I still couldn't believe it.
Walking down the dirt path away from the Apprentice Stone, the Beacon wasn't clunking around in my pack anymore. Instead, she was right there beside me. Flesh and blood—or, well, whatever a Daedric Prince counted as when they decided to cosplay human.
Her steps were silent. Too silent. Like she wasn't touching the ground at all, but her figure moved with the weight of someone alive. Long silver-blonde hair swayed in the breeze. Her golden eyes never seemed to look anywhere else but forward, like she owned the road.
Meanwhile, I was still trying to wrap my head around it. "So, let me get this straight," I said finally. "You're walking around like… like this, permanently?"
Meridia didn't even glance at me. "As long as I will it. Do not mistake this for weakness. I chose to remain manifested. The world should feel the weight of my presence once more."
"Uh-huh. Sure. But you're also walking around in a body that looks like it belongs in a tavern, not a shrine."
Her head turned sharply, golden eyes narrowing at me. "Mind your tongue. This form is an extension of my will. It is flawless."
I raised a brow. "Flawless, huh? You do realize you're stuck walking through mud with me, right? Pretty flawless boots you're gonna ruin."
She huffed—actually huffed—and faced forward again, chin high. "Do not project your own mortal filth onto me. My radiance does not stain."
I snorted. "Wow. And here I thought you couldn't get more fun to travel with than when you were just a voice yelling at me in my head."
She slowed her pace just enough that I passed her before she matched me again. It was subtle, but it felt deliberate—like she wanted to remind me she was choosing to keep step with me.
"You should be grateful. Your struggles ahead are not ones you could endure alone. With me near you, your strength will grow. Faster. Stronger. More precise. My light will fill the cracks in your feeble mortal shell."
I rubbed at the back of my neck. "Y'know, for someone who insists they're not here out of kindness, you sure sound like you're… worried about me."
Her golden gaze cut into me like a blade. "I am not worried. I am ensuring my chosen does not fall before his use is complete."
"Right. Totally not worried."
Her glare lingered a heartbeat too long before she looked away, her hair catching the fading light. If I didn't know better, I'd swear she was hiding something behind all that superiority.
We walked in silence for a while after that. Just the crunch of dirt under my boots, and the not-quite-footsteps of a Daedric Prince who'd apparently decided she was my partner now.
Partner. The word made me shiver.
I didn't ask for this. But… having her here, tangible, close—it made the weight on my shoulders feel a little less crushing. Not lighter, exactly. Just… less lonely.
And I hated that I noticed it.