AN: Totally forgot—I never gave you a description of what Dragonborn's Fury actually looks like. For starters, I HATE the look of the vanilla dragonbone sword. Hate it hate it HATE IT. I never used it in the game just because I hated the look. There is absolutely no symmetry to it, which I guess makes sense because it's brittle bone and not malleable metal, but look at the greatsword and dagger variations! So, needless to say, I modded the living crap out of it. My favorite look for the regular sword variant is by LeanWolf. Go search for LeanWolf's Better-Shaped Weapons on Google if you want an idea of what Dragonborn's Fury actually looks like. Except think slightly longer (longsword length) and all black, with a brilliant-cut sapphire occupying the empty space of the pommel ring. That is all.

Lydia couldn't even hope to restrain her grin when they came down the stairs hand-in-hand, smiling and whispering to each other. So, instead, she busied herself with making them both a hearty breakfast. Serana was going stir-crazy being locked up in there and Ketar looked like he really wanted to test out his new toy—which he hadn't even let Lydia touch. If she were a betting woman (a habit she'd barred herself from after losing most of her paycheck to Brynjolf), she'd bet that they'd both be leaving Whiterun within the hour. Thus, meals on the go were on the menu for this morning.

"How'd you both sleep?" Lydia asked intentionally loudly, startling both of them.

"Fine," Serana was quick to answer, followed closely by Ketar.

At the steady rise of Lydia's left eyebrow and blossoming grin on her face, Ketar was quick to add, "Not together, if that's what you're implying."

"No, no," Serana added with a shake of her head, "not together."

They both stared at Lydia, a boy and an ancient vampire, and blushed like two teenagers caught making out. She let them stew in it for a few seconds before chuckling and saying, "I didn't say anything. You came up with that. So, I guess that means something's on your mind."

Ketar gave her a potent (yet ineffective) glare in response.

Lydia just laughed and waved them toward the table. "Breakfast, though I'm sure you'd like to take it on the move."

With a sigh, Ketar finally relented and strode over to the parcels. "Sadly, yes. I know we didn't get to stay for too long, and I was…busy, but…" he leaned in and lowered his voice, "I'm taking her to see Alduin's Wall."

"You know I can still hear you, right?" Serana asked with an amused tilt of her head.

Ketar groaned and rolled his eyes. "Just…" he dropped a small but heavy sack of coins on the table, "try not to spend it all in one place."

Lydia's eyes lit up.

"And do not go to Riften," he ordered loudly. "After last time, you are banned from the Ragged Flagon for all eternity."

"Wha—says who?"

"Says me, and in case you forgot," Ketar jabbed a thumb into his chest, "I'm the Guildmaster."

Lydia gave him a deadpan frown and grumbled before replying, "Fine."

"Good." Ketar reached over and grabbed the parcels, then made his way toward the exit. "You'll be okay with us gone?"

Lydia smirked and tapped her chin. "Hmm…I have become rather attached to her these past couple days, so…"

"Her?" he asked incredulously.

"Well, you I don't really have a choice with…"

Ketar rolled his eyes and waved a dismissive hand at her. "Whatever. Sera? You ready?"

Lydia's eyebrows shot skyward. Sera?

Her eyes drifted over to Serana, who turned to him immediately with a nod and followed behind.

Lydia smirked and crossed her arms. "Try not to get too sidetracked, you two."

"We'll be fine, Lydia," Ketar replied.

Another teasing grin spread over her features as she raised her voice, insistent on having the last word. "And make sure you have an adequate headboard!"

The incoherent sputtering of her master and peals of Serana's laughter were audible even through the door.

…

It took Serana almost ten minutes to notice something was different about Ketar's gear. When she did, it was right as they were saddling Stormbreaker.

"What is that?" she asked, pointing squarely at the sword on his back.

Ketar glanced up at it, then smiled at her. "That was my business for the last three days."

"Oh?"

"Mhm." He offered her a hand up, which she took and used to pull herself into the saddle. "It's called 'Dragonborn's Fury.' Forged with ebony and the bones of a dragon."

"That's…wow. I didn't know you could do that."

"The only place I know it can be done is the Skyforge, right here in Whiterun."

Serana frowned as they got moving, him walking alongside the horse. "Then why were you gone for three days?"

He smirked. "Because, as with most things, I get caught up in my work. And it all had to be done at once. It was a one-of-a-kind material, so we only got one shot. No time for breaks, no time to forget a step."

"Huh…so, since it is one-of-a-kind, is there anything it can…do?"

Ketar outright grinned. "I'm so glad you asked. This thing is enchanted about sixteen ways from Oblivion. I etched Dawnguard runes into the blade to make it deadly to undead, and used an enchantment I learned from the Blades to hone the edge. No more ineffectually hacking away at dragonscales when I get grabbed. Now? This thing cuts through their hide like butter. Add to that the fact that this thing never gets dull and…well, it can kill just about anything."

