Fredas, 7th of Midyear, 4E 205

Below the College of Winterhold

The Midden

Sansa Stark was in awe of the non-corporeal entity that lay before her, Brelyna, and Savos. Though Savos was not all that surprised to see the giant glowing ball of energy that hovered above the well before them, both Sansa and Brelyna. For a moment, she didn't say anything, but just stared at the entity. A dry chuckle came from the energy, "Welcome to the Midden, Sansa Stark."

Sansa was taken aback that the entity knew her name. "Who… what are you?"

Savos answered, "This is the Augur of Dunlain. He was a brilliant student, an accomplished wizard. A former Breton mage. Delved into magic in a way none had seen before. But, I think, he became too focused on just how much power he could acquire. That's what led to the accident."

The ball of energy seemed to shift slightly, as if the memory unnerved it a bit. "Do not dwell on the past, Savos. Dwell on the future and what lies ahead." Again, the energy moved and Sansa could sense it was looking at her and Brelyna, who was standing beside her.

"So you're the Augur of Dunlain?" Brelyna asked, astonished. She had heard about the former Breton mage before in her studies. According to Tolfdir and Colette Marence, he was an upstanding mage and advanced student, especially talented in Restoration. But, it was his acquisition of power that Savos referred to that distracted him from magical greatness. And later, a failed magical experiment transformed him into a non-corporeal entity.

"I am that which you have been seeking," the Augur replied. "But your efforts are in vain. It has already begun."

"What has?" Sansa asked.

"War," the Augur replied, ever so matter-of-factly. "Mehrunes Dagon now has the Eye of Magnus, does he not?"

"Boethiah came here," Savos said through clenched teeth, "and stole the Eye directly from under us."

"And you think you could have stopped the Goddess of Destruction?" the Augur reprimanded. "Be careful, Savos. Arrogance will serve you poorly. None of you could have stopped her. She could have easily killed you all."

Savos calmed down a little. "Apologies. I was only… angry."

The entity seemed to nod. "It is understandable. But you do not know what you seek."

"What is it that we seek?" Savos asked.

"You seek that which all who wield magic seek. Knowledge. Knowledge on the Eye of Magnus. Boethiah has given Mehrunes Dagon the Eye. With it, Dagon will have more power at his disposal than he ever will have. And yet… he will not have it all."

"What do you mean?" Sansa asked confusedly. "Isn't the Eye one of the most powerful magical artifacts in the world?"

"Yes, but one is incomplete without the other."

Savos shook his head, confused. "I don't understand."

A chuckle came from the entity. "You, and those aiding you, wish to know more about the Eye of Magnus. You wish to avoid the disaster of which you are not yet aware. To keep Magnus' Eye closed, you require his staff. Events now spiral quickly towards the inevitable center, so you must act with haste."

Savos' eyes went wide. "Of course! The Staff of Magnus!"

"If Mehrunes were to obtain the Staff," the Augur explained, "he will be unstoppable and neither you or Westeros, or even the Dragonborn, will be able to stop him. Retrieve the Staff, and you will be able to aid the Dragonborn. But make haste, Savos. Morokei and his own undead hordes alone will not be able to block Boethiah from obtaining the staff for long. You know what you must do." With that, the Augur of Dunlain faded away.

"So," Brelyna said once her surprise was over. "Where do we find this Staff of Magnus, Archmage?"

Savos turned to face his students. "To the one place I had hoped never had to be unsealed again. The Labyrinthian."

Morndas, 10th of Midyear

King's Landing

Nakos stood in front of the window, looking out over the courtyards of the Red Keep. The castle seemed more empty now that the lords and ladies had left to prepare for the oncoming war. It would take them some time for their forces to get to the Wall, but once they did and everyone was in place, Nakos would join them at the Wall. An uneasy feeling began to well up inside of him. This was the third war that he had been a part of in five years, and that wasn't a good thing. He was growing tired of war, of blood, and of death. The nightmares had returned recently. The final battles of the Civil War, Hadvar's death, the defeat of Alduin, Harkon, and Miraak. He had managed to push those terrible thoughts to the back of his mind recently, and Dany unknowingly helped him to temporarily forget the horror of war. But now that he was about to draw his swords again, the doubt and fear began to slither its way back into his mind. But he had to fight, if Westeros, Essos, Tamriel, and the rest of the world was going to survive.

As he stood there watching and thinking, his thoughts were interrupted by the familiar beat of Odahviing's wings as he landed somewhere close by. Moments later, he was comforted by the feeling of Daenerys' arms as they wrapped around his waist from behind. He turned around so he could embrace and kiss her properly. "I thought that was you on the dragon."

"Who else would it be?" Daenerys retorted as she sat at the window. "I have gathered half of the Unsullied and half of the Second Sons. They will be reaching the Wall within the month."

"And the other half?"

"I wasn't going to leave my city undefended now, was I?"

Nakos was glad to hear the news as sat by her and placed both of his hands gently on her growing abdomen. He could feel the dragon soul of his unborn daughter growing every day. He closed his eyes and hummed softly, a small smile on his face. "Five months, yes?"

Daenerys nodded as she placed her hands on top of his. "Nesaerys is like her father. I can tell."

Naos chuckled. "She may have my good looks. But she'll have your fierceness."

"Our fierceness, you mean," she corrected with a tilt of her head. "She is a Dragonborn, after all."

"Yes, she is. If I can teach her to use her gift and guide her in the Way of the Voice, she may even reach my talent."

"I'm sure the Greybeards will be more than happy to help." Nakos smile began to fade slowly, and Dany noticed. "What is it, dii lokaal?"

Nakos bit his lip. "Tywin Lannister."

Daenerys sat up quickly. "What has he done now?"

"He's… attempted to strike a bargain with me. He's discovered a way to forge Daedric weapons and armor and he wishes to give what he makes to the Night's Watch… if I either dissolve my marriage with you and marry Cersei or Myrcella. Or… our daughter, when she comes of age, will marry Tommen."

Daenerys huffed in disgust. "I hope you told him no."

