In a strange realm where a far distant sun shone through the universe and touched a large platform atop an infinite pillar, a golden dragon sat in contemplation. The dragon god of time, Akatosh, was following the current threads of his chosen heroine. The one he blessed with his blood to stop his Firstborn from continuing down the path of conquest as opposed to his true purpose. Alduin himself was currently with him. The World-Eater was in suspended animation, having been so since his defeat in Sovngarde. He would soon wake in this realm destined to be his prison until he was loosed upon Nirn once more to tear it asunder so a new world could take its place. In Akatosh's realm, Time didn't move the way it did in the physical realm. Instead, it curled around the pillar like countless ribbons, each showing the infinite timeline possibilities for the countless living beings who called Nirn home. Akatosh, ever the passive god, knew of his chosen daughter's decision to become a beast of Hircine, the Huntsman of the Princes. It didn't surprise him. Countless timelines had led to such a choice, all infinitely different from the last. Same for her motives. On her chosen path, the timeline he was watching, she had taken the blood for love. She had met, fell in love with, and married a werewolf. She didn't want him suffering the curse alone, Mara's gifts to her shining brightest here.
Akatosh wasn't sure how he felt about her taking a wolf spirit into herself, knowing that the dragon soul he had given her had been waging war with it ever since. Still, it was probably better that she had become a werebeast. In some timelines, she was a vampire instead. She was either turned willingly or unwillingly. Other timelines showed she had even allowed herself to be taken by Molag Bal himself. Despite his passivity, Akatosh felt deep anger for those timelines. His daughter's defilement by the Father of Vampires was a deep insult to him because Molag Bal had taken her even more cruelly than he usually did to women seeking to become Daughters of Coldharbour, with the express purpose of angering Akatosh. The god watched those timelines and each time, the Daedric Prince of Domination and Enslavement would slake his lust and sexual abuse upon the Dragonborn while staring at a point above them, aware he was being watched. The King of Rape would gloat mercilessly, causing anger to fester within the god until he was forced to look away and focus on the timeline that his chosen daughter was walking in Reality. One where she didn't know the terrible lust of Molag Bal, who did everything he could do to slight and anger his most hated rival in the Divines, Arkay. Fortunately, Akatosh's daughter was of no interest to the Daedric Prince of Domination and Enslavement, having slain many vampires and not been seen worthy of Molag Bal's...blessing.
The Princes knew of Akatosh's deep love for those of his blood, either the dragons or the mortals who were blessed with his blood. The reigning theory in Oblivion was that if he was angered enough, he'd devour Alduin to gain his powers of destruction and destroy the seal he and the other Divines had placed on Oblivion, allowing them to try again to take over Mundus as Mehrunes Dagon had tried, and probably raining destruction down himself. The impossibility of turning the chiefest and greatest of the Divines from a passive god to a wrathful god of destruction by way of devouring his Firstborn made it a pipe dream to the more evil-leaning Princes. Even the three Dragon Breaks had done little to stir him, even though each left him with a wound on either of his avatars. In the current timeline, Akatosh's daughter was only used by Molag Bal to gain revenge against his fellow Prince and arch-enemy, Boethiah, who told a follower of theirs to desecrate his shrine in Markarth. The Dragonborn had been trapped into doing the deed and thus the Father of Dragons knew of the regret she carried from the ordeal. Such was the way of things.
The golden dragon looked up from his scrying to see cracks in his realm appearing, signalling that an Oblivion Gate was opening. It was rare for Daedra to enter the spheres of the Divines, given how the Divines outclassed them in every way. Mehrunes Dagon knew that all too well. His actions during the Oblivion Crisis had compelled Akatosh himself to intervene directly, something that was unheard of for the dragon god whose very state of being was to guard time and not interfere. However, Dagon had forced his hand and in order to safeguard the world not just from Dagon but from Alduin down the line, the god broke his passivity and forced him back, sealing off Oblivion from Mundus forever more. The energy he felt from this Gate wasn't hostile but stank of the Hunting Grounds. Seems Hircine was paying him a visit. Something Akatosh had foreseen many times over in all the timelines laid at the feet of his Last-born when she became one of his beasts.