Serana's eyebrows shot skyward. "O…kay then. Brelyna said you were a talented enchanter, but I never expected this. I can't even begin to imagine how valuable that weapon would be."

Ketar frowned. "I can. Which is why I gave it one more little trick." He tapped the large sapphire in its hilt. "This stone is enchanted to magnify the magical power of whoever wields it, but only if they carry dragon blood within them. I figured, since…most dragons don't have the form to use a weapon like this, that leaves the pool of potential users to uh…me."

Serana frowned. "And…what happens to anyone else?"

"Oh, they get burned. One of the perks of forging with dragonfire. You can imbue seemingly normal substances with uncanny enchantments."

She let out a long breath. "If you were trying to impress me, you did a very good job of it."

He grinned. "I wasn't, but that's good to know."

They proceeded further from Whiterun, falling silent on the road until something occurred to Serana.

"So, where's your other one?"

"Oh! That reminds me, thank you."

Ketar reached out in front of him and opened the rift, pulling out his ebony sword. He then gripped it by the sheath and handed it to her hilt-first.

She stared at it, then at him. "…I can't take that."

"Sure you can." He smirked wryly. "This is what people do when they start courting, right? Give each other gifts?"

Serana arched an eyebrow, a smile forcing itself to her lips. "So we're 'courting' now?"

Instead of blushing like she'd assumed, he just shrugged and smiled gamely. "Figured it was fitting enough. I mean…you know…we did kiss."

"Mhm," she hummed, grinning salaciously, "and it was some kiss."

Ketar's face started heating up, but he kept his confident air as he kept holding out the sword. "I get that the dagger is your trademark, and you are very good with it, but…" he frowned, "when Isran had you pinned…its lack of reach prevented you from fighting back."

Serana pursed her lips. "I see your point." With a sigh, she reached out and took the weapon from his hands, holding it up and inspecting it.

"Besides…"

She drew it halfway from the sheath, marveling at the pristine quality of its glassy, jet-black surface.

"…black is your color too."

Serana smiled and slid it back into the sheath, then tied it to the left of her belt. "Thank you."

He grinned up at her. "You're absolutely welcome."

Serana kept smiling, the expression turning devious a few moments later. "For the record, people who are courting don't usually start with swords."

Ketar was silent for a moment before responding. "People who are courting aren't usually a twenty-year-old Dragonborn and a millennia-old vampire."

"…touché."

…

"So…Alduin's Wall. Where is it exactly?"

Ketar glanced back at Serana, having mounted Stormbreaker a while ago, his hood for once not obscuring his range of motion or vision. "Alduin's Wall is just a relief sculpture, really. It's housed in a place called Sky Haven Temple, a former Blades stronghold."

"The Blades…you mentioned them before."

Ketar blinked. "Oh. Right. Forgot—time gap. Uh…well you should know that they were the protectors of the Septim emperors, right down to the last one. Their order was originally intended as a group of dragonslayers back in ancient times. When they discovered a Dragonborn, they pledged themselves to his service, a tradition that continued until the end of the Third Era. But after the death of the last Septim, they were disbanded and replaced by the Penitus Oculatus. The Thalmor basically hunted what was left to extinction."

"The Oculatus…you mentioned them to that guard in Dragon Bridge."

"I've tangled with them once or twice. Substandard inbred bastards, if you ask me. I'm no particular fan of the Blades at the moment, but even I have to admit—what's left would whoop their asses twelve days from Sundas."

Serana frowned. "Wait…why are you not a fan of the Blades? Aren't they supposed to be on your side?"

Ketar sighed hard. "It's a long story."

She fell silent after that, thinking for a while before deciding to change the subject. "I only asked about the location because I noticed we were heading west."

He glanced back at her. "Okay?"

Serana's lips pursed. "I was reading one of your books while recovering, called The Aetherium Wars."

"Oh? What's it about?"

"Apparently, the Dwemer discovered a substance in Blackreach called Aetherium, with powerful magical properties. They ended up fighting several wars over it."

"That right?"

She nodded. "It also mentioned a Dwarven ruin called Arkngthamz out in the Reach, where traces of it might still be found."

"Hm…and let me guess: you want to take a look."

"If it's not too much trouble."

Ketar smiled back at her. "Not at all. Mark it on a map and we'll head there after our visit to Sky Haven."

Serana grinned. "Thank you."

Suddenly inspired, she quickly leaned forward and, pressing beyond the confines of her hood, placed a quick kiss on the side of his neck. Serana felt him tense at her touch, but not in alarm, in nervousness. Her better side told her to leave it alone, but there was something about him, something she'd seen that morning too, right after he'd kissed her, that made her…other side take control. And with a wide, mischievous grin that he was either too tense or distracted to see, she firmly pressed her lips to the side of his neck.

His sudden, sharp intake of breath just spurred her on, one slow kiss after the next placed on his vibrantly pale skin. When she playfully let the tip of her tongue slip out, he finally responded.

