Azura's other quest - conclusion

At the gate once more, Clark looked around to make sure none of the drones was nearby. Just as Azura had predicted, the cave had filled with them, once they knew it was safe to return. As soon as he put the key in the lock, he'd lose his invisibility, and have to cast again as soon as he opened the gate.

The Queen Imp, an even larger creature than the one he'd killed, came rushing over at the sound of the gate opening. She paused at the entrance, sniffing the air. Did she know there was somebody there?

Whether she did or not, there were other matters on her mind. She flew off towards the cave entrance, chittering as imps do. A chorus of similar calls echoed back from the drones. Clark followed her, curious as to what would happen when they were reunited.

In the largest chamber, he found the Queen surrounded by her retinue. The males were obviously excited by her return, and surrounded her in a circle, eagerly jostling for position and hoping to be chosen. The Queen was slowly gazing around the circle, apparently making her choice, when her eyes fell on Clark.

That's when he noticed that his invisibility had expired, and they could all see him. He raised his hand to cast again, and looked frantically for the way out.

The Queen decided that he wasn't as interesting as any of her drones, and ignored him. The drones hadn't paid him any attention either, but once she made her choice, he imagined that all the others would be looking for something else to do. He finished casting while he had the opportunity, and ran out of the cave, all the way back to Azura.

Azura handed him a key. "I want Drelka to get to know you better, and you'll need a bit of privacy for that. This key unlocks the guest house on the next island. It's yours as long as you want it. I'm sure Drelka will want to stay there even when you're not around, so I've detailed a Winged Twilight housekeeper to keep the place clean. He'll also see to Drelka's needs when you don't feel inclined to visit. I don't want her wandering off again."

"I'll show you the way," Drelka told him. The seducer was back in uniform, so to speak. Her wings were gone, and she wore a gauzy skirt similar to Azura's, but red where hers was blue. Her breasts were covered, too, but the material was sheer like the skirt, so they might as well not have been.

Her attitude to Clark seemed to have changed somewhat, too. Whether she'd been talking to Azura while he'd been letting the Queen Imp out, Clark didn't know, but she was treating him with a lot more respect.

He recalled that when he brought Azura's Crescent back to her, she was like a powder keg, ready to explode at the slightest touch. And slight touches were something Clark did well. If Drelka was expecting that sort of results, he'd have problems.

Or would he? Drelka had run off because she wasn't getting what she needed back at Azura's hall, so the situation wasn't all that different. Just a Daedra Seducer instead of a Daedric Princess, and that made it a bit easier.

Drelka surprised Clark with an eagerness and apprehension that reminded him of a virgin.

"Well it is my first time with a human I haven't enthralled first." she pointed out.

"So how is that different from having a Daedric partner?"

"I just don't know," she replied.

Drelka reminded Clark a lot of the Dark Seducers in the Shivering Isles, except that Sheogorath had balanced their arrogance with a sense of duty. Azura's minions didn't have that, and it was difficult for her to treat him as an equal. Clark began to suspect that was why he was here, as her teacher. Binding her to that summoning power was one step, and this was another.

Her wings were a minor problem, too. They'd sprout whenever she was excited, but they made it uncomfortable when she was on her back. Drelka would lay down, find her wings sprouting, and have to sit up again.

Clark quickly understood why Drelka wasn't used to being in that position. She'd normally be in control, either because she'd enthralled her victim, or by rank as Captain of Azura's guard. It had never dawned on her that she was cutting out half of the possibilities. Clark felt a sense of duty, even if she didn't. Drelka had a lot to learn, and he should be the one to teach her. This could take some time...