"Well…" Nakos feigned defeat, eliciting a loud gasp from Dany before he smirked. "Of course I told him no. There was no way that I was going to have our child marry into the Lannister line, and neither was I going to break my marriage with you. And I don't trust him to uphold his end of the bargain."

Dany sighed in relief, "Do you expect Tywin to retaliate?"

"I wouldn't put it past him. That's why I asked Lady Brienne and Mjoll to be your guard."

"You expect Tywin to threaten me and our daughter," Daenerys observed.

"I'm not taking any chances. Especially not while you're pregnant. But to be safe, Tyrion suggested a counter proposal. Jaime will be released from his oath as a Kingsguard, and becomes Lord of Casterly Rock. He has children, and Nesaerys will marry one of Jaime's children." Nakos saw the look of disapproval in Dany's eyes and held up a hand before she could speak. "I don't like it much, either. And to be honest, I don't plan on following through with it. I don't intend to force our daughter into an unwanted marriage. That has never been the way of my people. I have yet to propose this to Tywin, but I think it's the only way to bide us some time with Tywin, in case he tries something drastic."

Daenerys nodded her head in agreement and relaxed her pose, reclining on Nakos' chest. "I hate the Game."

Nakos sighed. "So do I."

Tirdas, 11th of Midyear

Labyrinthian

Labyrinthian was nestled in a pass through the mountains about a day's ride southeast of Morthal. The huge ruins were once the center of human civilisation, and served as the seat of power for the Dragon Cult. The Enclave of the priesthood sat in the center of it all, Bromjunaar Sanctuary, and a little ways off was the entrance to Shalidor's Maze. But they came here for the huge central structure, the entrance to the massive underground caverns beneath that made up most of the city itself.

"By the Nine," Onmund whispered aloud, "this place is huge. How are we supposed to find the Staff in there?"

"I already know where it is…" Savos replied, his face remained even. He removed, what appeared to be a huge door knocker from his satchel bag as they ascended the steps. "I was hoping never to come back to this place..." Savos whispered to himself.

"What happened here?" Sansa asked, overhearing his whisper.

"This place is where I lost all of my fellow classmates as an apprentice to the College," Savos replied sadly. "The source of my greatest failure lies behind these doors. It's time we fix that." He turned the Torc of the Labyrinthian over in his hands before looking up at the ones who had accompanied him: Sansa, Brelyna, Onmund, J'zargo, Lydia, and Serana, both of whom came at Sansa's request. We will need all the help we can get, Sansa had told Savos. "My students. Beyond this door, you will be tested to the very best of your abilities. And I must warn you, it is truly a matter of life and death here."

"Well," Lydia drew her orcish sword from its scabbard. "It's a good think I'm here, then."

"Don't be so sure of yourself, Lydia," Savos warned, "The monsters here are more powerful than you may think. Even Nakos never came here."

"Nakos did not come here?" Serana quipped, "Was he afraid?"

"I doubt it. But then again, he never knew about it, either. This is the first time since my youth that these doors would ever be opened, and I always kept the key here with me." He sighed deeply. "I've made one failure here already. Let us hope that we can find the Staff before it is too late."

As he turned to approach the giant door, the ghostly memories of his former classmates appeared around his current students. There was an Argonian, a Redguard, a Bosmer, a Nord, and another Dunmer.

Savos could hear the murmurs of his students as the ghost of his former self appeared. "Come on, we're finally here! Let's not waste any more time!"

The Argonian, Takes-In-Light, folded her arms across her chest. "Are we truly sure this is a good idea?"

Atmah, the Redguard, seemed convinced. "We'll be back at the College before anyone even knows we're gone," she said.

Girduin, the Bosmer chuckled. "You would care about that, since you're the Arch-Mage's favorite!"

The younger Savos laughed as well before gathering his ghostly friends together. "Don't forget, this whole idea was Atmah's to begin with."

Hafnar the Nord simply grumbled. "Let's just get inside, see what's in there." And like that, the ghosts vanished.

"Was that… a memory?" Sansa asked.

Savos nodded, "I knew we'd come eventually. It would seem I'm bound to this place. The bitter irony of it all - my greatest failure, and even in death I can't escape it. I never meant for any of what happened here. Tried to seal it up, lock it away forever. But now it all comes out again..." He proceeded to place the huge torc into its alcove in the door, and lifted the huge piece of metal before it slammed back into the door, creating a loud resounding boom, shattering the magical seal he had set in place decades ago. The door slowly parted on giant iron hinges that creaked under the strain of age and disuse, with a loud sound as stone met stone.

When the door was fully opened the group walked into the first chamber, where they were once again met with the ghostly images of the past. Elvali, the Dunmer ghost was speaking. "I can't believe we're doing this."

The ghost of the younger Savos grinned. "Can you imagine the looks on their faces when we come back?"

Hafnar, the Nord, did not seem convinced. "You keep talking like you're sure we'll find something useful in here."

"Given the history of this place," the ghost of Girduin replied, "it's more than likely there's still some amount of power here.

Ghost Savos was excited. "Enchanted weapons, tomes of ancient knowledge, Shalidor's secrets themselves - who knows what we could find!"

Takes-In-Light voice was slightly shaking with fear and trepidation. "And what if... What if there are things guarding this place?"

Atmah chuckled. "Against six College-trained mages? I think we'll be fine." As before, the ghostly visions vanished.

Savos sighed and explained. "There were six of us. Full of ambition, eager to conquer the world. It was Atmah's idea to come here, at first. She talked me into it, and I convinced the others. We were sure we'd find it all here, hidden away from time. Power, knowledge... all the things we didn't want to wait for. We thought it would be so simple." He looked at the apprentices, then to Lydia and Serana for a moment before his red eyes focused back on Sansa. "Serana was not wrong when she told you that patience and careful study is the best way to master your magical gifts, Sansa. You will soon learn why impatience in acquiring power can cost more than most can pay."

"Another object lesson, Sansa." Serana said with a smirk. "I hope you're paying attention."

"It's not just for Sansa," Savos added, "It's for all of you." He looked at all of his students before waving them forward. "Come, and be careful. I can hear the undead moving around." The students readied their destruction magic. Sansa conjured a flame atronach before readying destruction magic in one hand and her dragonbone dagger in another. Lydia had her sword out, ready for a fight, while Serana had her dagger out as well as a fistfull of her lightning magic.