"Serana?"

Kiss. "Yes, dear?"

"W-What are you doing?"

Grin. "Nothing, dear." Kiss.

"Sera—"

"Mmm…I'm gonna take a nap." Serana laid her head down on his shoulder, slumping against him dramatically. "Waking up in the middle of the day is so exhausting."

She could feel him try to calm himself down. Evidently, he succeeded. "Okay," he hissed through his teeth, spurring the horse forward.

Serana grinned from ear to ear as her eyes slipped shut. She couldn't help it. The initiation of this "courtship," as he so formally put it, had been his decision. He couldn't rightly blame her for having a little fun with it. She felt a long, calming breath exhaled in an attempt to still the heart that was practically pounding in her ear and had the sudden urge to break out cackling. She managed to keep it down, but kept smiling as she buried her face in the soft nape of his neck and took in a long breath of pure him. The deep, heady scent alone was enough to make her drowsy.

The even thudding of his finally-calmed heart managed to lull her to sleep.

…

"This is Sky Haven Temple?"

Ketar grinned and nodded back at Serana, who was walking behind him as he led Stormbreaker to one of the water troughs maintained out front. The sloped, moss-covered pagoda that comprised the front entrance of the former Akaviri stronghold had seemed so imposing in his first trip there, but now…

It looks like the desperate gasps of a dying race…which is strangely appropriate.

"It…looks so different."

Ketar's blue eyes went wide as he turned to gape at her. "You've been here before?"

Serana tugged her lower lip into her mouth, one fang sticking out slightly as she nodded. "Once. My mother taught me that certain sects of the Akaviri studied Conjuration and necromancy at length. I came here to see if I could learn more about their methods, but…"

"It was an abandoned fortress, not a library."

Serana nodded. "I had no idea what I'd really stumbled across."

Ketar smiled. "Well…then I'm glad I get to share it with you."

He reached back and offered his hand, which she took, allowing him to guide her through the massive double-doors that comprised the entrance. What greeted them on the other side was…well, he wasn't exactly surprised, but it still elicited quite the reaction. The first room of Sky Haven Temple was a massive, rectangular open space, dimly lit by a few torches and braziers scattered around the place. The walls and floor of the building were comprised of large, slate-gray stones, but one piece in particular immediately drew the eye. At one far end of the room was a wall comprised entirely of black rock, etched and carved with images of dragons, men, and the visage of a single gate to Oblivion.

Apparently, Serana's gaze was drawn to it as well. "Is that—"

"Alduin's Wall," he confirmed, leading her up to the sixty-foot-wide relief. "The Akaviri Dragonguard of old days carved it as both art and record." Ketar led her to the far left side of the relief, where numerous dragons were shown breathing fire on the forms and dwellings of men. Some of the humans were shown carting along heavy loads. "Here, it shows ancient Tamriel, in a time when dragons ruled Nirn and subjugated all mortals to their will." He slowly led her to the center of the sculpture, where three humans were arrayed in a trine below the massive head of a dragon. "And here, this dragon—the World-Eater himself—defeated by three Nord heroes with a Shout borne of fear and desperation."

Serana reached out to the central figure and traced her fingers over a thin, cylindrical object in his right hand. "What's this in his hand?"

"That is the Elder Scroll I kept in Windstad Manor."

"That's how you knew to find it."

"It's how I knew that I had to find it." Leaving that line of thought for now, he proceeded further right and pointed at the Oblivion symbol. "The Oblivion Crisis."

Serana nodded. "You told me about that."

He nodded and pointed at an image of lines of armored men charging against each other. "The current civil war."

She smirked and ran her hand over an image of a man in full armor and helmet, with a sword and shield blocking fire from a dragon, the wyrm having already slain several others. "Just a wild guess, but…I'm pretty sure this is you."

Ketar chuckled. "They didn't quite get my chin right."

"I noticed. I don't think you could grow a beard like that if you tried."

He arched an eyebrow at her teasing grin. "Really? Is that a challenge?"

Her sunset-colored eyes rolled. "Ugh, gods no. Beards that thick make men way too prickly." Her lips tipped upward. "Especially when you get close."

Ketar's head shook as he grinned, his smile slowly fading as he turned back to the relief. "This is the prophecy revealed by the Elder Scrolls, of a time when Alduin would return and revive his dragon brethren." Ketar frowned and waved at the Wall. "This is where I learned how to defeat Alduin. That Shout they created—Dragonrend…I used the Scroll to learn it from the source."

"…from the source?"

He sighed. "It's complicated. Remember how I told Dexion that I'd read one of the Scrolls before?"

"Right. I figured it was that one, but…how did you learn it 'from the source'?"

Ketar frowned and tilted his head. "The Throat of the World."

Serana immediately straightened up.

"That's where those three heroes faced Alduin for the last time." He traced the outline of the central hero. "They brought the Scroll as a last resort. Because dragons are the children of Akatosh, god of time, they tend to be more attuned to the Scrolls, but also more vulnerable to their more…exotic effects."

