flicked up as she heard a odd sound, like bones cracking. The second daedroth shook itself as it got to its feet, appearing to stand on top of the water.

"Impossible." Zara growled as he approached her. She paused, sliding down from Vulon's back and approaching the water.

"Majesty." Brak'aath murmured, following her as she stood on the edge of the bank. She stared down at the grey surface before her, gripping her staff before she stepped out. Something cold made her shiver as it came into contact with her paws, but it held her weight. She took another step forward, and another, slowly creeping further from the bank. She gasped as she slipped briefly, but remained upright, staring down at the strange substance beneath her.

"What is this magic?" She murmured before looking up. Slowly, her warriors were also descending onto the water, making their way towards her. Laughter cackled amongst them when they slipped on the strange surface, only for another to fall. Vulon, her beloved titan remained on the bank as the remainder of her army crossed, the occasional growled curse emerging when one of them would slip.

"Sweet Vulon, come to this one." She called, holding her hand out to him. He let out a strange sound, pacing at the edge. He clawed at the strange substance but would not step onto it. At least, until she began to move back towards him. He let out another odd sound as she reached for him, his head bumping her hand before following her. Slowly, she led him across the lake, his claws slipping slightly.

A few cackles emerged from the other side as he slipped on the surface, falling down as his legs splayed out. He grumbled, struggling to get back to his feet, his claws continuing to slip out from underneath him.

"Vulon, dig your claws in." She said. He looked at her, her hands stroking his head before he did as she said. He slammed his claws into the ground, piercing the surface and standing up. Slowly, he began to follow her again, his gaze fixed on her as they walked on. Until the ground groaned. They both froze, not too far from the other bank as the world seemed to moan. Something beneath them thundered, a deep, muffled crack echoing in the air. Beneath their feet, spiderwebs of cracks emerged from where they stood. Where the first Daedroth had landed had weakened the surface. And with the combined weight of her soldiers, it had strained the weakened mass further.

As larger cracks began to tear through the surface behind them, water hissing as it was forced towards, churning like it was an ocean in a storm, Vulon made his decision. His jaws latched onto the back of her dress, swinging his head to throw her through the air.

"Vulon!" She gasped as she was cast to the other bank, Knoshvus catching her with a grunt. The solid that had covered the water collapsed, dropping her titan into the water beneath as huge chunks of what they had been walking on separated. She looked around in shock, her ears flicking and twisting for any sound of him. But the only sound was the crashing water and groaning masses that had once been a solid surface.

"Vulon?" She repeated as Knoshvus put her down, allowing her to step forward. The water churned and frothed in rage when something exploded out of the water, sending waves of freezing cold over them. Vulon roared and groaned as he thrashed and clawed his way onto the bank, coughing and retching as she ran over to him.

It had been several hours since their interaction with the lake. They had set up a camp a short distance away, mages casting illusion spells to disguise them from any curious gazes. In the largest tent, Vulon grumbled and sneezed as he lay before the blue flames. She laughed softly, continuing to rub the fabric over him to dry his body and warm him up.

"This one is glad you are ok, sweet Vulon." She murmured, laughing as he nudged her with his snout. She looked up as Brak'aath entered the tent and bowed.

"Majesty. Viiath has information to share." He began. "That substance we encountered on the lake is known as ice. It is what happens when the water freezes. It is why we could walk on the water. But it is not strong enough to take as much damage and weight as we applied." He explained. Her ears perked up as she listened.

It was a question that had shadowed her for a few moons now. Something that someone had asked in passing, not even to her, and yet it consumed her. What did she believe in? She frowned as she looked up at the stormy skies of ColdHarbour, laying on Vulon's back.

"What does this one believe in?" She repeated again. Vulon made a curious noise, raising his head slightly. She turned her head to look at him, rolling onto her front. "Sorry to disturb you, sweet Vulon. This one was merely thinking out loud." She explained, stroking the Daedric Titan's head. He rumbled in response as she continued to ponder the question.

Her soldiers believed in her. She was their queen who would lead them to victory. Her "husband" believed she was the key piece in his plans to merge the realms together. There were those in Nirn who believed her to be the devil. A foul evil sent to curse them. The bride of a monster. But what did she believe? She frowned and sat up, lifting her head to lol at the sky.

"What is there for this one to believe?" She asked no one in particular.

"Have you tried believing in yourself?" A new voice startled her, making her jump and slip slightly from her spot. Vulon moved in an instant, raising his wings to shield her from a fall. He growled at the stranger with a pot on his head, baring his fangs at the soul shriven as she straightened herself.

"Sir Cadwell, what are you talking about?" She asked the mad soul shriven.

"Your question, my dear. If you can't think of anything or anyone else to believe in, why not believe in the only one you have been able to rely on. Yourself." He explained. She paused, blinking briefly as his words sunk in.

"You may have provided a moment of clarity to this one's raging thoughts." She noted. He simply chuckled in response.

"Just as you provided a breath of fresh air, my dear. Why, I still remember the day we first met, you barely reached my hip and that was only because of those ears of yours." He chuckled. "How things change. Well, I best be off. Those Xivkyn won't wind themselves up. Jolly good speaking to you, queen Kharabbi. Ta ta." He waved before vanishing from before her.

"That soul shriven is madness incarnate." She murmured as Vulon rumbled beneath her. "Yet, he raises a marvellous point, doe he not?" She added as she petted Vulon's head. He got to his feet and began to walk back towards Heart's Grief. As he did, she smiled softly.

"This one believes in herself." She paused as a grumble sounded from beneath her. "And, of course, she believes in you, sweet Vulon." She laughed as he let out a low growl, stroking his neck as he took flight. Her mind was clearer now. She had something she had not had since her childhood.

❤ from @reachfolk

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Thank you for this. Here's a piece from Azirina's evil storyline for you all. Hope you like it.

She took his head in her hands, running them over the scales that covered his massive frame. "Should she tell them, sweet Vulon?" She asked him, watching his head tilt slightly. "Should this one tell her warriors that their queen feels guilty about stealing the souls of the innocent?" She sighed, looking at the beast. He rumbled low in his throat before pushing his head forward, bumping his snout against her face, causing her to laugh.

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