Savos was not wrong. There were several undead in the ruins. Sansa counted about twenty at first glance, but she was willing to bet there were more.

"In this chamber, there are many other hidden dangers beyond what you see," Savos warned. "Keep your eyes open."

As they approached, Sansa saw skeletons clad in different armors and clothing, in various states of decay, many shambled aimlessly around the huge chamber, their eye sockets filled with a cold blue light. The history of this chamber became apparent, as many of the skeletons were not just of men and mer, but of the beast races as well, and not all were warriors bearing arms and armor, but some were clothed in the remnants of mages hoods and robes as well. One of the skeletons closest to the entryway turned its head sharply, the creaking of its bones audible and it hissed and shrieked loudly.

"I think they see us!" Onmund called out as he cast a fireball, disintegrating a skeleton to ash.

"You think?!" Serana called back as she send a Thunderbolt through a draugr's head, taking it completely off and reducing its body to embers.

The rest of the undead in the chamber came shambling towards the group. Their armor and clothing rattling as they gained speed, and their glowing eyes pulsating in the dimly lit chamber. Sansa's flame atronach set fire to several skeletons while she herself set fire to several draugr thralls before they could get close to her.

Draugrs and skeletons of various kinds were emerging from the piles of bones and bodies in the alcoves that lined the chambers sides, including the more formidable types, such as Scourges and even one or two Deathlords. And Savos remembered the most formidable opponent had yet to make it's appearance. "Get back to the entryway! They can't swarm us if they are bottlenecked in the gateway!" he ordered, and set up a wall of fire between the undead and the group as he pulled them back through the gateway.

Several draugrs tried to shamble through the wall of fire after them, but were burned to ash for their troubles. But soon the magic wielding forms of the undead approached, including one of the Deathlords. Even as the skeletal mages and the Scourges began trying to freeze the wall of flame with their ice magics, the Deathlord took in a breath. "FO… KRAH DIIN!" Though the Shout was not nearly as powerful as Nakos' Thu'um, it was enough to extinguish part of the flame wall and make a space big enough for the undead to walk through. But Savos was undeterred. With a wave of his hands, he conjured a Fire Storm and sent it flying at the approaching wave of undead. The undead that could not stand the heat burned to ashes, which was quite a number of them. The mages used the distraction to walk back to the opposite end of the corridor.

"Siiv faal volaan! Fah Drog Morokei, ahrk Drog Alduin! (Find the intruders! For Lord Morokei, and Lord Alduin!)" one of the Deathlords called out, having lost sight of them.

"Keep moving, students," Savos ordered. He did not want to risk fighting the Deathlord, not with the students around. "Lydia. Serana. Stay in front. I have a feeling there's going to be trouble ahead."

"Wait," Sansa stopped and pointed to a spell tome on a nearby altar. "A spell tome. Could be useful." She ran over and picked it up. It was a Destruction Spell Tome, the words Lightning Storm on the spine.

"Well, hurry up and read it!" Onmund called out.

"Does nobody else want it?" Sansa asked.

"You found it," Savos said, "it's yours."

Sansa opened the book and felt a tingling inside of her veins. The words seemed to fly off the pages and sear into her brain, but they did not hurt as the first time she read a spell tome. The tome dissipated into nothingness and Sansa felt slightly more powerful than before. She lifted her hand and electricity jumped in between her fingers and hands. A small smile came across her face, "Let's go."

However, the distracted undead did not remain distracted for long, as the undead corpses came shambling back into the chamber, and the Deathlord's eyes spotted the group. With an undying hatred, the undead lord pointed it's sword towards the burial mound. "Durthurqeth! Alok ko un tiid do praag, ahrk al hokoron do Drog Alduin! (Durthurqeth! Arise in our time of need, and destroy the enemies of Lord Alduin!)" the creatures guttral voice echoed throughout the chamber, and after he spoke, the ground began to quake.

Savos knew what was coming, and fear came to his face. "RUN!" he yelled as he quickly and frantically ushered the group towards the far end of the chamber as a huge Skeletal Dragon burst up from the middle of the chamber. Its bones creaked and an aetherial roar hissed from its jawbones. At its call, more skeletons and draugr came shambling into the chamber and shambled after the mages.

"FO… KRAH DIIN!" The huge monster let out a roar, and a stream of ice much larger than that of the Deathlord erupted towards the group, only barely blocked by Savos' greater ward spell. "Keep going!" he yelled out over the blizzard he was blocking. The group kept on running and Savos continued to back up until the dragon stopped his Shout. The dragon stopped, but the undead kept coming towards them. "Sansa, now!"

Sansa had been watching the brave Archmage hold off the onslaught of an undead Dragon single handed, and for that she almost missed Savos calling out to her, but when it clicked, she nodded, and prepared her new spell for its first use. Sansa instinctively went through the motions, and in a flourish of her hands, the lightning cracked in her hands, before surging forth as a near beam of light and energy into the oncoming hordes of undead monstrosities.

Once Sansa had begun her own spell, sweeping the crackling beam through the undead minions, Savos prepared a spell himself, and soon joined Sansa's with his own, a Fire Storm spell so intense, that it collided with the massive bone dragon, and sent out a wave of fire from it, into everything around it. The combined weight of the spells had reduced the horde into a chamber littered with flash burned bones, or simply ashes.

"Damn…" was all Serana could say.

"Thank you," Sansa smirked.

"We should move now," Savos led them through a long passage that lead to a closed gate, with levers on each side of the gate. "We're going to have to pull the levers at the same time," Savos said. "J'zargo. Onmund."

The two mages quickly walked to the levers, and after nodding to each other, pulled down hard. The gate rose and the rest of the mages, Savos, Lydia, and Serana walked through, followed by J'zargo and Onmund. They were now in a large cavern. No sooner had they descended a set of stairs than another ghostly memory appeared. However, Sansa noticed there was one person missing.

"We... we have to go back." Elvali said through tears, "We can't leave Girduin..."