"Meaning?"

He glanced back at her to gauge her reaction as he said, "Time travel."

"…you're shitting me."

"I really wish I was." He sighed. "But, sadly, I am not. The three Nords lured Alduin to the Throat of the World, the highest peak in all Skyrim, hoping that the Aetherial energy there, plus Alduin's own considerable power, would combine with the Scroll to form what's known as a Dragon Break, which is what I used to look back and witness those events for myself. The Breaks are aberrations, wounds in time and space, where time diverges like a river." He snorted a laugh. "Or, at least, that's what most Imperial scholars say."

Serana just stared at him blankly.

Ketar couldn't help it, he broke out laughing. "I told you: anything having to do with Dragonborn business requires a long, convoluted explanation that's more theory and guesswork than actual recorded fact."

She snorted. "Clearly." Serana frowned. "Ketar…you're stalling."

His face fell.

She turned to face him and gently took his hand. "What happened at the Throat of the World?"

Ketar took a long breath, closing his eyes on the inhale, then opening them as his lungs filled completely. "I died."

…

"Akatosh, Lotbormah, zu bolog, aalhin kul siiv laas ko daar vulom. Ofan aaz wah hin Dovahkiin."

The words passed through his consciousness like echoes in the darkness, a darkness he was currently trapped in. No up, no down, no space, no concept of time. All alone.

Or so he thought.

"So close…"

His attention immediately snapped to his left, the new voice echoing through the void. "Who's there?"

He could feel no weapon in his hand, nothing on his person. Hell, he couldn't even feel his own body.

"Speak!" he shouted, more afraid than angry.

Suddenly, a hovering presence was felt at his back, and without his permission, his entire body began to shake. And then the darkness was gone, and he went from seeing nothing to seeing everything.

Including the massive, golden dragon currently staring at him like he was little more than transparent paper.

The sight froze him stock-still for several moments of pure silence before a single awed word passed his lips.

"Father?"

…

Serana stared at him like he'd just grown a second head…then cut off that head only to have two more grow from the stump. "You saw…Akatosh?"

Ketar nodded slowly. "Or, his avatar, at least. It wouldn't be the first time it's appeared to mortals. Akatosh intervened personally during the Oblivion Crisis to send Mehrunes Dagon back where he came from."

"Wh—I'm sorry, I'm just desperately trying to understand this. You came face-to-face…with a god?"

He shrugged. "Depending on how you look at it, I've actually done that a bunch of times, though typically with Daedra."

"Yeah, what is up with that?"

Ketar arched an eyebrow. "You sound agitated."

Serana's eyes narrowed. "The College. I found the Black Star."

He shrugged. "So?"

"The Black Star, Dawnbreaker, Spellbreaker—just how many Daedra have you spoken to?"

"Spoken to?" He looked up in thought. "I think I want to say all of them. As for how many I've helped—well…I think the grand total is eleven."

Serana's jaw dropped.

Ketar shrugged. "The rest I either screwed over or outright ignored." He caught Serana staring at him dumbly and smirked. "You should probably close your mouth before a fly walks in."

Blinking, she blushed self-consciously and shook herself. "I just…for a man who's only spent two years out in the world…you've certainly been busy."

Ketar grinned.

Serana looked off to the side in thought for a while before turning back to him. "So what happened next?"

He shrugged. "I don't really remember. Whatever he did must've brought me back from the brink of death, because the next thing I knew, I was waking up in High Hrothgar, surrounded by the Greybeards."

"The Greybeards."

"They taught me to how use my Voice, and kept me safe during my recovery." Ketar cringed. "And…helped with something else."

"What?"

Ketar's lips pursed. "Right before he flew off, Alduin said something. 'My belly is full of the souls of your fellow mortals. Die now and await your fate in Sovngarde.' I told the Greybeards that as soon as I woke up, and they figured out that somehow, Alduin was using the dead souls of Sovngarde to heal himself by feeding off their energy. Which meant, also somehow…I had to follow him."

She resumed staring. "You have to die."

Ketar chuckled. "No. There's another way, but we have to find a dragon loyal to Alduin."

"Don't you mean 'had to'?"

He frowned deeply. "No. That's part of why I brought you here. I've been hesitating all this time, putting it off. It's…something I spoke with Lydia about, before I forged the Fury. When Alduin struck me down…Sera, he broke me. And it wasn't just the fear of dying, it wasn't…" he sighed hard, "Lydia was there."

Her eyes went wide. "Oh…"

"He almost killed her. I jumped between her and his tail. Damn near shattered every bone in my chest taking that shot." He snorted. "Ultimately, I think that's what killed me."

