For added atmosphere in this chapter, please listen to 'Avatar OST Tsungi Horn'...just a suggestion.

Force.Balance.Push.

Sky Haven Temple

The shadow of the mountains shroud the courtyard it was gloomy and dark, unwelcoming. Lianna stood admiring the strange markings on the walls carved there decades before. There was a seal of the Dragonborn –two dragons facing each other, touching noses carved into the floor, she could sense there was magic on the carving and suspected it was a seal of some kind. What exactly the seal was for she had no idea, but she was sure that it held the key of gaining entrance to the temple. What really puzzled her was the massive sized head of a man protruding from the wall, whatever it was there for she had no idea. There came the rushing of footsteps and gasping breaths, Esbern and Delphine had finally caught up with her. She had taken the lead when travelling through the series of booby-traps and puzzles, in the end she had torn away from the two completely, making sure to disable any traps she passed, she might not trust them but she didn't want them dead. She had felt Delphine's eyes burning holes into the back of her skull as they had jogged through the tight tunnels. She was lying to herself if she thought there was another reason she had distance herself from them, other than to rid the feeling of Delphine's reproachful eyes drilling into the back of her neck.

She heard the two rush up towards the wall she was stood before; Esbern's lit torch illuminated the gloom.

''So well preserved.'' Esbern murmured as he ran his free hand over a carving on the east wall. The old man was pulled from his admiring of the old walls by Delphine's hard voice. ''Esbern, we're for Sky Haven Temple. Not to enjoy art.'' Esbern mutely nodded and stepped towards the north wall -where the man's head was carved into the face of the rock.

''Who is he, Esbern?'' Lianna asked turning to the old scholar. Esbern raised his torch and the dark stone face was illuminated with the wavering glow.

''This is Reman Cyrodil, he was a hero of the Second Era. The greatest in fact, he was a hero of the Akarviri invasion of Cyrodil. Indeed, he convinced the invaders to help him build his own empire, and conquered all of Tamriel except for Morrowind, of course.''

''Wow.'' Lianna muttered, though she hadn't understood half of what Esbern had just said it sounded pretty impressive. ''Seems like he was a cool guy.''

Esbern chuckled, ''Yes, he even instituted the right of becoming an Emperor.''

''Esbern, we're not here for a history lesson.'' Delphine said her voice harsh. There was a flicker of something in Esbern's eyes, she could have been mistaken but he appeared almost...melancholic for a moment. ''Ah, yes... Yes, of course. I forget myself.'' He mumbled softly, looking slightly dispirited.

The man looked down, staring at the seal intently. ''This is an old Akarviri seal, thought I don't know what exactly we need to do to unlock it.'' He crouched down to the stone, running his hand over it slowly. ''The Akarviri had many seals of many different kinds, and unfortunately many of them are lost.'' He murmured.

''You mean, we can't go any further?'' Delphine asked.

Esbern rose back to his full height ''Yes, until we discover what kind of seal this is, and in turn unlock it. We cannot enter Sky Haven Temple.''

Lianna knelt down before the seal and ran her hands over it slowly, as she ran her fingers over the carvings of the dragons she felt whatever magic locked away within it pulse against her touch. As her fingers grazed over one of the dragons eyes it emitted the softest of glows, she did the same with the other dragon and its eyes too glowed softly. An idea was slowly forming in her head as to what the seal was. She felt the blood in her fingers pulsating as her hand rested gently on the edge of the seal. She was fairly certain now as to what the seal needed to be unlocked.

''It needs blood.'' Lianna said allowed.

''Are you sure?'' Delphine asked, brow furrowed.

''Positive.''

''Of course!'' Esbern exclaimed, he rushed forward enthusiastically. ''A blood seal, very rare. They were only used for places that held great secrets or were of great importance.'' Before Esbern could ramble any further Delphine interjected.

''So now we know how to get it to unlock, let's unlock it.'' Delphine stepped above the seal and pulled a dagger from her hip, she was about to pressed it to her palm but she stopped by the Dragonborn.

''I don't think it needs just any source of blood to unlock.'' Delphine threw the girl a fierce scowl; Lianna continued ignoring the older woman. ''There's the Dragonborn symbol here, so I think the blood it needs is the Dragonborn's... Mine.''

Delphine's eyes narrowed, ''Very well.'' the older woman lightly tossed the dagger to Lianna who caught it by the hilt, just.

Esbern and Delphine stepped back away from the seal and Lianna stood over it dagger in hand. She crouched down to the seal she raised her open palm over the two dragons and pressed the blade to her palm. Blood dripped down onto the seal and the reaction was immediate.

The eyes of the dragons burst with light and slowly the outline of their bodies began to glow, Lianna shielded her eyes against the bright magic. She felt the ground beneath her feet twist and move, there came the clucking and grinding of stone. Lianna looked up to see the eyes of Reman Cyrodil glowing with the same intense magic, the head slowly moved back slowly, revealing a stone staircase.

The grinding of stone and the bright light faded until all was still and dark again. Lianna's eyes were fixed on the door at the top of the newly revealed stairs. Beyond those doors there were answers. Beyond those doors there was her destiny.

...