Hafnar shook his head violently. "We barely made it out alive, and you want to go back in?"

"It's too late," Atmah agreed. "There isn't enough of him left to go back in after."

Takes-In-Light sighed in exasperation. "Gods, what have we done?"

The ghost of Savos thought for a moment before speaking. "We can't go back. Might as well go forward. We can still do this."

Atmah nodded. "Savos is right. We can make it if we just stay alert." The ghosts and the scene faded into nothing.

"Girduin died first," Savos explained. "It happened so fast, none of us had a chance to react. One moment we joked about what we'd find below, the next he'd been ripped in half. And then we were all fighting just to survive. None of us were prepared. It was amazing the rest of us survived. When it was over, Atmah, Hafnar and I stared, pale-faced, at one another, unwilling to admit we'd made a terrible mistake. We could have turned back. It could have ended there. But we kept going."

The students were silent, only standing and seeing the pained look on their Archmage's face. "This is why the lessons I had to learn the hard way are so vitally important to you younger mages. It is a lesson I learned far too late to save my friends. I was arrogant, and heedless of the cautions of my own teachers, and it cost me and my fellow classmates dearly."

There was a brief moment of silence before Brelyna spoke. "Was there any chance for them?"

Savos slowly shook his head. "No. There wasn't." It was obvious he did not want to say anymore about it. "Come. We need to go deeper." Following Savos, the group descended down the stairs towards the Labyrinthian Chasm. As they passed the stone tablet of Bromjunaar, Savos heard a voice that shook him to his core. A voice that had haunted him ever since he first set foot into this place decades ago.

"Wo meyz wah dii vul junaar? (Who dare enters my dark kingdom?)"

Middas, 12th of Midyear

King's Landing

Jaime stood before the doors to Nakos' bedchambers, struggling to decide what he should say or do. Nakos having brought Daenerys Targaryen to King's Landing had made Jaime uncomfortable for a number of reasons, and none more so than his killing of the Mad King, Aerys. But, in the end, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard had to face Nakos and Daenerys sooner or later, and face what he did before the Mad King's last remaining child.

"Are you planning something, Ser Jaime?" Brienne asked suspiciously as she stood outside the doors, watching Jaime stand there in silence

"If I were, would I really tell you?" Jaime shot back. When Brienne took a step forward, Jaime put up a hand. "Relax. I only wish to speak with Ser Nakos."

Brienne narrowed her eyes. "Then why were you standing here all this while?"

"I'm only… thinking of the words to say to him… and to Lady Daenerys."

Brienne eyed Jaime for a moment before knocking on the door. "Nakos. Ser Jaime Lannister is here to speak with you."

There was a few seconds of silence before Nakos responded from the other side. "Send him in."

Brienne opened the door and Jaime breathed deeply as he stepped into Nakos' chambers. The room itself was quite large, as could be expected for such an honored guest. No doubt Tyrion had pulled strings to make sure Nakos was as comfortable as possible. The rugs were obviously Lannister, as they proudly displayed the golden lion on the sides. A small dining table lay against the left wall while a small circular table sat near the middle of the room. On top of it was a glass pitcher half-full of wine and several golden goblets surrounding it. In the far right corner sat the bed, neatly made with its red and gold sheets and thick golden comforter. The red curtains on the bed posts were pulled back, as if displaying the bed like a throne. The far left corner was a window with window seats that overlooked one of the courtyards. And it was at the window where Nakos and Daenerys were sitting, or rather reclining. Nakos was leaning backwards, his back against a large pillow. Daenerys was leaning against Nakos' chest.

Daenerys was the first to speak, though she only gave Jaime a passing glance before looking back outside. "What are you doing here?"

"Ser Nakos. Lady Daenerys," Jaime bowed his head, "I apologize if I'm intruding in on your private time."

"No, it's fine, Ser Jaime," Nakos gently lifted Dany up off his chest so he can get up. "Would you like some wine?"

Jaime offered a small smile, "Yes, please."

Nakos walked over, barefoot, to the wine table. "I assume your father sent you to ask me to reconsider his offer."

Jaime raised an eyebrow. "What offer?"

As he poured a goblet of wine, Nakos could tell Jaime was genuinely surprised. "Ah. Lord Tywin didn't tell you."

"From your tone, it doesn't sound like a very good offer."

"No," Nakos' face became hard. "It wasn't." He considered telling Jaime for a moment, and decided to take the risk. If Tywin accepted the counter-proposal, then Jaime would be better off knowing than being kept in the dark. "Lord Tywin's given me a choice. In exchange for supplying the Night's Watch with more superior weapons and armor, I must either marry your sister or your niece, Myrcella. Or have my daughter marry Tommen when she comes of age."

Daenerys was genuinely surprised at the shocked face of Jaime. "You don't approve," she stated rather than asked.

Jaime shook his head firmly as he took a sip of wine. "No, I don't."

"Well," Nakos gave a small smile as he poured two more goblets of wine for himself and Dany. "That makes you the second Lannister to say that."

Jaime could only guess who else agreed with Nakos. "Tyrion is right. I wouldn't trust my father, either. You don't know what he's capable of."

Nakos could hear the warning in Jaime's tone. "I think I have an idea. Which is why Tyrion had planned to offer a counter-proposal… but it involves you."

Jaime nearly choked on his wine. "Me?"

"It was Tyrion's idea," Nakos said with a chuckle, walking back to sit next to Dany. "He suggested that you leave your position as Commander of the Kingsguard, become Lord of Casterly Rock, get married, have children, and that your son will marry our daughter."

Jaime seemed to think about this for a moment. "I'm not sure how I feel about that."

"Neither do we," replied Dany and she paused to regard the Lannister. "I'm honestly surprised you care about our situation."

Jaime sighed. "I know you're upset, Lady Daenerys. But petty family feuds have to be put aside now. Whatever issue you have with my family," here he looked at Nakos, "or my family has with you must end. The entire world is at stake." The whole time he spoke, his voice was calm.

Dany only looked at him, fire in her eyes. "Why should I? You killed my father. I don't know if I can ever forgive that, even if I now know why you did it."