"Okay, when you say you died, do you mean—"

"I mean I died, Sera. If I had to guess, Akatosh used his power to roll back my final moments to a point where they'd be able to stabilize me, then shoved my soul back into my body." A shuddering breath left his lungs. "But…just the fact that I came that close, and that if I hadn't pushed through, he would've…" his eyes slid shut, "there's no way she would've walked away from that fight if I'd been killed before driving him off." He turned to look at her. "I think…that's where the doubt came from. The only time I've ever truly lost."

The room fell silent for a while, Ketar's words hanging in the air.

"You remember Dragonsreach?" he asked suddenly.

Serana turned to him. "Of course. It's the Jarl's hall in Whiterun."

He nodded. "That's where we planned to imprison the dragon. Only problem was, Balgruuf wouldn't let us use the building unless we found a way to stop the civil war. So, I sent word to Tullius and Ulfric, the uh, military leaders on both sides, and told them to meet at High Hrothgar to talk about our mutual dragon problem." Ketar smiled bitterly, shaking his head. "Getting them to agree to a temporary peace was…less than pleasant. And it was made even worse by the fact that Tullius decided to bring the Thalmor ambassador along."

"You're kidding."

"Nope," Ketar chuckled. "That Altmer witch was glaring at me the whole time." His smile faded. "But, after staring down the World-Eater himself, a little High Elf wench's gaze rates lower than a skeever, know what I mean?"

"I do."

His lips twitched with a brief smile. "Eventually, though…we came to an understanding."

…

Even Ketar couldn't decide if the pleading looks he was sending Lydia were intended for her to rescue him from this farce (and the massive headache it was creating) or to get it over with and assassinate both envoys (and rid him of the headache's cause). Either way, she just stood there with a pitying look as on either side of him, and the long, elliptical table he was currently seated at, General Tullius and Ulfric Stormcloak were going at it.

"If you think I'm going to sit here and let the people of Skyrim be insulted in this manner—"

"I don't much care what you think, Ulfric! This isn't about you!"

Ulfric abruptly turned to a seated Ketar. "And what about you, Dragonborn? What do you think?" His furious eyes dared Ketar to disagree with him.

Tired, cranky, and trying to fight the urge to scream, Ketar looked between the standing Tullius and Ulfric, then just sighed and said, "Personally, I think you're both idiots, but that's neither here nor there."

"Why you little—"

"How dare you speak—"

Ketar's fist slammed into the table's surface with a deafening crack. "Enough!" His stormy blue eyes shifted from one of them to the other, as if daring them to speak. "I did not call you here to bicker over politics. I called you here because out there," he pointed to the side, "right now, there is an army of immortal dragons roaming Tamriel, destroying everything in their path, and while you two are busy fighting each other, the people of Skyrim—your people—are at their mercy." He snarled. "You should be ashamed of yourselves," he snorted, "bickering about land grabs and concessions." He put on a sarcastically curious look, pointing at both of them. "Tell me something, are your responsibilities to protect your people or to…" he shrugged, feigning nonchalance, "sit here and engage in a pissing contest with each other?"

The elder Tullius snarled. "You've got quite the mouth, Dragonborn."

"If the boot fits," Ketar replied in a biting tone.

"I would take care how you speak to us," Ulfric added warningly.

"Or what?" Ketar asked as he leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms. "You'll leave?" He shrugged. "Don't expect me to come running the next time a dragon attacks Windhelm. Or Solitude." Ketar spotted Ulfric's hands curling into fists, and his bodyguard—that brute Galmar—began to surreptitiously reach for his weapon. "And if you're thinking about making a mess, know this: our hosts have been very gracious and patient with both of your stupid asses up to this point. Violate the grounds of neutrality, draw a single weapon, and I guarantee that their patience will run out. As will mine. And though my body may not be a hundred percent just yet, I assure you…" the Dragonborn's eyes flashed with fire, "my Voice still works just fine."

At that, Ulfric's hands loosened and Galmar reset his position.

Smirking dangerously, Ketar tilted his head briefly. "Now, put the measuring sticks away, pull your pants up, sit down, and let's discuss this like rational human beings."

Reluctantly, looking every bit like they both wanted to argue, Tullius and Ulfric exchanged a look before following his order.

"So," Ketar said wearily, feeling his headache returning, "based on the terms outlined, do we have an agreement?"

Tullius looked down at the parchment handed to him by one of his scribes and pursed his lips, then looked to Ketar. "Based on these terms, the Empire is willing to submit to a temporary cease-fire."

Ulfric did the same on his side, glaring at Ketar a moment later. "Do you jest? This is unconscionable! I am willing to agree to a fair deal, but to relinquish the Rift—"

"Is a necessary compromise," Ketar interrupted. "You have your base within sight of the Empire's movements, he has his in sight of yours. Thus, you hold each other accountable."

Ulfric scowled and began to rise again. "I will not stand here and allow you to give back to these dogs what I have fought so hard to regain!"

"Yes, you are! Because if you don't, you'll lose it all anyway."

