The Avatar of Akatosh
By TheChuckinator
The dragon god Akatosh stood in the heavens, looking down upon the land of Nim. He sighed and turned away when the god Talos walked up to him.
"Are you sure you want to go through with this plan of yours, Akatosh?" Talos asked.
Akatosh nodded. "Of course; you know that I must find a human worthy to carry on my legacy."
"Who have you chosen?"
Akatosh smirked. "His name is Martin Septim, the last of the Septim Dynasty."
Talos's eyes widened. "The Dragonborn," he said, then nodded. "You have chosen your prodigy well, Akatosh."
"It is his fate."
"When will this happen?" Talos asked.
Akatosh's smirk grew even wider. "Martin Septim will face his destiny; it is foretold in the prophecy. Soon, he shall become my avatar."
The sun rose as Martin tossed and turned in his sleep, dreaming.
He stood atop the clouds in the heavens, looking around curiously. He gasped as he saw a gigantic golden dragon appear in front of him.
"Who are you?" he asked.
The dragon smiled and spoke. "Do not be afraid, Martin Septim. I am the dragon god of time, Akatosh."
Martin's eyes widened and he fell to the floor, bowing before the god.
"No need for flattery, Martin. I must tell you something that is very urgent."
Martin got up and looked at Akatosh. "What do you wish to tell me?"
"Your destiny approaches, Dragonborn. Soon, the prophecy will be fulfilled and you shall be given a great gift."
"What prophecy do you speak of? Please, tell me!"
Akatosh grinned and a gleam appeared in his eyes. "The prophecy is this: An unknown Septim heir shall become the next Dragonborn. The stars will align when the father dies, Oblivion will rise and the Dragonfires shall alight once more. When the Dragonborn's blood fuses with the amulet, the Avatar of Akatosh he shall become. Only then will he have the power to close the gate and forevermore become a god. I shall give you a task, Martin. You must look for the Amulet of Kings; it is the symbol of the Septim line...your heritage."
Martin's eyes widened as he heard this.
Akatosh's grin widened. "Yes, Martin. You are descended from a line of Emperors. The Amulet of Kings is your birthright."
"Where is it?"
"It is buried with your father, Uriel Septim VII. Find it, Martin. When you do, I shall appear to you again."
The dream ended as Martin jolted awake, sweating and breathing hard.
What the hell was that? He thought. Was it a dream...or a vision?
He shook his head and went outside, walking around Kvatch. Suddenly, Jauffre ran up to him, panting.
"Martin, I have grave news! The gate to Oblivion has opened! The world is in danger."
Martin's jaw dropped. "Oblivion has been opened? How did that happen?"
"I don't know; I think it must have something to do with your father's recent passing."
Martin sighed and shook his head. "What can we do?"
"I have asked someone to go on a quest to close the gate with me. You must come along, also."
"Why?"
"You are the Dragonborn; the blood of dragons flows in your veins. Also, the Amulet of Kings must be found. It is the key to ending this crisis."
Martin gasped. The Amulet of Kings was what Akatosh had mentioned in his dream. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists before opening them.
"Are you okay, Martin?" Jauffre asked.
"Yes; I'm fine."
"Will you come with us?"
A curious expression came over Martin's face. He thought for a minute, and then nodded.
"I will," he said.
The next day, Martin waited outside the city gates. A few minutes went by and Jauffre walked up to him.
Martin looked around. "Where the hell is he?"
Jauffre smirked. "He'll be here in a minute. Are you okay?"
Martin stiffened. "Yeah...I'm fine. Why?"
"You've been acting weird lately. Is anything on your mind?"
"Yeah...damn bad dreams."
Jauffre nodded in understanding, then looked up and pointed. "Ah, here he comes!"
Martin looked to where Jauffre was pointing. A man walked up to them and looked at Martin.
"Pleasure to meet you, Martin," the man said. "I'm Sheogorath."
"Nice to meet you too," Martin replied, then turned to Jauffre. "So, where are we going?"
"First, we must journey to your father's grave in Imperial City. After that, we shall travel to the gates of Oblivion and defeat this evil."
Martin nodded. "Sounds like a good plan. All right, let's go."
They started out, walking for miles across mountains and fields. For days, they headed toward their destination. Finally, they came to Imperial City. As they got to the gate, a guard stopped them, eying Martin suspiciously.
"Halt," he said. "Who goes there?"
Martin spoke up. "I am Martin Septim, son of Uriel Septim VII. I have come to see my father's grave; do you know where it is?"
The guard started. "My Lord, forgive me; I did not recognize you. Your father's grave is in a tomb near the Imperial Palace. You and your companions may visit there if you wish."
"We shall."
They walked near the palace and looked around when Sheogorath turned to Jauffre. "Where is it?" he asked.
"The tomb should be in the Imperial Cemetery, right over there," Jauffre pointed near the palace, where he could see an old graveyard.
Martin walked inside the cemetery, followed by Jauffre and Sheogorath. In front of them was a huge tomb with a design of a crown on it.
"There it is," Jauffre said. "The tomb of Uriel Septim VII."