"You have every right to be angry, Lady Daenerys," Jaime said and sighed loudly. "I'm sick of fighting. I am sick of fighting my father's battles for him. I am sick of being his big disappointment. I am the only one he truly loves and I can't even give him an heir because I serve in the Kingsguard. My father's all but disavowed me. I can't leave the Kingsguard now, it's the one piece of honor I have left to me. After everything else, I can't throw away the last thing I have left that means something." Jaime then looked at Daenerys, a sadness in his eye that nobody missed. "Did you know that I didn't choose to be a Kingsguard? Aerys named me to the Kingsguard in order to deny my Father an heir, instead leaving his ever important legacy to my brother Tyrion?"

Daenerys shook her head, but said nothing, still looking at Jaime in contempt.

Jaime noticed. "There it is. There's the look. I've seen it for seventeen years on face after face. You despise me. Kingslayer. Oathbreaker. A man without honor. You've heard of wildfire?"

Nakos nodded. "I have, and I've seen what it can do."

"The Mad King was obsessed with it," replied Jaime. "He loved to watch people burn, the way their skin blackened and blistered and melted off their bones. He burned lords he didn't like. He burned Hands who disobeyed him. He burned anyone who was against him. Before long, half the country was against him."

"This was when he turned mad?" Dany asked.

Jaime nodded. "It was brewing for a while, but this is where it became obvious to us. Your father saw traitors everywhere. So he had his pyromancer place caches of wildfire all over the city… beneath the Sept of Baelor and the slums of Flea Bottom. Under houses, stables, and taverns. Even beneath the Red Keep itself."

Nakos' eyes went wide as the memories of the Battle of the Blackwater came back to him. He remembered the green, unquenchable fire that he had seen consume Stannis Baratheon's ships and how he could feel the heat all the way from the castle walls. He imagined the whole city aflame with wildfire and shuddered at the thought.

"Finally, the day of reckoning came," Jaime continued, "Robert Baratheon marched on the capital after his victory at the Trident. But my father arrived first with the whole Lannister army at his back, promising to defend the city against the rebels. I knew my father better than that. He's never been one to pick the losing side. I told your father as much. I urged him to surrender peacefully. But Aerys didn't listen to me. He didn't listen to Varys who tried to warn him. But he did listen to Grand Maester Pycelle, that grey, sunken cunt. 'You can trust the Lannisters,' he said. 'The Lannisters have always been true friends of the crown.' So we opened the gates and my father sacked the city."

"This is why I don't trust your family," Dany shot, but Jaime held us his hand.

"Please, allow me to finish, my lady." When Dany nodded, Jaime began again. "Once again, I came to the king… your father. I begged him to surrender. He told me to... bring him my father's head. Then he... turned to his pyromancer. 'Burn them all,' he said. 'Burn them in their homes. Burn them in their beds.'" Jaime's face scrunched, as his self-hatred began to manifest before them. "Tell me, Nakos. If the Emperor of Tamriel commanded you to kill your own father and stand by while thousands of men, women, and children burned alive, would you have done it? Would you have kept your oath then?"

"No." Nakos said immediately, "I wouldn't."

Jaime nodded in approval before speaking again. "First, I killed the pyromancer. And then when the king turned to flee, I drove my sword into his back. 'Burn them all,' he kept saying. 'Burn them all.' I don't think he expected to die. He ... he meant to... burn with the rest of us and rise again, reborn as a dragon to turn his enemies to ash. I slit his throat to make sure that didn't happen. That's where Ned Stark found me."

Nakos was stunned. "If this is true... why didn't you tell anyone? Why didn't you tell Lord Stark? He no doubt would have heard you out."

"Stark?!" Jaime spat. "You think the honorable Ned Stark wanted to hear my side? He judged me guilty the moment he set eyes on me. By what right does the wolf judge the lion?"

"No right," Nakos admitted. "I am sorry."

"There is no need for you to apologize, Ser Nakos," Jaime said. "You did not know."

Dany was silent for a moment. "Ser Jaime… I… " She was at a loss for words.

"It's alright, Lady Daenerys. I suspect you've only been told one half of the story your entire life."

"I do feel I must apologize though, Ser Jaime," Nakos spoke up again, "I assumed the kind of person you were by your reputation, the reputation of your family, and the experiences I had with your family... Tyrion not included."

Jaime offered a small smile, "Apology accepted." Jaime seemed to breath easier. "Tyrion seems to have that effect on most people. My father and sister may hate him, but they underestimate his intelligence… and his care."

"And it's one of the reason why I like him," Nakos said with a chuckle.

"Now," Jaime took a sip of his wine. He had not drunk since his telling of Aerys' death. "As to my father's offer, or to your counter offer to him… I won't say I agree with either way. If King Tommen ever does decide to release me from my oath, I can only say the same thing you would. 'Only if our children agree to it.' Beyond that, like you, I won't force children to solve our problems for us."

"I'm glad we agree," Nakos replied as he himself took a sip of wine. "Although, I hope it will not ever come to that. There's really only one reason why he wants me to marry into your family."

"Your… power." Jaime surmised rather than asked, and groaned at his father's apparently callous desire to empower the family.

Nakos nodded, "And it will be a cold day in Oblivion before I pass on my blood into your family so Tywin can use it for his own agenda."

"By the time either child comes of age, I suspect my father will have left the world. He is not getting any younger, although you wouldn't know it by looking at him." Jaime smirked in retort. The three of them shared a quiet chuckle and drank their wine at once. "So, any news from the Wall?"

Nakos shook his head, "I plan to leave for Castle Black once I am sure the first group of forces is ready, and the supply lines are secured."

Jaime nodded assuredly. "I hope the gods smile down on you, my friend. On all of us."

Later that afternoon...

King's Landing was very quiet and serene, but that did not make Nakos feel any better as he walked the halls. It would have been nice to hear the city bustling and the smiths working hard forging weapons day and night in preparation for the war. But instead, they were smithing weapons for their customers. While the sounds of the bustling city just barely reached the Red Keep, the castle itself was pretty quiet. But as he walked down the halls, many of the local nobles and ladies bowed to him, calling him "Lord Nakos." He didn't bother to correct them as he bowed back. After the conversation he had had with Kevan Lannister last week, he knew it would be a pointless gesture. But he had to wonder if Kevan had actually met with Tommen and suggested that Nakos become a Lord rather than a knight. Not that he was ever a knight to begin with, but the title change was certainly eye-opening.