The Jarl's eyes narrowed. "I take care of my own, Dov. If you refuse to come to Windhelm's aid, it will not be to our detriment. The people of Skyrim are more resilient than you give us credit for." He snarled. "We don't need you."

As Ulfric and his envoy made ready to leave, a peculiar sound stopped them in their tracks. Specifically, Ketar's half-hysterical laughter. It lasted well over twenty seconds, and by the time he was halfway done, even the Greybeards started looking worried.

"You," he managed between chuckles, "boneheaded…idiot." Ketar looked up at Ulfric with storming blue eyes. "Do you really think it's that simple? Do you not comprehend the threat we now face?" His smile became deadly and tinged with madness. "These wyrms you're so insistent on facing? They're no common beast or man you can just strike down, and their leader? Let's just say there's a reason he's called the 'World-Eater.'" He alternated his gaze between Ulfric and Tullius. "Alduin has passage into Sovngarde. He feeds off the souls of the dead. So in other words, you intend to fight off a murderous god—alone—meanwhile the more of each other you kill, the stronger he gets."

Ketar snarled and braced his hands against the arms of his chair. "And in case you're delusional enough to think you can afford to make him stronger…" he pushed himself upright with a hiss of pain that could easily have turned into a scream, "I want you to take a good look at just what he's capable of."

Ketar rose to his full height, his half-broken body bandaged and splinted in more places than any of them had ever seen. Several alarmed gasps sounded around the room, from both envoys and the Blades, who insisted on sending representatives. Lydia and the Greybeards, who'd seen it all before, just looked away in pity. The Thalmor—he didn't even spare them a glance.

His half-hysterical smile returned as he took in their reactions. "And I'm the one who's supposed to kill him."

…

"Needless to say, Ulfric rolled over pretty fast after that."

"I would hope so."

Ketar smiled a little. "Sadly, my day wasn't even close to over."

…

Lydia wordlessly offered to help him from the table as the envoys filtered out, but he waved her off, using the wooden cane provided by the Greybeards to hobble his way into a neighboring hallway. He saw Delphine and Esbern approach him from the table, and immediately felt his headache returning at the looks on their faces.

"We need to talk," Delphine said gravely, her blue eyes alight with a mixture of emotions.

Ketar sighed. "Then talk."

She exchanged a look with the elder Esbern before turning back to him. "We know about Paarthurnax."

He arched an eyebrow. "And?"

"Do you know what he is?" Esbern asked gravely. "What he's done?"

Ketar felt a chill flush through his veins.

"I'll take that as a no," said Delphine. "The Greybeards like to paint him as some benevolent instructor who taught them how to use the Voice, but tell me…what do you know about his relationship with Alduin?"

Ketar's eyes narrowed. "They knew each other. I never asked how."

Her expression darkened. "Well you should have. Paarthurnax was Alduin's chief lieutenant during the war against mankind. He committed countless atrocities in his name. I don't care if the Greybeards see him as some reverential being—he needs to pay for what he's done."

Ketar stared at her, his gaze turning to Esbern to see her expression reflected in his eyes, then back. He took a breath. "Let me ask you something."

"All right?"

He shifted to a more comfortable standing position and straightened up. "Were either one of you there?"

Delphine blinked. "Excuse me?"

"The first dragon war. Were you there?"

"What does that have to—"

"I mean," he smirked wryly, "Esbern, I could understand. No offense, old man, but…you do look like you could've been there."

Esbern sighed and shook his head as Delphine scowled.

"This isn't a game," she snarled.

"No," Ketar interrupted sharply, almost growling, "it isn't. And after all the shit I had to put up with babysitting those two, I cannot believe what I'm hearing right now." He huffed and shifted again. "We are standing on the brink of the end of the world, Delphine, and you come to me with this crap? Now? Some…vague declarations of atrocity from however many thousands of years ago? If it's even true."

Delphine gaped at him. "You think I'd lie to you?"

"Honestly? With your hatred of dragons? I'd be hard-pressed to think of something you wouldn't do to see one of them dead."

"That isn't fair," Esbern intoned.

"And what about your judgment of Paarthurnax? Is that really fair? How long has it been since he helped mankind overthrow Alduin, hm? What has he done since then to earn your ire?"

"That doesn't erase what he's—"

"Of course it doesn't, but what has he done since then?"

Delphine exchanged a look with Esbern before responding. "Nothing."

"Exactly. He's stuck himself on the top of this mountain—of his own free will, I might add—so that neither he nor people like you would ever be put in a situation where you would have to come to blows. He's dedicated himself to the pursuit of peace. For an immortal with that much power, that's quite a sacrifice, a life of solitude and study. Without him, there would be no Tamriel. This whole world would be Alduin's domain." Ketar looked between them before turning to leave. "This conversation is over."

"Do it or the Blades will no longer stand by your side."

