REALM OF MADNESS

Well I'm back, and writing more chapters for my Skyrim story, it was so bloody hot here down under, so it took a while to update, a poor excuse but an excuse nether less, I digress, I hope this chapter is enjoyable as the last.

Deafened and in the void, the Dragonborn was in an unknown place, he had no idea how he got there, but he felt severely weakened, as if the dragon spirit within him started fading away from his body. A voice began talking in many languages, ancient elven, ancient Nordic before finally finding the language of men. The voice transformed into a black shadow, faceless and without any shape, it finally transformed into a being, the emperor of old, Talos himself.

Dovahkiin didn't know whether this was Talos or some illusion created from his mind, "Are you real?"

"I am what I am, real, imagined, and illusion, it is yours to decide."

Dovahkiin kept quiet, unafraid nut unknown how to present himself to the emperor that both mortals, daedra and gods alike know very well. The one thing that came to mind was a bow, Talos however interrupted the bow.

"My child, it is I who should bow to you."

"I-I don't know what you mean."

"My blood flows through your veins, the last true descendant of mine. Not like those pretenders on the throne, they don't deserve the crown, you on the other hand... well do."

Dovahkiin chuckled and shook his head, "You must be mistaken my lord, I am not of Septim blood, trust me, I would know, I am the son of a blacksmith and soldier, good people and strong willed, but not royalty, unlike you, my name and purpose will be forgotten in history."

Talos placed his hand on Dovahkiin's shoulder, "No, you are so wrong, you have people that rely on you, your brethren, your beautiful and strong wife, they await your arrival, they need you, she needs you, never forget that my child."

"Forgive me for speaking out of line, I'm just tired of being dragged into ancient conflicts."

"Do not apologise, for you have nothing to apologise for, now hold out your hands my son."

Heeding his words, Dovahkiin held out his hands, a burning hot item was placed in the centre of his hands. It burned his hands, the pain was excruciating but seemed to cool down in a matter of seconds. The object was a fine piece of jewellery, a necklace unlike any other. It was as if the necklace itself was alive, it glowed in a bright red colour, almost blinding.

"Take this pendant, a go forth and demonstrate your position as the Dragonborn, the true Emperor of Tamriel and saviour of mortal kind."

"This... amulet, it's of ancient lineage."

Talos placed a fist over his heart and Dovahkiin's heart, "You and I are family, we have the blood and soul of a dragon, this may not be the original pendant, but it is yours, it will strengthen you, and your descendants."

The black void turned to a white bright light, Dovahkiin heard the wind rustling and a bird singing a disturbing song near him. It was hard for him to open his eyes, but found the strength to do so, as he did, he say a tiny blue bird dancing around him, before it began pecking at his head.

"Arghh! Hey, hey! Knock it off!"

The bird moved back and forth, chirping uncontrollably, he also felt a hard and very hot object tucked into his right hand. As soon as he found his bearings, he immediately took a quick glimpse at the object. It was the same amulet from his vision, the amulet was real and not an illusion.

Beside him was lying Farkas, his good friend, sleeping contently in the long grass, "Wake up! Come on Farkas! Get your bloody arse up!"

Farkas leapt in the air, still half asleep, "Wha-what's going on?"

"Well, looks like we are in a different realm, a daedric realm I'll wager."

The blue bird appeared again, perching up high in a weird looking tree, calling out to the two, it flew down and hovered around the two, pecking them to get their attention.

The Dragonborn waved his arm around, he now knew the bird wanted them to follow it, "I suppose we'll follow the bird."

"Could be a trap?"

"Do you have a better plan?"

Farkas shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, the two followed the bird, but found it hard to walk, it was as if they had slept for a week, maybe even a month, but they knew it was impossible.

The bird screeched loudly, shaking its head, annoying Farkas, "Easy there, we are going as fast as we can you annoying little thing."