"Lord Nakos," Tyrion called out to him, a smile on his face.

"Lord Tyrion," Nakos chuckled and waited for the Imp to walk up beside him. "I assume it was you and your uncle who had something to do with the people calling me Lord now."

Tyrion only shrugged, "Perhaps."

Nakos laughed and shook his head, "Where am I a Lord of exactly? I have no lands, no castle."

"For the moment, King Tommen has decided that you are the Lord and Warden of the Crownlands, and your castle is right here. This is a place that has never known its own Lord, nor have the Crownlands ever known its own warden. Ostensibly, both positions are inherent with the throne, but my nephew, being that he is not yet of age, means he can use all the help you can provide him in this regard."

"And how will he feel, knowing that his new Lord will be fighting out beyond the Wall?"

"He is assured that his newest lord and greatest warrior will be leading the armies of the free world into battle from the front, but he's asked if you can delay your trip at least for a few days."

Nakos was not happy to hear that. "A few days? Why?"

"Simple, The King wishes to formally inaugurate you into the position, and get to know you first. This may be his last chance to do so, as you said so yourself. This is perhaps more dangerous than any of your previous endeavours, yes?"

"Yes," Nakos had to agree, "Although I've never been one for politics. It is a weird feeling, though. Becoming a lord of Westeros. I've been Thane before. Five times."

Tyrion looked up at him. "Five?"

"I'm Thane of five holds in Skyrim. Well, six, assuming Lady Catelyn has named me Thane of the Rift."

"Ah, well then," Tyrion smirked. "Being Lord and Warden of the Crownlands should be easy."

"I hope," Nakos mumbled to himself, going unheard by Tyrion.

"By the way," Tyrion looked up at Nakos again, "There's someone from Tamriel who has just recently arrived and wishes to speak with you."

"Oh? Who is it?"

"They would only say they knew you… from a time before you went to Skyrim."

Nakos frowned. "And they wouldn't say any more?"

Tyrion shook his head, "Though I think they are here to help with the war efforts."

"Well then," Nakos smiled a bit. "Where are they? I would love to meet them."

Tyrion led Nakos to the Tower of the Hand and threw open the doors. When Nakos saw who was inside waiting, his heart leaped in his chest. "Father?" Inside was a tall Redguard with a muscular build that Nakos knew came from years and years working as a blacksmith. His long, black hair was streaked with gray and styled in a ponytail that reached in between his shoulders. His face was slightly wrinkled, but still full of life.

"Hello, son," his father beamed. "Did you forget about us so soon?"

Nakos didn't respond to the question, only striding in and embracing his father, tears of joy running down both of their faces. They held each other for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, Nakos spoke again, through tears. "What in Oblivion are you doing here?"

"Helping with the war efforts," Amir replied, "I am a blacksmith, after all."

"So… you'll be smithing the weapons for the forces."

"Aye," Nakos' father nodded, "I'll be working in the Reach."

Nakos breathed a sigh of relief. At least his father will not be in the North, or Nine forbid, at the Wall itself. "Are you here alone?"

"You really think we would let Father come here by himself and not go with him?" a familiar voice called from behind. "How else would we get to see you?"

Nakos turned around and was immediately caught in a group hug by three other Redguards, almost knocking him to the ground. After a long embrace, he let go to embrace each person individually, laughing as he did so. First was his older brother, Avik.

"Avik," Nakos grabbed his brother's hand, fingers wrapped around each other's thumbs. "It's good to see you."

"And you, brother." Avik replied with a smile, showing his white teeth. He was about ten years older than Nakos, about his height, and sported a buzz cut mohawk. The lifestyle of the Alik'r warrior was obvious in the Alik'r clothes he wore, the scimitar on his waist, and the scars on his face.

"How is the Alik'r warrior life treating you?"

"Most of us have been called to war here," replied Avik. "The rulers of Sentinel may not agree with the Emperor on much, but this…. this is beyond needed."

Nakos' heart skipped a beat. "And you're one of them?"

"Hell yes. I'm not going to stand by idly while our world goes to shit."

"Damn right," the other brother called out. "If we can do something about it, we're going to."

"And what are you going to do, Cyrus?" Nakos teased as he ruffled his younger brother's dreadlocks. "You're just a diplomat."

Cyrus playfully pushed Nakos away. "There's a lot more power in words than there are in swords, dear brother."

"Indeed," Tyrion called out. "The right words can topple kingdoms so much more than an army can."

"Really?" Avik didn't seem convinced.

Tyrion Lannister stepped forward. "Ser Avik. Look at me and tell me what you see."

Avik chucked, "Is this a trick?"

Tyrion Lannister shook his head, "No trick. What do you see?"

After a moment, and when Avik said nothing, Tyrion answered. "What you see is a dwarf. If I'd been born a peasant they might've left me out in the woods to die. Alas, I was born a Lannister of Casterly Rock. Things are expected of me. My father was the Hand of the King for 20 years. Until my brother killed that King. Life is full of these little ironies. My sister married the new King, and my repulsive nephew became King after him, before he was poisoned. I am no mighty warrior, or savvy merchant, but I do what I can for my house with my voice, and my mind. My brother has his sword and I have my mind. And a mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone. And it is through my mind, that my voice gains power. Maybe not like Nakos, but I can move people with my words in my own way."

"Thank you, Lord Tyrion," Cyrus said and turned to his brother Avik. "See? My job isn't all that bad."

Avik only shrugged, but did smile. "You can keep your words, brother. I'll stick to my sword."

"To each his own," Tyrion replied before turning to Nakos' third sibling who was present. A sister. "And you might you be, my lady?"

"I am Rochelle, my lord. Nakos' younger sister."

"And what is your trade?" Tyrion asked. "Seamstress? Merchant? Healer?"

"Blacksmith." Rochelle said matter-of-factly, and the family laughed at Tryion's loss for words.

