"Why should I acknowledge a child nattering at my ear?" a voice whispers from around them. It's layered, echoing, numerous voices at once.

"Awwww, don't be like that. I'm a Daedric Prince too, now, and Ellayania's a goddess in her own right," Glint says.

"And what does Madness want of Knowledge?" the voice demands.

"You noticed the World Eater, right? Big black dragon, bad attitude, voice like he's gargling gravel? I was thinking it's in everyone's interests to delay him. Hard to have a library in a god's stomach." Glint shrugs. "Or you can keep playing toy soldiers while your library burns."

Wind rushes by and around them. "Do not question my designs, child. I know everything that has been written since the dawn of time. There is no secret hidden from me, Marella."

"It's Lord Sheogorath, or Glint if I like you, and I'll have my respect, Hermaeus Mora," Glint says, voice sharp. "And will you know everything written after the end of time?"

"Do you assume I am so weak as to let myself be bound by this sphere of worlds, little girl? One clock may break, but the full symphony winds elsewhere," the voice says, scoffing.

"And full it is with voices beyond the counting. I wonder if you might find your enjoyment somewhat curtailed were you to be hunted down across it."

"You would threaten me?"

"I do not deal in threats. I am simply speculating as to what, if any consequences, your intransigence might bring. It seems to me that one not inclined to participate in keeping the playing board tidy has already forfeited the courtesy of other players."

"And man, if, like, you're trying to play chess with the multiverse, playing against Alduin's like playing against a pigeon. With rabies. What makes you think he won't knock over every board?" Glint asks.

"Birds cannot get rabies," the voice says, grouchily.

"...I'm going to be the prosocial one here and not take that as a challenge," Glint says. "And also I'm not trying to threaten you, I'm being the voice of unreason and pointing out that for a Daedric Prince of Knowledge you're being a dumbass. Letting Alduin win here just means he'll be even more of a pain in the ass later - and I'm aware we probably can't kill him yet, just delay him, but I'd also like to draw some big arrows pointing to that 'yet.' Something out there's letting our alts accumulate power. If you're a dick, if you're in our way, we won't play nice with you, either - and I'm not the most threatening me out there, not by a long shot."

There's a feeling of something circling. "All you have brought is threats and warnings. What do I gain, cooperating with you, hm?"

"Apart from a fraction of our good will? I am the goddess of libraries, and I daresay my collection has things yours is lacking."

"You think there's no secret written in those pages I cannot ferret out?" the voice asks. "No knowledge of the worlds I cannot know?"

"He is very full of himself, isn't he?" Ellayania comments to Glint.

Glint hums, grinning, then sing-songs: "Well, I think maybe we know something he doesn't."

"I am not in the mood to be taunted, child," the voice warns.

Glint laughs. "You don't know where alts come from, do you? How one person can be so alike another, across the boundaries of worlds... Nor do you know what hand guides who we find."

"And this is knowledge you have?" the voice asks.

Glint shrugs. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't. Maybe I will know someday. Maybe I won't. But if you haven't known in all the eons of the world - well, I don't think anyone's come along inclined to tell you what's up, have they?"

Rustling pages greet her question.

"I'd take that for a no."

"I like spreading knowledge! But only to people who aren't dicks about it, so..." Glint says with a grin.

The voice hums. It's a rather discordant noise. "Very well. I will not stand in the way of your efforts, though neither shall I extend myself against Alduin. The way to my little follower is clear; if you wish to be rid of his efforts, that is your own business."

And the presence withdraws, ever so slightly.

"Marginally better than nothing."

"Yeah. Well, off to deal with an obstacle?"

"Yes." Is the way obvious, as well as clear?

Fairly - there's a light coming from one door, at least.

Onwards through, then.

The door opens onto a large platform, a yellow cloudy sky stretching far above, the entire area filled with diffuse light.

Also, there's a dragon. Not Alduin - small, grey, serpentine, but he attacks all the same with a vicious, hissing roar.

Ellayania whisks her body and Glint out of the path of the attack with blurred speed. Her eyes flash red.

And now the dragon is burning.

That pisses the dragon off! His breath is apparently icy, creating massive frozen spikes to threaten the gods.

Glint just laughs and starts shattering his scales, making inroads for Ellayania's fire.

More like 'threaten'. His attacks aren't exactly subtle, even without sharingan-based cheating.

And he's not especially fire-resistant, at least not to Amaterasu.

He goes down, dead, rather quickly.

And where's his master?

Not readily apparent, though there's a likely-looking platform floating in the clouds in the distance.

"I can see where wings would be useful," Glint says. "Luckily I already figured out flight. Shall we?"

"We oughtn't keep him waiting. I'm sure he's wondering what happened to his dragon."

"How awful! We should go explain. Then reintroduce them!"

She laughs, gestures, and the two rise into the clouds.