They followed the bird for what seemed like hours, it was difficult for them, the weather here was hot, nothing like the lands were they came from where the temperature usually dropped to freezing temperatures. The sky here was beautiful nether less, glistening in a beautiful golden colour.

Dovahkiin constantly thought to himself during their trek in the forest, "How did we get here? How long were we asleep?"

The only thing he remembered was being in an inn with Farkas, Vilkas and Aela, meeting up with Sheogorath, after conversing with the daedric lord of madness, it all tuned white, and that was when he had the vision, and somehow found himself in the realm of madness with Farkas. He knew that Aela was in Skyrim though, he could sense her, but he wondered by Sheogorath hadn't appeared yet.

They finally found their destination in the middle of the odd looking forest, a portal lied in the middle, the bird flew into the violet portal and vanished. The Dragonborn knew this was the only way to get to Sheogorath, he turned to Farkas and gave a curved smile, "Well... shall we?"

As the two entered the portal they found themselves teleported to a throne room and sitting at the throne was the one and only lord of the realm, Sheogorath. He clapped and laughed merrily, the blue bird perching on his shoulder, chattering around its master.

"Welcome! Welcome lads! I see you met my small friend, I feel like we are going to be great friends."

Dovahkiin was curious to why he brought them here, he had to ask, "Sheogorath, why bring us here?"

"Ah! I watched yer fight with that bloody dragon o' yours, Alduin I believe his name was, Haskill go on tell them."

Haskill, a balding man cleared his throat before talking, "Yes, it's true, my lord watched your battle with that most dreadful creature."

Sheogorath kicked his legs in the air, giggling, "Ha! You gave that reptilian bastard a good thrashing, I never like him, I was rooting for you all the way! Alduin, he really was a piece of work, he was arrogant, stubborn, annoying and extremely dull. Let's face it, he probably never even brushed his teeth. Wait... neither do I, ah tis' a sad day for a god such as myself."

Dovahkiin approached the mad god, being less than subtle, "So... what do want with us?"

A woman's voice entered the room, like an invisible force, "His power knows no limit, He is the cornerstone of madness. He is Sheogorath, Prince of Madness, the Mad God, He is Madness itself."

A black raven flew down behind Sheogorath and took form of a tall, extremely beautiful, stunning and alluring young woman. She stood beside Sheogorath and stood at least a good four inches taller than him, ravens' cries could be heard near her, her finger and toenails were ebony colour, black roses tangled down her obsidian hair. She was hypnotising, as she moved behind Sheogorath, she wrapped her arms around him, caressing his chest. Her daedric eyes similar to all daedra, which had a look which couldn't be resisted by any mortal, those silver and glass like eyes, she turned to him and spoke, almost ignoring her surroundings and all those in it, "Madness and shadow, a perfect combination, wouldn't you say my dear?"

Sheogorath gave a chuckle and stoked his beard, "Indeed."

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your new friends?"

"Gentleman, welcome my esteemed, gorgeous friend, Nocturnal, Queen of the shadows, isn't she beautiful?"

Nocturnal turned to Dovahkiin, she immediately recognised him, "We meet again, Dovahkiin."

Sheogorath threw his arms into the air, "Ah! I see you two have already met, that's good, no, it's bloody brilliant!"

Nocturnal released herself from Sheogorath, chuckling, "I have to go Sheogorath, we will meet again, very soon, you too Dovahkiin and... friend."

Farkas sighed, he hated been in the dark when it came around, so spoke up, "My name is Farkas my lady"

"Farkas, what a gentleman."

Nocturnal moved her fingers across Sheogorath's cheeks and chin, stroking his white beard for him, her black robe was very revealing, and exposed many parts of her snow like skin. She dispersed into the shadows, into her domain, leaving the men to talk.

Sheogorath kissed his fingers and gave a wave with his right hand, "Uh my raven beauty, goodbye darling, I'll meet you again, very soon."