They walked down the staircase until they came to a large room. In the center was a coffin with the words "HERE LIES URIEL SEPTIM VII, EMPEROR OF CYRODIIL." Martin walked over and pushed the lid off the coffin. Inside was the corpse of his father, his hands clasped tightly around the Amulet of Kings. Martin wrenched the amulet from his father's grasp and looked at it. All of a sudden, the jewel in the center started to glow, bathing the room in red light. Both Sheogorath and Jauffre covered their eyes as the light grew brighter and brighter. Martin stood and looked in awe at the pendant, which continued to glow. Martin's eyes widened as he was sent into a trance.
Martin stood before Akatosh, who grinned and spoke. "I told you I would speak to you again, Martin."
"Akatosh!" Martin exclaimed. "What have you to tell me this time?"
"You have fulfilled the task I appointed you to do: to find the Amulet of Kings. But now, your journey is just beginning."
"Does this prophecy have to do with me?"
Akatosh nodded. "Everything."
Martin looked at Akatosh in amazement. "Am I the one the prophecy speaks of?"
"Yes; you are the chosen one."
"Why me?"
"This prophecy was made long before you were born, Martin. It is the Prophecy of the Dragonborn; only those blessed by me can fulfill this prophecy. Also, the Amulet of Kings plays an integral part in it."
"How?"
"Have you not guessed? It was I who created the Amulet of Kings; I who made a covenant with your ancestors long ago. I have been here before the beginning of time."
Martin's jaw dropped. "Since the beginning of time? Who...who are you, really?"
Akatosh opened his mouth and roared deeply. "I go by many names," he said with pride. "I AM the Creator, the Dragon God of Time. I AM Auri-El, the soul of Anui-El who is the soul of Anu the Everything. I AM WHO I AM!"
Martin stood, aghast. Here, in front of him, was the Creator God, the one who had created all life.
Akatosh leaned close to Martin. "My child, do not be afraid. You know your destiny now; fulfill it. In order to close the gates, you must light the Dragonfires. I will be with you always, even to the end of time."
Martin came out of the trance as the light faded. He looked at Jauffre and Sheogorath, who both stared as Martin walked past them, heading outside. Once they got outside, Martin turned to them. His face was fixed in determination and confidence.
"I know what we have to do," he told them.
"What the hell happened in there?" Jauffre asked.
"I had a vision: Akatosh told me a prophecy and how it relates to the Oblivion crisis. To close the gate I must go to the Temple of the One. We don't have much time, though. In a few minutes, the gates will send monsters from Oblivion to our dimension and destroy everything in their path...unless I can stop them."
"How will you do that?"
"I must light the Dragonfires; that is the only way. We must hurry before..."
Suddenly the ground started shaking. Fire and lava shot out as cracks appeared, sending demons out from it. They landed on the ground, destroying everything in their path. The sky grew red as thunder rumbled, sending lightning across the sky. The demons continued their rampage as Martin stared in shock.
Sheogorath frowned and swore. "Damn it; we're too late! The gates have already been opened!"
Martin looked nervously at the monsters and back to Jauffre. "You must take me to the Temple of the One immediately!"
"But the demons...we have to fight them!"
Martin shook his head. "You will stay behind and fight. Jauffre will accompany me to the temple, fighting demons as we go."
"Are you sure?" Jauffre asked.
Martin nodded.
Hesitantly, Jauffre looked at Martin, nodding. "All right, let's go."
They set off, fighting demons along the way. Jauffre had his sword out and was killing monsters that stood in their path. Just as they reached the Temple of the One, a hoard of demons surrounded them. They screeched loudly, showing their fangs. Jauffre looked at Martin and swung his sword, slicing some monsters in two. Green blood squirted from the demons as they were killed. Martin ran inside and looked around. His eyes widened as he saw a figure appear outside the temple. It had red skin, yellow eyes and four arms. Six horns stood on its bald skull and its pointed ears were pierced with large gold hoops. The demon's entire body was scarred and tattooed with ritualistic markings. Bat-like wings were folded behind its back. Sharp fangs lined the jaw, and an armored neck brace was around its shoulders.
"Mehrunes Dagon," Martin said, his voice filled with fear. "We're too late...he'll destroy us all."
"What about the Amulet of Kings?" Jauffre asked.
Martin looked at him, shocked. His gaze grew thoughtful as he nodded his head. "That should work. The amulet was given to my ancestors by Akatosh; it contains his divine power. The amulet was not intended as a weapon, unfortunately. I have an idea, one last hope. I must reach the Dragonfires in the Temple of the One."
"But you said it was no use!"
"You'll just have to trust me; I know now what I must do but I'll need your help."
Jauffre sighed. "I'll take you to the temple."
They went inside the temple, where Martin saw the Dragonfires. He looked at Jauffre and sighed heavily. "You've been a good friend in the short time that I've known you but now I must embrace my destiny; the Avatar of Akatosh awaits."
