He was retired. He had been for ten years. He helped establish peace in Skyrim and killed Alduin. He fought and slain the vampire lord Harkon. And through it all, he lost many friends. But a light shown through it all. He had found his wife, Serana, the vampire princess. For ten years they raised their two adopted sons, Alesan and Samuel in his house that he built near Falkreath. He had given up his adventurous life for his family. He sometimes felt pangs of regret but was content. But for someone with the soul of a Dragon, living in peace was never long lasting. And today, that peace he had grown to love would be torn from him.

"Fendal, I found a print." The Dragonborn, Adam called. The wood elf ran over, bow in hand with an arrow already notched.

The elf studied it for a moment. "Its to big to be a bear paw, but not large enough to be a mammoth."

"Then what could it be?" Adam responded. The elf shrugged and started to follow the trail it left. Trees seemed to be nearly uprooted and bushes were crushed.

"What kind of beast could do something as horrific as this?" Fendal whispered. Suddenly a roar tore through the woods to the hunters backs. They whipped around, bows ready. Another roar, this one closer. Heavy footsteps charging at them fast. When out of the thing brush erupted a gigantic Rhino. The two hunters simultaneously released their arrows but both reflected off its tough skin. The beast stopped, momentarily dazed.

Leonidas took advantage of this and released his unrelenting force shout.

"Fus, Ro, DA!" The rhino flew backwards into a heavy oak and they both fell. "Fendal, RUN."

The elf took off in the opposite direction towards the town built around the Dragonborns own home. Adam quickly notched another arrow and launched it at the creature as it rose from the ground. Like the first, it simply clattered to the ground after bouncing off its armor. The lone nord could think of nothing else he could do, so he swung the bow on his back and charged the rhino.

The beast charged too. They were on a head on collision that both knew who would win. Adam dropped to the ground and slid beneath the rhino, grabbed a steal tipped arrow from his quiver, and plunged it into the belly of the beast. The flesh there was soft and the arrow hit something vital.

A moan escaped the rhinos mouth and it fell forward, carried by its momentum. Adam stood as soon as he cleared the deceased animal. He left the arrows where they were, he had plenty, and ran towards his village.

He could smell it before he saw it. Smoke. Then he saw thick flames spreading through the woods. First a rhino, which was native to only the country of Hammerfell, now a forest fire. This was no coincidence. Somebody wanted him dead. He sprinted around the fast moving flame towards the lake. The fire was nearing the lake faster than himself. With his now low energy he sprinted harder and dove. The fire reached the lake the same time as he did. He felt his fur clothes ignite in flame, as did his hair, but was instantaneously extinguished as fell into the cooling water of the lake.

He stayed under for a minute before resurfacing. The fire was thick and to close for comfort. No normal fire was like this. Magic was controlling it. He must wait it out. He treaded water for nearly two hours before the fire finally died. Exhausted, he climbed up the beach and nearly crawled to his home. He was so tired he didn't take notice of the thick, black smoke rising from the village until he reached the road.

Smoke rose from every building and a pile of charred skeletons at the center of the town. Tears crept into his eyes. The Dragonborn rose to his feet slowly. He couldn't believe it. Everything was destroyed. He tried to take a step forward but couldn't. The tears now trickled down his cheeks. He moved forward with a painful step. He moved slowly to the pile of corpses. All the townspeople were there, except for his wife and Fendal. His now adult kids served in solitude so he worried not of them. He felt a glimmer of hope till he saw his own home.

On it hung two bodies. His wife and best friend,, Fendal. Tears now streamed down his face and dripped onto his bare chest.

"Serana," he whispered. "Fendal."

His heart felt like it was torn from his chest, stomped on and slammed back into his body in the wrong spot. A mournful wail escaped his lips. It traveled through all of Tamriel some said.

"My wife!" He screamed. He fell to his knees and rested his head on her feet. "I'm so sorry my love. I've failed you."

He kissed her feet and sobbed. For nearly two days he sobbed, even when he had no tears left to shed. He eventually took the bodies down, and buried every corpse. He mourned for three more days. Never eating. Never drinking. Never going inside. He even stripped off his clothing and slept on his wife's grave naked in the harsh cold Nordic air. On the fifth day, he rose from the dirt. And walked away quietly. He would never return, he vowed. And he would get his revenge on those who did this. And he knew who it was. The rhino now gave it away.

They were only native to Hammerfell. And the Redguard were trying to take over all of Tamriel, starting with Skyrim. He knew what he had to do. He traveled to Whiterun where his weapons were stored deep in the catacombs of Jorrvaskr.

Well, comment or message me how you liked it and let me know if I should continue. Thanks for reading!