Haskill gave a cough to get Sheogorath's attention, "My Lord, what about our two quests?"

"Lads, you better get some shut eye, we have a very important day tomorrow."

Dovahkiin was already confused, "Wait, what are we doing tomorrow?"

Sheogorath placed a finger on his lips and sighed, "I wish I could tell yer lad, I really do, but it would be much better if I left it as a surprise."

Dovahkiin sighed and shook his head, "Fine, does time flow differently in your realm."

"I'm just yanking your chain, tomorrow, you will face against Mehrunes Dagon's champion, and you my young friend, the dragonborn will be my champion. Also, yes, time does flow differently in my realm, that don't call it the realm of madness for no reason, one day in here is around one month on your mortal plane."

Dovahkiin knew it, he felt weird as soon as he awoke on this realm, a month would have already passed back in Skyrim, "Perfect, just perfect."

"Haskill, be a good lad and show these two there rooms, I have some very important daedric business to attend, well, it's all mad, really mad. Ta! I'll see you two tomorrow!"

As Sheogorath walked off into the night, Dovahkiin and Farkas followed Haskill to their rooms. As the Nords looked up at the night sky, they found out how beautiful this realm really was, it gleamed in a violet colour, as opposed to the golden sky in the morning and afternoon.

Haskill finally brought them to their separate rooms, eager to leave the Nords and attend his own business, "Good night and remember that my lord Sheogorath needs you awaken early tomorrow, please, do not disappoint him."

As the door closed in front of him, Dovahkiin noticed the lavish, royal like bedroom, the linen and silk was rich, the bed linen was of the rich colour red, it immediately reminded him of Aela's red hair, he missed her, she was his love, his wife, and he was very far away from her, he wanted to be with her more than anything, but Sheogorath, as mad as he was, he could really help him defeat the darkness which would surely arrive.

He threw himself down on the bed, he took a deep breath and could smell the scent of lavender and a touch of rose, he closed his eyes and thought of Aela, clenching onto his new pendant, darkness finally took him.

Back in Skyrim, the Companions were near the borders of Hammerfell and High Rock, hoping to get some allies from the Redguard and Breton guilds, the new temporary advisor for the companions Aela made her way up the high snowy mountains, leaving the companions down at camp below.

She was resting on the edge of the rocky slopes of the mountain, when she heard a strange flapping of wings and then a raspy voice, "Why do you weep little one?"

She looked up at the sound of the voice and noticed a dragon sitting in front of her, the same dragon which helped her husband stop the end of the world, it was Paarthurnax, Aela wiped the tears off her face and kept a strong face, "Why are you here?"

"I heard the call of dragons, baby dragons to be precise."

Aela gasped and placed her hands over her stomach, "Y-You must have been mistaken."

The dragon chuckled, "I never make mistakes, I have been around for many years young one."

"The one you are looking for, Dovahkiin, my husband, he isn't here, he is in another realm, he's been gone for about a month, I... have no idea when he'll be back."

"What makes you think I was looking for Dovahkiin? No, I hardly even sense the Dovahkiin, he is not the one I sensed, but others, the call of baby dragons."

Aela stood up straight and proud, turning around without a pause, the dragon tried to stop her, "Hold still mortal!"

Her hands reached back down to her stomach, she inhaled deeply before finally exhaling back out, she guarded herself from the dragon, and almost anyone else. The dragon listened closely before speaking up, "There it is again, the call of dragons, a cry almost, very powerful too as I can sense it."

Aela knew that the dragon has a close connection to her husband, so she had to ask, "Will he be back?"

"Of course, do not fear little one, your husband is well, as well as the companion that follows him, he too misses you, and I'm sure he'll be back very soon, do not give hope, you two have a strong connection to one another."

Aela knew it was time for her to rest, but couldn't help think about her husband, "I'm tired, when my husband returns, I'll tell him you called for him."

