"Alduin, you have once again been called to our court of law for another serious offense..." Tahrodiisqosu'um growled, his wing claws flexing in and out of the snow beneath him. "If you do not reconsider your behavior, I will have no choice but to execute a guilty dovah. You are being tried for aggression toward Bruniikloksivaas. Assaulting a Kruziik is one of the worst laws that a dovah could possibly break, punishable by death. What do you say in your defense?"

I opened my mouth to speak, the fire of pure hatred burning in my bones. It licked the undersides of my scales...consumed my heart. The raging heat rushed into my face, blazing torturously as the stinging comment made its way to my tongue.

"Don't be a fool..."

Numinex's raspy whisper forced me to snap my maw closed...to bite my tongue...to ignore the firestorm raging within my soul. Every one of my muscles locked, and the sharp, metallic taste of my own blood filled my mouth.

He's right. I have to try.

I silently stood to my full height, my head held regally as I politely answered my judge.

"One must not automatically assume that a Kruziik always tells the truth, especially when a vahdin, a maiden is involved."

"Are you accusing a Kruziik of lying?" the purple dragon chuckled, spreading his wings to their full width, his shoulder spikes gleaming formidably in the sunlight. "Bruniikloksivaas is one of the most trusted members of the Kruziikke."

"If what I'm saying is the truth, then I'm not accusing him of anything. I'm simply stating what happened. Bruniikloksivaas came from the Throat with the full intention of my murder," I answered. "The first thing he did was dig his claws into my stomach."

Lifting my wings, I reared onto my legs in order to show the purple Kruziik my deep wounds. Though the stitches held my flesh together, they could not completely mask the marks of Bruniikloksivaas's wing-claws.

They're going to leave awful scars. By Akatosh, I'm going to be marked by Bruniikloksivaas for life!

Tahrodiisqosu'um said nothing, only gave a dismissive grunt before nodding the snow drift where Bruniikloksivaas sat.

The golden dovah blinked slowly at his leader before swooping from his perch and alighting himself beside me. Emerald-green eyes glimmering with confidence, he lowered his head and flattened his body in a graceful bow.

"My esteemed leader, I humbly thank you for allowing me to speak at this time. When I was given the honor by you to look after Alduin, I flew to the riverbank where he was resting immediately. Upon my arrival, that dur dovah sprang at me! I managed to react quickly enough and subdued him. I barely escaped with my life! Any wounds that you see were a complete act of self-defense." The words rolled off of Bruniikloksivaas's tongue in a deep-throated purr.

"And where are your wounds?" I asked, nodding to his unmarred body. "If I really attacked you, and you really 'barely escaped with your life,' wouldn't you have at least some scratches or bite marks? The only thing I see is that scar I gave you when I killed you."

Only too late did I realize the mistake that I had made.

"SILENCE!" Tahrodiisqosu'um's earth-shattering roar could be heard from the edges of Skyrim.

Growling, he closed his poison-yellow eyes. After a heartbeat of silence, he flung them open, revealing two orbs of blazing white. Hot, lavender streaks of lightening burst from his mouth, hitting me in my chest.

Intense, searing pain coursed through me as his breath struck me. I let out a shriek of agony, watching my wings and legs jerk uncontrollably. Spasm after spasm wracked my body, and I found myself slipping into darkness as my surroundings began to grow dim.

No... I must hold on! For my parents, my brother, Brityolvahdin!

I relaxed as the final moment of pain passed, staring at Tahrodiisqosu'um, my eyes widened in fear.

"I will not tolerate rude comments in my court! We are not here to discuss your petty mate rivalry. Now that you have been punished for your outburst, we shall proceed... Bruniikloksivaas, please finish your testimony to the court," the purple dovah calmly murmured as if nothing had happened.

"When I had finally gotten him underneath my claws, he began to mumble to himself. I could not hear all of the words, but I certainly heard 'kill' and 'Kruziikke' in the same sentence," the golden dragon snarled as he threw me a venomous glance. "We all know how Numinex acts at certain times. Alduin was not only mimicking that behavior, but also was physically violent. That dovah is a danger to our kind and needs to be put to death!"

LIAR! And all of this to take Brityolvahdin for yourself!

"You have put forth your testimony, Bruniikloksivaas. Remember, the court decides the penalty," Tahrodiisqosu'um replied. "Or I invoke it."

"May I also add that Alduin is untrained in the proper protocol and has shown disrespect to our court with his irreverence. Should we really trust a dovah who does not know how to properly conduct himself?" Bruniikloksivaas glanced around the Throat of the World, his piercing gaze trained on the members of the Kruziikke. "Is this what we want loosened in our society? This insanity?"

"Thank you, Bruniikloksivaas. You may return to your perch," Tahrodiisqosu'um replied, giving the golden dragon a dismissive nod.

"Of course." After another dramatic bow, Bruniikloksivaas obeyed Tahrodiisqosu'um's command.

The entire court immediately silenced, all eyes trained on the purple dovah who commanded the court.

"What say you?" He swept his gaze over the Kruziikke. "Is Alduin innocent or guilty of this crime?"

The voices of the Kruziikke rose as one, each answer crashing over like waves against a seashore.

"Guilty!"

"Guilty!"

"Guilty!"

"Alduin, the Kruziikke have spoken," Tahrodiisqosu'um announced. "Your crimes are too serious to avoid any longer. I sentence you to death in three days' time. To show the Kruziikke's generosity, we will allow your family and close friends to see you one final time before witnessing your execution."

Complete dread washed over me as I stood before the leader of the Kruziikke. My blood froze in my veins, the chill traveling through me until it reached my heart. The fire that had raged within me only a few heartbeats ago flickered and died, leaving behind only ashes.

By Akatosh, don't think about ashes now!

I flinched as the memory of Sosgrahqeth filled my mind. Another pile of blackened bones would be shoved off of the side of a mountain to be gnawed by starving vahlokke.

If there'll even be any bones left! Brityolvahdin, Paarthurnax, Numinex, I'm sorry! So sorry! I failed! I failed, and now, I'm going to die!

I desired to let out an agonized wail, to kill the deathly silence that had followed my conviction, but my mouth would not open.

Maybe this is all just a nightmare! If I open my eyes, this'll all go away! Wake up! Wake up...

The only answer that I received was a frigid gust of northern wind. Shivering, I crept toward the path leading away from the Throat.

It's real. So real...

I barely heard the muffled chuckles of Bruniikloksivaas as I felt myself being guided down the mountain away from the court. Yoldurkrii and Dinokviidostlun had been waiting for me at the Throat's exit and now swept me down the strunmah with their spotted wings.

"Alduin, we...we're..." Yoldurkrii whispered as he nudged me with his head.

"It's over..." I mumbled, flapping my wings before launching myself into the air. Those were the only words I could say.

I guess the old saying really is true: nid koraav Kruziikke ahrk laney... No one sees the Ancients and lives.

"Alduin..." Dinokviidostlun began, but I ignored the rest of his words. I heard nothing. Felt nothing.

No, I feel one thing... Defeat...