Hircine, Daedric Prince of the Hunt, wasn't like Dagon or Molag Bal. He wasn't overly malicious but his claim on the souls of the werebeasts was guarded jealously, though once such a beast from freed from him, he didn't stir up much of a fuss. Akatosh knew the Huntsman was coming to stake his own claim despite knowing it was futile. Much like Hermaeus Mora before him, Hircine thought it would be worth a shot to barter for his daughter's soul. Akatosh sighed, wishing the Prince of the Hunt would take a page from Nocturnal's book. His child was a Nightingale, meaning she owed service to the Daedric Prince of the Night and Darkness, but Lady Luck herself was concerned only that her Key remained in the Twilight Sepulcher and wasn't interested in the affairs of those she blessed so long as they respected her. She wasn't in the business of claiming souls for her sphere.
Hircine entered Akatosh's realm in the form he generally took when walking in Mundus, that of a white elk stag. The stag then shifted into the form of a man whose head was the antlered skull of his avatar. The god of time shifted to his feet as the Prince came before him. "I know why it is you've come, Hircine." Akatosh said, though his avatar's mouth didn't move. "Then you should know that as long as the Dragonborn answers the call of the Hunt, I have claim to her soul." Hircine said. His statement was met with a slight crackling in the air. "I will say unto you, Huntsman, what I've told Hermaeus Mora. The Last-born's soul is mine and mine alone. No other shall claim her. I know why she took the blood but it changes her fate not. Should she die before breaking your curse, I will take your beast from her and she will go to Shor's Hall of honored dead. Her work in stopping the Firstborn has earned her that right." Akatosh said.
"What of the one known by your children as the Traitor? Do you still claim him or will you allow Mora to have his soul?" he asked. "Mora knows as well as I do that even the Traitor's soul is mine to claim. I'm not surprised by my daughter's desire to save him from Mora's grasp because I have seen it in all her futures where they crossed paths and she heeded Mara's gifts to her. Hermaeus Mora still desires the souls of my children and he will not give up so easily. I suggest you do differently and never come before me again. Your claim means nothing to me. She is mine. She will always be mine. You shall not have her. Nor shall any of the Princes who seek their claim on her soul." Akatosh explained, his avatar accompanying his words with a hiss. Hircine crossed his arms, his eyeless skull staring at the god, and smirking. Quite a feat for a being whose humanoid form had the skull of a beast for a head. "You guard her as jealously as those of us seeking to have her soul. You're no different than we are and even you know she's free to choose her own afterlife." he said. Akatosh was passive but not above anger. It was difficult to slight him but Hircine had managed to. "Forget not that I'm both dragon and man. My children are aspects of my own personality. My Last-born is indeed free to choose her fate after death but you know not her heart if you think she would choose to follow you. Her road leads to Sovngarde. She hates your ilk and she fears that you or some other Prince would somehow best me and take her soul." he said.
"A sign of little faith in your ability to protect her but fair enough. So the Dragonborn is still yours despite binding herself to me by taking the blood. Whether for love or for power, she still chose to serve me in whatever capacity she wishes. I will recant my claim only if she breaks free of my gift." Hircine said, both as admission of his loss in this debate and as a pointed jab to Akatosh of the fact she still belonged to him in some form. The Huntsman turned to retreat back to his Hunting Grounds but he paused and his sockets turned towards the dragon god again. "I wonder...do you even care that Durnehviir is still enslaved to the Ideal Masters of the Soul Cairn? Why have you done nothing to save him?" he asked. Louder hissing answered his question. "Speak to me not of the Masters and how they trapped him in that place. Durnehviir was a fool to have believed they would've given him greater powers of necromancy if he protected the vampire Valerica to her death. They failed to mention she was immortal, thus his fate is by his own folly. Per your second question, you know why. I'm a passive god. All I do is watch. I intervened in the Oblivion Crisis because Dagon gave me no choice. There is nothing I can do for Durnehviir. The only way he can save himself from the Ideal Masters is to leave the Cairn and allow himself to expire by not returning. He will not do so. Such is his fear of death." Akatosh replied.