He came to an abrupt stop at Delphine's words, slowly turning back to her and feeling a fire rising in his chest. A vicious smile came to his face as he leaned his head toward them. "What Blades?" He nodded at them with his eyebrows. "The two of you? Don't get me wrong, you're good, but you're not that good." At their furious expressions, his own began to soften. "I get it. I do. Your entire order was wiped out by the Thalmor. You're looking for something to hate, something to fight, something to make yourselves believe it was all for a reason. But this is not it. And maybe you can't see that because you're still in wartime, constantly looking over your shoulders, seeing enemies at every turn.

"But Paarthurnax?" He huffed. "Tell me something: when I went to fight Alduin, apart from Lydia, who was standing by my side? Because it wasn't the Blades." His eyes narrowed as he took a step toward them. "Without Paarthurnax, I wouldn't be alive right now. Alduin would've devoured me on that peak…and all the rest of you would be screwed." He smiled bitterly. "So, until you two can get over your prejudice and paranoia…it is me who will refuse to stand by your side."

With one last look at their shocked expressions, Ketar left the last of the Blades in favor of his temporary quarters and a warm bed.

…

Serana wrapped her arms around herself and shifted in place. "That's why you're at odds with them at the moment."

Ketar nodded. "All because I refused to murder my mentor for crimes that happened before even you existed. And…" his eyes darkened, "it's ultimately the second reason we're here."

A door opening off to the side got Ketar's attention, and the blonde woman who stepped through stopped short at the sight of them, her eyes barely registering Serana before locking onto him. A grim expression came over her features as she strode over, stopping a short distance away from them and crossing her arms.

"Dov."

Ketar sighed. "Delphine."

"What are you doing here, Dov? You know we have nothing to say to each other until—"

"That's actually why I'm here."

She snorted. "Let me guess: you want to attempt to convince me to change my mind. Again."

He frowned deeply, casting a brief, apprehensive glance at Serana. "Or, at least…to see things in a different light."

Delphine sighed. "I'm listening."

Ketar looked at Serana strangely for a few moments, the vampire wondering at his gaze until he finally turned back to Delphine and spoke. "Have you ever…done something? Something so…vile, so horrific, so…" he looked down and away, "shameful…that for a moment…you despised yourself more than all the monsters in the world?"

Delphine stared at him blankly. "No."

His gaze snapped back up to her, a wild sheen in his eyes. "I have."

Serana's lips parted as an uneasy feeling stirred in her gut.

He wiped a hand over his lips and took a breath. "About a year ago, I was traveling between Dawnstar and Riften when I ran across a traveler asking for my help. I knew something was off, but by the time I figured out what my instincts were trying to tell me, the bastard had sunk his fangs halfway into my neck. I killed him, but I must've accidentally gotten his blood in my veins during the fight, because I began getting weaker over the course of the next three days."

Serana's blood went cold.

Ketar shrugged. "I chalked it up to my injuries, never even suspected the truth." He grimaced. "By morning of the fourth day, I was turned, and I had never before felt so utterly violated. So I hid myself, for three months, hating what I'd become while trying desperately to make the best of it."

"Wait," said Delphine quietly, "one year ago…that's when we were working together the most. How did I not see—"

"Because I didn't want you to." He smirked bitterly. "Fun fact: becoming a vampire, whether through supernatural influence or just the laws of adaptation, makes you very adept at hiding what you really are. So, needless to say, improving my skills of Illusion was…high on my list of priorities."

"But…you're not, now…are you?"

His head shook. "No, I'm not." A dark look passed over his eyes. "The problem wasn't just that I hated what I'd become. It was that I despised it so thoroughly that I wouldn't feed for long periods. Days, sometimes weeks. I got so fed up with the hunger that…" his face twitched in pain, "in despair…I locked myself away in an abandoned mine for almost a month." He snorted. "Hoping to die."

Serana felt an iron grip clench harder and harder around her heart with every word.

"But, alas, the will to live overpowered any self-hatred I could ever have mustered. So eventually, I let myself out and went looking for food. But I knew that if I fed, there would be nothing left, so…I waited and avoided all forms of life until I reached Silent Moons Camp, a bandit stronghold the Jarl of Whiterun had put a bounty on." His jaw clenched. "And I slaughtered every last one of them."

Delphine stared at him for a few moments before saying, "So your hunger made you strike down a few bandits. So what?"

That wild look in his eyes returned as his gaze locked onto her. "You don't understand, Delphine. I butchered them, like cattle. Blade, claws, fangs—after a certain point, I couldn't even tell what I was using anymore. All I know is that when I came to, it was morning, and the rising sun laid the whole sordid affair out in the light of day. Not a single one of those bandits was left in one piece. Limbs severed, viscera spilled out and sprayed like confetti, heads torn clean off…" His lips trembled and eyes began to glisten at the recollection. "They may have been a bunch of lowlife thugs, but no one deserves to die like that…torn apart by a wild beast."