Meanwhile in Sheogorath's realm, Nocturnal transported the sleeping Dovahkiin yet again into the same dim place, a void, the dimness soon disappeared and in its place tall trees appeared, and a familiar breeze soon followed, it was his homeland, it was Skyrim. The daedric lord also disappeared, but she was still there somehow lodged into his head. In the clear distance were two figures, one tall, masculine with broad shoulders and the other a smaller, petite and no taller than an average Nords led height.

Dovahkin moved closer with curiosity, hoping to catch a glimpse of the two, he himself felt different, as if he was there and also wasn't, it was hard to describe, but he felt more like a shadow.

The large man leaned down to the girl and chuckled, pulling out his bow "No, no my little wolf, you hold a bow like this, okay?"

"Like this?" the girl tugged at her short bow in her hands.

"Yeah, like that, keep it up and you might amount to something."

She smiled, stating into the man's eyes, her eyes as wild as his, "Thank you father."

It was her hair that stood out though, it was a dark rose colour, her face was still fresh, small freckles still visible. She seemed to adore her father very much, and vice versa, she took all his knowledge to heart. It didn't take the Dragonborn long to realise who this girl was, as he looked closer into those eyes, those powerful and ferocious pale blue eyes, he knew it was Aela, but as a child.

He also realised they couldn't see him, as if he was an invisible force watching over them, "Wait, can they see me?"

Nocturnal's voice entered his mind, "No, they cannot see you, here you are nothing, a mirage, a ghost, nothing more than a speck of light."

"What do I do?"

"Well nothing, just... observe and learn, enlighten yourself, you would be surprised at what you can learn," in saying that, yet again her voice vanished.

The young Aela and her father slowly and quietly sneaked through the woods, Dovahkiin followed from behind, eager to see what would happen next. Noticing Aela was making too much noise, her father halted her advance, demonstrating and explaining what she was doing incorrect, "You have to be light on your feet, a predators strongest weapon is not their claws or teeth, or even these tools, it is their feet."

She looked down at her feet and dug up the snow with the tip of her boot, "I'm sorry father."

"Don't be sorry, I just want my daughter to become the best of the best. Just remember that your strongest weapons are your feet, be the predator, be a ghost, and remember to leave no traces."

They continued sneaking in the forest, until they upon their first beast, "Shh, look a young deer, go on, take your shot, remember what I taught you, concentrate on your breathing."

Aela steadily grabbed a hold of her short bow, aiming at the deer, she took a deep breath and let go of the arrow, amazingly the arrow curved, hitting the deer directly in its eyes, it dropped dead almost immediately.

Her father was even more surprised than Aela, it was the first time he had seen something like this, "So the student becomes the master, beginners luck."

"Admit it father, your just too good of a teacher."

"That must be it," he patted his daughter on his head before walking up to the fallen deer, "Nice shot! Shall I do the honours of skinning it, or do you want to, eh?"

Aela slowly reached to her hunting knife which was given to her by her father as a gift, and began skinning the animal, it was her first time too. After they finished with the animal, they washed the blood off from their hands near a creek.

Her father stood and watched his daughter and only child, it was obvious that she was his pride and joy, she was very dear to him and wanted to pass over all of his knowledge to her, "Aela?"

"Mmm?"

"Night will fall very soon, let's go home."

Their homestead was deep in the mountains, protected by many forests and rocky passages, it was close to the Cyroldil border too, meaning it was in a region close to trade an skin and meat, the Empire never bothered them and luckily enough the bandits and raiders never discovered the homestead, it was a haven. A large house stood near the edge, a mill and forgery were nearby were Aela's father was able to work when he was not hunting or on a companion quest. The house only had three people in it, Aela, her father and mother.

Aela excused herself to her father, who was readying himself at the forge, she would do this often, officially she was too young to join with her parents, so she would venture forth into the world by herself. Her mother was a respected huntress in the companions and her father, who was also a proud companion, skilled blacksmith, woodcutter and obviously a very good hunter, unlike his wife however, as soon as he achieved to get into the circle, his duties became somewhat easier.

