(Rated M due to adult themes and suggestions)

Years ago, the city of Winterhold was once a great and prosperous city surrounding the revered College of Winterhold, a place where mages gathered in order to learn to harness, control, and master their Magicka. However, when the Great Collapse occurred, many people blamed the College of mages for the disaster, the remaining citizens of Winterhold distancing themselves from them. Now, the once prosperous College lies in ruin, with few students and even fewer instructors. Nords throughout Skyrim, frightened by the Magicka their kind was rarely capable of harnessing, have open distrust and disgust of the mages. One man with the voice of Dragons, and a curious little mage are destined to change that forever.

Chapter 1

'Have you heard the news, Aaliyah?'

Aaliyah looked up at the sound of her name, meeting the bright eyes of fellow student Brenna. She was a young Dark Elf, only two years older than Aaliyah, with the biggest, brightest scarlet eyes she'd ever seen, and loved all things mysterious – such as Magicka.

'What news?' Aaliyah asked, admittedly intrigued by the light in Brenna's eyes. She was easily excited, yes, but Aaliyah had never seen her eyes shine so brightly.

'The Dragonborn!' she whispered, her voice shrill with excitement as she leaned closer to Aaliyah. 'The Dragonborn has appeared! Did you hear the Greybeards calling for him?'

This was no news to Aaliyah. She had heard the Greybeards call out "Dovahkiin" earlier in the month, the walls of her small room shaking at the sound, and had dreamed of the mysterious Greybeards for over a week before she figured out how to block them out.

Despite this being no shock, Aaliyah tilted her head, feigning a look of surprise, not wanting to disappoint her friend.

'Is that so?' she asked.

'It is!' Brenna squealed, bouncing on the spot. 'What if he's a mage, Liyah? What if he comes here to learn more? Our library is the largest in Skyrim!'

'I imagine the Dragonborn exists solely to beat things,' Aaliyah said with a small smile. Brenna's joy was infectious. 'Not to read.'

'Oh, but he must be dreamy~!' she sighed, ignoring Aaliyah's input. 'And so wonderfully built! They say he can take down dragons with the swing of his battleaxe! And when he absorbs their soul, his eyes glow like the rising sun.'

An involuntary shudder wracked through Aaliyah's body, and her chest tightened as she stood, closing her book. Brenna frowned, confused.

'Liyah?'

'I need to go,' she said, smiling at Brenna as she hurried for the door, her blood running cold, then hot, then cold again.

Whenever she thought of the Dragonborn, she was intrigued. She wanted to read more, to learn more about what it meant. But when she thought about, or read about the Dragonborn absorbing the souls of the Dragons he hunts, she always became fearful and nervous.

As she rounded the corner to take the stairs to the main floor of the College, she bumped into a broad chest and stumbled, stunned. Two big hands reached out to steady her, and she looked up, meeting the surprised eyes of her friend Petr.

'Liyah,' he said shocked, and she pulled away from him, her eyes meeting the cold yellow gaze of the Elven instructor Ancano behind her friend. 'Are you alright?'

'I'm fine, Petr,' she said, forcing a smile. Her blood ran colder as Ancano's gaze washed over her, and she bowed her head, anxious. 'I'm heading back to my room.'

'You're in a hurry,' Petr said shocked. 'What happened?'

'Nothing,' she said, smiling up at Petr to ease his concern. He was a handsome boy, three years older than Aaliyah, of Imperial origin. He was tall and broad, with pale skin, messy brown hair and gentle blue eyes. He had been her closest friend since she came to the College a year ago. 'I'm simply tired.'

'You look pale,' he said frowning, and as he reached for her face, Ancano cleared his throat, surprising them both.

'I'm sure Aaliyah is fine, Petr,' he said frowning, starting into the library. 'Come, we need to continue our studies before the lesson tomorrow.'

'A-alright,' Petr said, patting Liyah's head before following Ancano into the library.

Breathing out in relief, Liyah hurried down the stairs and out of the Hall of the Elements, into the cold, snow-covered courtyard. The frigid air cooled her burning cheeks, and she slowed, walking through the snow across the courtyard to the Hall of Attainment, where she slept and studied with the other apprentices.

As she passed the massive statue of the First Arch-Mage Shalidor, she gazed up at his severe face, wondering what he was like before his death. The books say he was extremely relaxed and careless, but had immense talent as a Mage, thus building the College of Winterhold as a way to share his knowledge.

Reaching the Hall of Attainment, Liyah went inside and turned into her small room, collapsing with a heavy sigh into her bed. In moments, she was sleeping, her dreams plagued by nightmares of hungry Dragons.

More coming soon! If anybody has any criticism or advice, please let me know as soon as you can, and please tell me what you think so far!

This is an ongoing project, and in the later chapters, I'll be using words from Dovahzul, the dragon language. I'll put a translation key at the bottom of each chapter so everyone understands what's going on!