Ketar's eyes were wiped with his forearm before they snapped back up to Delphine. "So, all that to say…I know what it is to be a monster. I know how it feels to stand in wreckage of your own creation and be so utterly horrified that you just want it to stop. The only thing that kept me from putting a dagger through my own heart—" he snorted, "—apart from cowardice, was the knowledge that without me, the World-Eater would consume all. And for a while, that was the only reason I lived. But I couldn't live like that. So I spent every waking moment looking for a cure—and I found it. And every choice I've made since has been to spite what I once was. Not atonement, duty…and the remembrance of what I might've become." He took a deep breath. "So, if you can forgive someone like that…who's trying to make something good of their life from the ashes of atrocity…why not Paarthurnax?"

Delphine sighed and rubbed her temples. "It's…not that simple."

"Yes, it is," he interrupted softly. "You've simply chosen not to. Just tell me: is it worth the isolation?" He frowned in a mix of regret and pity. "Is it worth standing alone, to hold onto this ancient feud?"

Her jaw tightened, but she kept silent.

Ketar blinked and turned for the exit. "I hope so, or else you should make a different choice."

Serana followed him closely, suddenly feeling numb.

He stopped in the doorway, looking back at Delphine. "I'll be waiting for the day you do."

…

Serana was lost in thought for a long time, halfway to Arkngthamz, in fact, before she finally broke the silence.

"That story…that's why you wouldn't—"

"Yeah," Ketar interrupted simply. "Well," he shrugged, "that and your father's an asshole."

Serana's lips twitched with a smile. "But then…why don't—"

"Why don't I see you like that?"

Her lips pursed as she nodded.

Ketar sighed hard. "Look, Sera…there's a balance that has to be maintained, both in the world and in ourselves. Something inside me…revolted at the presence of my vampirism, of that darkness. I'm convinced I couldn't handle that power because I was never meant to have it, because I already had something inside me."

Serana frowned and shook her head. "I'm confused. What do you mean?"

He took a deep breath. "Power corrupts, Serana, and infinite power corrupts infinitely. If someone receives power before they're ready, or a power they were never meant to have, it destroys everything they are." He looked back at her. "I know you know this. By every indication, that's what happened to your father."

She nodded slightly.

Ketar's eyes softened as they gazed into hers. "That's why you're different, Sera. This…gift—or curse—you never let it define you. You use it for your own ends, you control it…not the other way around." He turned forward and looked down. "You know, it might have been disorienting and…probably a little terrifying, waking up a thousand years later, but…that time, that gap? You had a thousand years less to let it drive you mad." He looked back at her. "Whatever else you feel, your mother sticking you in that crypt might have been the best thing that ever happened to you."

Serana stared back at him for a long moment before turning and staring off into space.

"So, all that to say…I don't hate vampirism itself, despite its source. I hate those who use its power for ill ends…and I hate what it does to me, because I know I can't handle it." He smiled. "In a way, I envy you that. Because you mastered your darkness."

Serana felt her heart swell, and before she knew it, her hand was reaching out to take his. He held it back firmly, the warmth of his fingers reaching hers through his fingerless leather gloves as they trotted along on Stormbreaker. A flicker of a smile was seen on his lips before a large stone building came into sight in the near distance.

Ketar nodded toward it. "I do believe that's Arkngthamz."

Serana glanced over at it, mentally comparing it to the imagery described in the book, and nodded. "Yes, but there's no telling what we'll find inside, so—"

"I'll be careful," he interrupted smoothly, with a cocky grin.

His hand disengaged from hers just long enough for him to slide from the saddle and offer her help down. Serana's inhuman perception allowed her to stare outright for a moment longer without him noticing, and there was one thing she noticed one thing above all else. That grin he was wearing…it no longer looked forced, like a fabrication. She hadn't noticed it before because that was all she'd seen, but now that he was looking at her, like something precious…

Serana reached out and took his hand, accepting his assistance and gently alighting on the ground a moment later.

"You okay?" he asked.

She glanced up at him confusedly and nodded. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

Ketar shrugged. "Dunno. You just seem a million miles away at the moment."

Serana smiled and slid a hand over his forearm. "I'm fine, Kay. Just thinking about what's next."

He nodded and turned toward the building. "Come on."

As she followed behind, Serana double-checked that she was out of his line of sight before releasing a small, shuddering breath.

No one…no one…has ever looked at me like that.

AN: I actually have a guaranteed double release for you guys, today and tomorrow. I started writing this chapter thinking that I had a lot less to go through than I really did, and it came out somewhere near 15,000 words, so…I split it up. I want to leave this chapter out there alone for a while, just so I see what you guys think without the other one sidetracking you, but if I get enough response before this time tomorrow, I'll release the second one early.

Until then, I hope you enjoyed this and are looking forward to more.

Oya, vode.

- CDrake

Musical Inspirations:

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Sovngarde: Alduin's Wall/history lesson/visions of Akatosh; The Gathering Storm: appeal for Paarthurnax/Ketar's admiration for Serana/end of chapter