He ran inside the temple and stood in the center, looking up at Mehrunes Dagon. Martin closed his eyes and put the Amulet of Kings around his neck, breathing a heavy sigh before cutting his skin with it. Blood flowed from the wound he made on his hand, seeping through the gem in the center of the amulet. A bright glow radiated from the Amulet of Kings as the Dragonfires lit up, sending their flames into Martin, who grimaced in pain. He could feel his entire body heating up, burning from the inside. Flames whipped around him as the light from the amulet grew brighter. Pain racked his body as he felt power luring up inside him. Martin could take the pain no more and let out a terrifying scream. And then, he felt his body begin to change.
Smoke rose from his skin as his body burned even hotter. His skin hardened as golden scales appeared and covered his entire body. Scutes ran down his constantly deepening chest, which was enlarging his internal organs and twisting themselves into new shapes. His breathing grew deeper as his lungs, ribs and heart expanded, growing larger and more massive by the second to support the new muscles. This caused a burning in his stomach, giving him a feeling of nausea. Martin coughed, trying to rid himself of the feeling but suddenly a jet of flame flew from his mouth and the burning stopped.
He felt his legs and arms grow with muscle. Bones creaked and broke apart as they snapped, rearranged and reversed themselves, forcing him onto all fours. His feet and hands grew as well, becoming paws. The fingers and toes started to ache as they thickened and pushed against each other, merging themselves together until he had three fingers and four toes. The fingernails and toenails on his paws lengthened, sharpening themselves into thick black curved claws. Martin groaned in pain as he felt bones in his body move, ripping themselves apart before reconfiguring into strong thick ones.
Martin's spine stretched as the vertebral column grew outward, causing his body to lengthen. A tail burst from the base of his spine and lengthened until it was a full meter long. Pain suddenly filled his shoulders as they were wrenched open, broadening and splitting in two as massive bat-like wings unfolded from his back. His neck stretched outward, growing longer and wider while extending as bones snapped, popping themselves into new places. This caused his face to crack and lengthen, jutting forward as his mouth and nose fused together to become a muzzle. Razor sharp fangs replaced his teeth and his tongue split in two at the tip as it grew thinner, becoming forked.
He closed his eyes in pain as he felt them move slightly to the sides of his head. When he opened them, they had turned into cat-like slits. His eyes had changed color to crimson, and he could see in both ultraviolet and infrared light. Two curved horns grew out of the top of his head, and his ears became three spine fans. His muscles twisted and rippled, strengthening and growing in mass across his body as he continued to grow larger in height, reaching a gargantuan size. Martin's growing body crashed through the roof of the temple, sending blocks tumbling to the ground. Finally, flames burst from his scales and surrounded his entire body.
The Amulet of Kings, which had grown with him and was still around his neck, stopped glowing as the dragon roared loudly to signal that its transformation was complete. It twisted its long neck around to look down at Jauffre, who stood in shock, and surveyed the damage. Huge blocks of rock were smashed on the ground, and Martin's clothes lay in a heap, torn to shreds. The Avatar of Akatosh looked back at Mehrunes Dagon and roared even louder, spreading its wings as it flew high in the air.
Mehrunes Dagon took a step towards the dragon, swinging its ax. The Avatar of Akatosh evaded the blow and flew towards the demon, claws outstretched. The demon roared in anger as the avatar scratched it, sending blood flying from the wounds. The dragon circled around Mehrunes and opened its jaws, sending out a jet of fire that scorched Mehrunes. The demon roared in pain and anger, lifting the ax above its head, aiming for the dragon. The Avatar of Akatosh roared in pain as the ax sliced across its body, wounding it.
The avatar spread its wings and flew higher in the air. Mehrunes spread its wings and few after the dragon, battling in the air. The avatar scratched the demon and dove, growling loudly. It took a deep breath, sending fire toward Mehrunes. The fire missed as Mehrunes dodged it. Suddenly the demon flapped its wings and circled above the avatar. It dove at the dragon, hitting with such force that sent it plummeting to the ground. As the dragon landed, it blew fire at the demon. While Mehrunes was distracted, the avatar opened its jaws and bit down hard on Mehrunes's neck. It screamed and roared in pain as the dragon held on. The Avatar of Akatosh closed its jaws creating a huge wound in the demon's neck. Mehrunes screeched as it fell to the ground dead, and vanished back into Oblivion.
A triumphant loud roar, which came from the dragon, was heard across the city. It landed on the ground and looked around, fixing its eyes on Jauffre. It growled, showing its razor sharp fangs. Jauffre gulped and took a step forward.
"Martin? Is that you?" Jauffre asked.
To his surprise, the dragon spoke. "Do not be afraid, Jauffre. Mehrunes Dagon is dead; the world is safe. I have fulfilled my destiny, and now I must go."
"What are you talking about?"
The dragon closed its eyes, sighing. "You would not understand. The prophecy has been fulfilled; I am forevermore the avatar of a god. Do not fear; I will always be with you in spirit. I now go to the realm of the gods; it is my duty as the Avatar of Akatosh, and my responsibility, to watch over the world as its protector."
"What...what about the Septim bloodline? It will fade out of history!"
"That is a price I am willing to pay. Farewell, my friend. My destiny waits."
Jauffre nodded with understanding. The Avatar of Akatosh looked to the sky, spread its wings, and took off into the air. In the distance, a loud roar could be heard as the dragon flew through the sky before fading from sight.