Simon wandered through the high mountains outside Winterhold with Jonas.
He needed to find a whetstone. He hoped to find quartzite, but if not, granite would also work. Ideally, he wanted to find a natural jade, which would produce a brilliantly sharp edge.
The weapon he was currently using, the Great Axe, relied on brute force and didn't need to be excessively sharp, but the Sleeve Flying Swallow truly needed sharpening, and any future weapons he forged would also require an edge. Previously, he used stones dug from the Tundra, which were all sedimentary rocks, coarse-grained and loosely textured, making them unsuitable.
Jonas watched the Troll continuously claw at the rock face, stone chips flying under his sharp claws, and couldn't help but feel a pang for his fingernails.
Simon's fingernails were now much shorter. Practicing the Lion Phase Gold Sand Palm required him to poke and stab scorching hot iron sand with his palms. He used real gold, and after just one day of practice, his fingernails broke more than ten times. Eventually, only short stubs remained, and they no longer grew long.
Trying to dig out stones with his bare hands was always a bit overzealous, and soon, the holes in the rock face were filled with blood.
"I need to check the foot of the mountain," Simon said. He noticed that the mountainside was all thick limestone, and his heart sank a little. He decided to look at the bottom of the rock layer.
Winterhold had experienced a Great Collapse, meaning a considerable portion of the rock layers was exposed. Simon searched up and down the mountain path and finally discovered a rock bed hidden behind ice and snow. Upon closer inspection, it was diabase porphyrite. This material was very tough and excellent for building houses, but he wasn't sure how well it would work as a whetstone. Simon wasn't picky, so he immediately swung his claws... and a fingernail broke.
It really was very hard!
Simon wasn't discouraged. He had prepared in advance, forging a chisel and picking up a hammer. Breaking mountains and splitting stones was no problem.
Jonas watched in amazement as the Troll, with a wave of his hand, conjured a beautiful blue flower with golden edges, then reached into its petals to retrieve tools.
"What kind of magic is this?"
"This is an extrademensional space."
"I want to learn!"
... Simon hesitated. "I'm afraid I can't teach you this. It's a kind of talent."
Jonas was stunned, so much so that he remained silent afterward.
Simon collected large pieces of porphyrite and, in front of the boy, placed them into the Pure Land.
"Incredible..." Jonas murmured.
Simon patted the boy's head. "Do you want to go in and see?"
"Yes!"
Simon looked around. There was no one else there. Few travelers ever wandered this area, so he felt at ease. With a wave of his hand, petals swirled, enveloping the two of them. In a flash, bright light shimmered, leaving only a shallow Epiphyllum Seal where they had stood.
Jonas's vision was filled with swirling petals, obscuring his sight. He couldn't help but grab Simon's hand.
"Almost there."
When the petals dispersed, bright white light bathed the world before them.
Jonas looked up at the pure white sky. At the center of the dome was a burning fireball, with clouds and wind swirling high above, melting into the pristine firmament, leaving no trace except for the shadows of the clouds.
Looking down slightly, he noticed towering ice peaks, protruding solitarily from the flat world. Gurgling clear springs rushed and splashed between the treacherous, sharp, frosty white ice walls, forming large Waterfalls that fell into the ice field, spreading out and flowing into the surrounding green fields.
"How did these come to be?"
Simon explained, "The mountains, sun, and wind are formed from elementalized magicka. The soil I brought from the Tundra."
"Is this home?" The boy's expression was melancholic, lost in a kind of sorrow from which he couldn't extricate himself.
Simon gently rubbed his soft black hair. "Once you've mastered your magic, I'll take you to explore Skyrim. When you're tired, you can come in here to rest, and once you're well-rested, we'll continue our adventure. How does that sound?"
Jonas grinned. "Of course, it sounds good, Sir. Whatever you say is good."
Simon shook his head, smiling. "I plan to build a house here. What kind of room do you want?"
"I want to share a room with Sir."
"Hahaha!" Simon burst out laughing. "You're going to grow up eventually! When you bring a girl here, you'll need your own room."
Jonas said innocently, "I don't want to grow up!"
"If you don't grow up, you'll have to stay in the College forever."
"Oh, well, then I'd rather grow up."
Simon shook his head. "Children say the silliest things."
Those undead were all hiding and not showing themselves, especially the four numbered undead. Simon didn't want Jonas to be exposed to such twisted soul research too early.
"Sir, is there anything else I don't know about you?"
"There's still a lot. Let's go out. You practice your swordplay, and I'll see if you've been slacking."
"But I really like it here."
... Simon rubbed his face. He wasn't good at keeping secrets, especially his own. If Jonas stayed too long, he would definitely see things he shouldn't.
The boy keenly noticed Simon's embarrassment and immediately changed his mind, saying he wanted to go back to the tavern to eat.
Simon said seriously, "You must understand. You are always welcome here, but some truths are not yet for you to bear."
Jonas whispered, "I'm not a child..."
"When you become a respectable mage, then I will let you participate in my research."
"Research?"
... "I let it slip, but you'll find out eventually. Let's go out first."
Simon looked at his quest log.
[Quest: Explore Magicka]
...
Quest 3 (Completed): Understand the Magic System.
[Quest: Linguist]
...
Quest 2 (Completed): Learn Written Language
Quest 3 (Incomplete): Understand the Languages and Scripts of Various Races on the Continent of Tamriel
[Quest: Explore Surroundings]
...
Quest 4 (Incomplete): Explore the Shipwreck Ruins on the Northeastern Coast of the Tundra.
[Quest: Coral Dragon Claw]
Quest 1 (Incomplete): Go to Irkngthand
[Misc]: Help Azura find her lost item if possible.
[Misc]: Explore a Dwemer ruin.
[Misc]: Build a fish pond, establish a salt pan, plant crops
Not bad, very fulfilling.
Jonas was very reluctant to leave Simon this time, likely more reluctant to leave the Pure Land, but he still obediently returned to the College.
Simon planned to go back and properly develop the Pure Land.
It was another busy week, in every sense of the word. Soon, Simon once again headed to Winterhold.
Unexpectedly, Simon encountered Isran and his companions once more.
"We meet again, esteemed Vigilants of Stendarr."
It was a rather pleasant reunion. Simon gave each of them a packet of fish jerky, and before they parted, he was warned again to be careful of Vampires.
Speaking of Vampires, Simon remembered having killed one. The unfortunate fellow's belongings were still molding in a corner of the Pure Land; perhaps he could examine them when he had time.
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