"Forgive me," Tyrion said finally, "We don't have many female blacksmiths here in Westeros. Or any for that matter."

Rochelle crossed her arms, and pouted slightly. "Yes, I had heard of the sexism inherent in Westeros plenty of times from the merchants who traded with the Reach."

"I should've warned you, Lord Tyrion," Nakos laughed, "my sister has a sharp tongue."

Tyrion didn't seem fazed. "So I've noticed. But I've heard worse from my sister."

"You'll be working with Father?" Nakos asked his sister.

"Aye," Rochelle nodded and smiled, "and I'll be transporting the supplies to and from Queenscrown."

Nakos was about to say something, but his father, Amir, put up a hand. "She'll be fine. Avik will be with her the whole time."

Nakos sighed and looked at his sister. She wasn't that much younger than him, only about five years younger and a few inches shorter. But her build belied her sex and height. Her obviously toned muscles were a sign of the amount of work she put into her trade. Her jet-black hair just reached her shoulders and there were a few braids that came down and rested on her shoulders. "Just… be careful. Westeros is not like Hammerfell or Skyrim."

Rochelle embraced her brother. "Don't worry about me, Nakos. I know how to swing a hammer for more than bending metal. After all, a blacksmith should know how to use the weapons she makes, right?"

Nakos nodded, "You've learned well from Father," he said with a smile.

Fredas, 14th of Midyear

King's Landing

"No…" Cersei hissed through clenched teeth, "You can't be serious, Father." She was standing across from her in his chambers and he had just told her of his offer.

"I am serious," Tywin replied softly, "When Nakos comes to his senses and agrees with my offer, he will have two choices. Either you or Myrcella will be married to him. Or his daughter will marry Tommen"

"You expect that he will just dissolve his marriage with Daenerys? You expect that he will agree to having his daughter marry into the Lannister family?" Even Cersei knew that was unlikely. "You know how he stands with us."

"And I expect him to put his feelings aside and make the right decision for this country," Tywin replied.

"For this country or for you?" Cersei snapped back.

Tywin only gave a small chuckle. "Nakos said the same thing. But to answer your question, it is both. Having his power in our family will allow the legacy of our family to become stronger than ever. Imagine, the power he once used to threaten Joffrey would be at our command. Never again to be used to threaten our family, but our enemies."

"No," Cersei was adamant. "I will not marry Nakos. I will not have my daughter marry Nakos. And I will not have my son marry his daughter."

Tywin sighed, "Jaime cannot marry or inherit lands. And Tyrion has proven to be incapable of choosing a suitable wife, despite my guidance. You have on several occasions made great claims about your commitment to this family's future. Your role in that future is more vital now than it ever was."

"This deal of yours goes beyond mere commitment. You are treating me like some whore to be sold off at a whim!"

Tywin was ever so patient. "I am doing no such thing. You do want our family to survive, do you not?" He did not give her time to answer before speaking again. "If Nakos were to win this war, especially without our aid, we will be forgotten. The people will flock to his banner, and they will make him the King."

"The people cannot choose their King. That is treasonous."

"And you expect to kill everyone who flocks to his side? When Robert claimed the throne, he was able to do so because he had the people behind him. He had no more right to the throne than the Targaryens did during Aegon's conquest. They took it, because they could. Not because they inherited it. To maintain our hold on the throne, we require power. Nakos and his Dragonborn blood is a power unlike any Westeros has seen since the age of heroes."

Cersei was unmoving. "I don't care. We can keep him as a Lord and keep Tommen on the Throne. But I will not marry him." She paused for a moment. "You would risk our alliance with Dorne and take Myrcella from the Martells?"

"Dorne is allied with Nakos now," Tywin admitted. "Thus our alliance with them does not carry as much weight as it did before. Nakos' daughter will marry when she comes of age, and she will carry his dragonborn power with her. If our house does not claim him as our own, and she chooses another house to wed, who stands to gain that power? It will be like Aegon's conquest all over again. No amount of military might or resources can match a single man or woman who can kill entire armies with a breath."

Cersei was silent for a moment before she spoke. "As long as I do not marry Nakos. I will not leave Tommen's side, not for any man."

Tywin stared into his daughter's face. "That depends on Nakos' choice, Cersei. If he chooses to take up that option of the offer, you will be wed to him, and secure the Dragonblood for us."

"I will not-"

"When you were nine years old, I was called to the capital. I decided to take your brother with me and not you. You insisted that you would not be left at Casterly Rock under any circumstances. And if you recall- "

Cersei slowly walked up to her father. "I'm not interested in hearing another one of your smug stories about the time you won. This isn't going to be one of those times."

"Do you think you'll be the first person dragged into a sept to be married against her will?"

"I know that I will die before I marry Nakos. That man is still the one who nearly killed Joffrey before my very eyes. And I still believe he is responsible for that assassin who did kill him, despite what that demon of lies said."

"If you still believe that, then why have you not attempted to have the man arrested and executed for regicide?" inquired Tywin, but cut off any answer Cersei may have attempted immediately. "Because you know it is folly. We all saw the power you feared for ourselves now. He is not one who can be dealt with like a normal man. His power makes him impossible to capture or cage like a common criminal. This is another reason why wedding him is vitally important. We can't afford to make him an enemy."

"And so you will ally with him?"

"This marriage isn't an alliance. It acts as a cage, trapping him and preventing him from using his power overbearingly. The man is bound by his honor even more than the Starks. You were lucky he didn't send the Red Keep into Blackwater Bay when Joffrey attempted to assassinate him in his bed."

Cersei thought for a moment. "Have you thought about what would happen if he were to say refuse you again?"

Tywin smiled only slightly. "We can then convince the King to have Nakos sent back to Tamriel, and forbidden from ever returning. Nakos may be powerful, but he is also a fool. He hasn't used his power to dominate the world, despite having more than enough power to do so. He is too restrained by his morals."

"All of this…" Cersei said just loud enough for Tywin to hear. "You would do all of this just so your precious legacy will live on?"