Aela loved her father, but she always dreamed of being like her mother, always out on an adventure, seeing the known world with her two own eyes, "When's mother coming home?"

"Tonight perhaps, out on an important quest as always, why do you ask?"

"No reason."

"Don't wonder too far!"

"Okay father, I won't, I promise."

Dovahkiin followed her, wondering what she could possibly do in the middle of nowhere, after a short walk she found herself at a grove, surrounded by wolves and their cubs. Instead of defending their cubs, and attacking Aela, they greeted her as she was their very own child. The cubs encircling her, sniffing her and taking a general interest in Aeala. She picked up the smallest cub and scratched the top of its head.

Nocturnal's voice appeared for another time, "Even as a child she was a lone wolf, she never cared much for the men and elves, and their meaningless politics and wars, this was her second family, she never loved anyone more than her parents, well that was until she met you."

Then came a world he had never seen before in his life, it was almost twice the size of the average adult wolf and its fur was far more thicker, fur almost as white as the snow around it. On first sight it looked like a male, but on a closer look, it was a female, a she-wolf, the legendary queen of the wolves. The Dragonborn couldn't believe it, the white wolf queen was a myth, a legend, a story told to children but here it stood, alive and well. Aela placed the cub on the floor before bowing to the wolf queen, it approached Aela without any kind of fear, they placed their heads on one another, it was their way of greeting.

"My Queen, will you teach me a wolf?"

The wolf's eyes were unique, one was a blue as the sky and the other was silver as crystal, what came after surprised Dovahkiin, "Yes, I will."

"What?! A talking wolf? How is that even possible?"

Nocturnal sighed and mockingly pointed out an obvious thing, "Well... dragons talk."

"Point taken," he knew she was right, but he had never seen a talking wolf before, it was unheard of, anywhere throughout Tamriel.

Aela took off her leather boots, barefooted now on the cold hard ground, she wriggled her toes of the coldness and her lips, nose and cheeks were as red as the sun drenched dawn. This was the only way to train as the wolves themselves, to feel the earth with her feet and to become a wolf herself. Under the guidance of both the wolf queen and her father, she became a huntress, and learned how to become a predator, a silent shadow in the world. The queen urged her new pupil to follow her, teaching her the main principals of a wolf, patience, stamina, stealth, ferociousness and power from the heart and the spirit.

Nocturnal said something that pierced Dovahkiin's dragon heart, "She weeps, cries for you, she wants you to come back to her."

"She weeps?"

"Of course, all creatures weep, from the largest and strongest, to the smallest, even daedra weep, Aela is strong, but she still weeps as anyone else, she wants you back into her arms, even if she doesn't say anything."

Dovahkiin wanted to be with Aela, his love, but without allies, the war against the creatures of the night would already be lost. "Nocturnal, why show me this, huh?"

"I showed you this because she has always been alone, as a child, as a young woman, but now she has you, and only you, and your gone, time flows differently in the daedric realms. You may not notice it, but you strengthen Aela, not only her, but also your brotherhood and sisterhood. She... also has to tell you, something important, something that might change the course of this war forever."

Dovahkiin shook violently, he awoke on the bed, both the visions and Nocturnal disappeared, it was at this moment that he understood that he truly missed the one person he cared for, but as he tried to sense her, he could only hear the cries of dragons. He didn't understand it now, but he had to get out of the mad realm before he could do anything to help his love Aela and his brothers and sisters back home. Meeting Sheogorath was just a prelude, what came next would really next the duo's mental strength against the madness that reigns in Sheogorath's realm.

I am already half way through the next chapter, I hope to update in the next two weeks or so, I will be also updating some of my Fallout stories, I hope this chapter was enjoyable, reviews were appreciated before and would be appreciated again. Ta!