Hircine's shoulders shook as he laughed. "For one who claims to love those of his blood, you're quick to abandon those who make foolish mistakes such as this. The Dragonborn is unwise to have the faith she has in you. Were she in Durnehviir's position or if she allowed Molag Bal to take her, you would forsake her without question. Your passivity is what makes you weak, Akatosh. You choose to sit in this realm, pondering the infinite timelines and jealously guarding your Last-born whom you claim to love, but you would not make a move to save her from such a fate. How fortunate you must feel, knowing Bal has no interest in claiming her body and only forced her into his service as a pawn to stick it to Boethiah." he goaded. Righteous anger caused the golden dragon's light to burn brighter and he snarled at the Huntsman, leaving his perch to shove his muzzle towards Hircine's smaller form. To his credit, the Father of Werebeasts didn't flinch. "You are treading on very dangerous ground, Huntsman. Forget not that Alduin is also present and if I so choose, I can revive him and let him do what he will to this form you take. You take advantage of my passivity, knowing I'm slow to anger and even slower to exact vengeance on those who speak ill of me." he snarled, a thunderous growling shaking the platform.
"Durnehviir chose his fate unknowingly but when he realized he had been tricked, he accepted there was nothing I can do for him. When the time comes for Alduin World-Eater to be loosed upon Mundus once more, be assured that I will break into the Soul Cairn and free Durnehviir from the Ideal Masters myself if he is still their slave at that time. Not one of my blood shall be left behind. As for Molag Bal, he is wise to not test the limits of my patience and thus, in the current timeline, has not sought to force himself upon my beloved child. She is not a follower of his and so he will not turn her like he has the Daughters of Coldharbour. Now, begone from my sight, Huntsman, and never trouble me again. I may not be so forgiving next time." Akatosh warned, with a tone of finality. Hircine gave a mocking nod of his head, the Oblivion Gate manifesting again. "As the god of time commands..." he said, stepping backwards and disappearing.
Akatosh let the maelstrom of anger fade as he sighed. "The Huntsman has a point. Should Molag Bal take her, you would forsake the Dovahkiin and she would know you abandoned her. Indeed in many of her timelines, that is the fate that befell her. Cruelly taken by the King of Rape and abandoned by the god she so cherishes." came a voice from behind him. Seemed the World-Eater had revived at last. "Silence, Alduin. You are in no position nor do you have the right to judge me. Your failure in keeping to your path has led you to this end. So long as the Dragonborn turns not to worship of Molag Bal and seeks to become a Daughter of Coldharbour, no harm shall come to her by his hand. Forget this not, Alduin. Talos, Mara, and I were more involved in her creation than you think. She would not so easily abandon her principles, rooted in Mara's gifts, nor would she compromise the warrior's heart Talos forged." the golden dragon said. "For what it's worth, I hope this terrible fate you've seen in countless timelines doesn't come to pass. How else would I exact my vengeance on the mortal who dares call herself Dovah if she is a slave to the wretched beast? I assure you, Father Akatosh, that if Molag Bal denies me my right to the Dovahkiin, I will be the one raining destruction down on his realm of Coldharbour." Alduin said, making it a promise.
Akatosh said nothing, having foreseen the Dragonborn coming to his realm after death to have the souls she absorbed removed as well having a second confrontation with the Traitor Miraak. It was a job Alduin would carry out willingly in a bid to get the Traitor's soul and it would be then that the god of time would reiterate his claim to both their souls. Alduin would not have their souls anymore than the Daedric Princes would. Akatosh would see to that. He turned to the black dragon. "Return to sleep, Alduin. You are still weak from your battle in Sovngarde and it is not yet time for you to start your imprisonment here." he said by way of command. The World-Eater's red eyes remained fixed on him. "As the father of the dov commands." he replied with a sneer. He then returned to his state of hibernation, leaving Akatosh to his thoughts once more in blessed silence.