Tywin frowned. All his lessons to all his children were forgotten so easily by them and it didn't make him feel any better. "Before long, I will be dead. Returned to the dirt, and forgotten. As will you, your brothers, and all your children, all rotting in the ground. What lives on once we are gone? What mark do we leave in history once we have passed the torch?"

"As long as Nakos does not marry me, and his family does not marry into ours."

Tywin shook his head. "Unfortunately, Cersei, we are running out of time. To secure power beyond this war, Nakos and his daughter are the keys we need. Gold and money cannot buy the kind of power he now has. Only blood can buy blood, and since your brothers have failed to produce any viable offspring, you and Myrcella are the only way we can purchase the power we will need to survive."

"No. I will not have that monster in my life to satisfy your need for more power, Father. I will burn our house to the ground before I allow your desire for more power to rip our family to pieces!"

Tywin crossed his arms across his chest. "And how will you do that?"

"I'll tell everyone the truth."

Tywin's heart skipped a beat. His face remained calm, but he had a feeling he knew what she was talking about. "What truth would that be?"

Cersei looked into Tywin's eyes for a long moment, and a smirk slowly crossed her mouth. "You don't know, do you? You never believed it. How is that possible?" She saw him shift ever so slightly and she knew she had him. "What am I saying? Of course it's possible. How can someone so consumed by the idea of his family have any conception what his actual family was doing? We were right there in front of you and you didn't see us. One look in the past 20 years, one real look at your own children and you would have known."

Tywin grew impatient. "Known what?"

"Everything they say is true. About Jaime and me."

Tywin's lips ever so slightly curled in anger. "No."

"Your legacy is a lie."

"No, no, no, no," Tywin could not believe his ears. "I don't believe you."

Cersei could see in his face that he did, at least a little. "Yes, you do." And with a satisfied grin on her face, Cersei left Tywin's chambers, leaving the head of House Lannister standing, uncertain of how to proceed.

Loredas, 15th of Midyear

Beyond the Wall

White Tree Village

The late afternoon sun hung low in the air, hazed by the fog and low clouds. The wildling and ranger scouts outside the village of White Tree stood on high alert, looking out for any White Walkers or wights. Because the area was so dangerous, only the fastest and most experienced rangers were stationed in the village, which was now serving as an outpost. The rangers were also accompanied by wildings and Dawnguard. Their mission was not to fight the Daedra and the Walkers, if they could avoid it, but to flee back to the Wall and get the warning out as soon as possible.

At the north entrance to the village, several wildlings, rangers, and Dawnguard stood watch over the surrounding forests, weapons at the ready. For the most part, they had been quiet the whole day, silently listening for danger. The only noise was the sound of the gentle wind through the trees and the occasional fluttering of wings from birds and the soft neighs of the horses. The crackling of several fires dotting the village created a sense of warmth, even as the slow descent of the first of winter snow was falling.

"So, Kegan," one of the widlings broke the silence. "When was the last time you were with a woman?"

"Really?" Kegan Meadows, the Night's Watch ranger shook his head in amusement. "You're asking me that?"

The wilding, Vigdar, only shrugged. "It helps take the mind off the cold. Can't get much warmer than the arms of a lover."

"We're swore an oath-" Kegan began but the wilding only laughed.

"Please!" Vigdar shot, "I've seen many of you crows sneaking off to Mole's Town to get some."

"Heh, not since that town go cleared out!" came a retort from one of the Imperial Rangers, a Bosmer named Rinndil Oakbranch, who laughed.

"So, what?" Another wildling, a woman named Gera, spoke up. "You just do it yourself, then?"

"Do it myself…" Kegan was at a loss for words and the wildlings laughed at his flustered face.

"I'll take that as a yes, then," Gera said between laughs.

"Poor kid must be backed up from balls to brains," Vigdar chuckled. "Couldn't hurt to get some of the poison out, eh?"

Kegan finally relaxed and nodded towards Gera. "I'm willing if she is."

Gera only shook her head, a playful, evil smile on her face. "You couldn't handle this, crow."

Rinndil turned back towards the northern woods with a smile on his face, when the wind changed direction and picked up slightly. And just as quickly, his face changed from mirth, to completely stoic. "There is a change in the air," he said quietly.

The wildlings both stood up quickly and drew their new ebony weapons. They could sense it, too. "Stay back, elf," Vigdar walked forward with Gera. "Don't want you to get killed so quickly."

Rinndil didn't respond immediately, instead he focused his senses. His eyes sharpened, his ears flattened against his head, and his nose sniffed lightly at the air. "I smell… death in the air."

Several crows began to materialize along the branches surrounding the village, cawing loudly as the cold snowy wind picked up.

Then he could hear it, the rumbling of countless feet. Some armored, some not. And voices, the inhuman groans of the undead, the silent chilling crackling of the Walkers, and others he was even more familiar with. The otherworldly voices of Dremora and countless varieties of Daedra. And then he heard the otherworldly screech of the Walkers as they came into view, along with several wights.

"ENEMIES!" Rinndil screamed out the warning as he quickly drew his Bosmeri longbow, and started firing the dragonglass tipped steel arrows as he retreated back into the village.

In moments, the entire outpost was alerted, and the men and women mobilized to fight a retreating action as ordered. However, they never expected more than wights and Walkers. So, when Dremora swarmed out of the trees alongside the frozen abominations, the situation went from planned, to critically bad in a flash. The huge armored humanoid Daedra came rushing in bearing their crimson glowing armor and weaponry, cutting a swath through the defenders as they tried to mount their horses.

"I will feast on your heart, mortal!" one of the Daedric monsters said as he raised his Daedric greatsword above his head and cleaved a wildling in two from head through to his waist.

Alongside the charging dremora, came the more inhuman monsters. Spider Daedra, Scamps, and the monstrous Daedroth.

"FALL BACK! FALL BACK!" came the retreat order from the outpost commander, a Nord, before his entire top half was engulfed by the jaws of a Daedroth and chewed to pieces. The rest of the Daedric creatures swept through the village killing everyone in sight while several Flame Atronachs set fire to some of the buildings. The survivors fought through the southern reach and made a break for the tunnel that lead to Castle Black. The Long Winter War had officially begun.