Alduin's Wall towered before them stretching up a good twelve feet into the air. Lianna was amazed and in awe of the great structure, the wall stretched along the whole back of the main hall of Sky Haven Temple. The beautiful intricate carvings captivated her, it left her speechless as she walked the length of it. The wall told of Alduin's history, starting from his enslavement of men under his dragon cult, then to the humans revolting and the Nord heroes defeating Alduin with a Shout, then to the oblivion crisis. Her eyes then fell upon the depiction of a battle, no of war. She stiffened eyes wide as her eyes focused on the banners carried by the two sides. One side held the banner of the Empire whereas the other held the banner which depicted the head of a roaring bear. She felt ice settle in her belly, as she read the inscription beneath. When the Snow Tower lies sundered, kingless, bleeding... The civil war was part of the prophecy; it was part of her destiny... Her blood chilled at the thought.

The World-Eater wakes, and the Wheel turns upon the Last Dragonborn... The last scene depicted a lone figure stood against Alduin sword in hand. As she pressed herself closer to the stone the figure became clear to her, at first she had thought it genderless but on close inspection she found that the figure was female and was dressed in what appeared to be robes. The sword in the grip of the picture of herself puzzled her, as she didn't know how to wield a sword. But for whatever reason it was on the wall...maybe it was her destiny to learn how to handle a blade.

She had been so wrapped in her thoughts that she realised she had not been paying attention while Esbern had been inspecting the wall to try and find a way for defeating Alduin.

''Here is the symbol for Shout.'' Esbern murmured as he studied the portion of the wall that depicted Alduin's defeat had the hands of the Nord heroes. ''You mean they used a Shout to defeat Alduin?''

''That seems to be the case.''

Delphine swore loudly from behind them. ''Do you know of a Shout that can knock a dragon out of the sky?'' she asked Lianna. The girl shook her head in response, she had never heard of such a Shout. She could count on one hand the number of Shouts she knew, most of which she hadn't learnt all the words of power for. ''But the Greybeards might know...'' Lianna offered.

Delphine's lips curled slightly in displeasure. ''I was hoping we wouldn't need to involve them. Now, though, it seems like we have little other choice.''

Lianna scowled ''What wrong with the Greybeards?''

''If they had their way you would be stuck on the top that mountain for the rest of your life. The Greybeards are so afraid of power they won't use it! They haven't raised a finger against the Civil War or the return of Alduin!''

Lianna felt the heat of anger beginning to creep up her neck. Delphine would have no idea what is like to be able to Shout. To her they were just words, a means for a goal, and nothing more. She would never understand to thrill of running down a dragon and taking its soul. She would never understand the rush of furious power and anger that filled her when she absorbed a soul. She would never understand the fear of having such anger and energy inside of her. She would never understand the enthralling power the Way of the Voice commanded.

''No, and they're afraid of your power.'' Lianna doubted that immensely, the Greybeards were immortal masters of the Way of the Voice. What was she? Just a fledgling with a small number of Shouts under her belt. ''Trust me, there's no need to be afraid.'' Without fear of power, without the fear of losing control, it was easy to become drunk on power. And then what you be? Something insane and twisted on power, not sane anymore, not human anymore.

''Power is dangerous.'' Lianna supplied slowly, there was little she could say to make the woman understand.

Delphine scoffed ''It's only dangerous if you don't know how to use it.'' No, it's dangerous when you don't know how to control it. ''All the great heroes learned to use their power.''

''I don't think it's that simple.'' She said.

Delphine continued on, ignoring the girl. ''The Greybeards can teach you a lot, but don't let them pull you from your path Dragonborn. You're the only who can stop Alduin. Don't forget it.''

''I won't.'' She muttered, she couldn't forget that.

...

It was late evening, quite possibly early morning and Lianna couldn't sleep. She decided she would spend the night in Sky Haven Temple and then set off for High Hrothgar and its seven thousand steps in the morning. She had eaten her meal of venison stew with Esbern in the main hall -Delphine had been noticeably absent, Lianna hadn't minded. Then she had wondered about the place to find a good place to sleep, she had decided against the number of cots in the barracks as it was too drafty. Instead she had chosen the cot that -for whatever reason was situated in the kitchen, the warmest place in the whole of the Temple. She had awoken not long after falling asleep from strange nightmares full of dragons and soldiers. Thinking that maybe after a little walk she would find it easier to sleep, she had explored the Temple with a candlelight spell lighting the way for her. She had wondered in the thick cold corridors for a while before she came across a room that she hadn't noticed before.

She suspected it had once been a grand room; there was a large bed in the centre surrounded by furniture that had begun to decay after years of neglect. What caught her eye however was a glass case at the foot of the bed. Knowing from previous experience that things kept in glass cases generally held some sort of value, she investigated. The glass was covered in so much dust that she couldn't see into the case, wiping away the thick grime she saw that inside there was a sword. The lock was quickly picked and the lid opened. Now she had a proper look at the sword she realised that it was probably ancient.

It was long, slender and dark as ebony; it pulsed with magic energy beneath her fingers. Though she know not how to hold the sword it felt strangely...right, as it belonged in her grip, even if she didn't know how to wield it. She remembered the depiction of herself on Alduin's Wall, she had been holding a sword...she had a funny feeling she was meant to find this sword, she had a feeling it was her destiny to use it.

The sword Lianna finds is Dragonbane...

Reviews are welcome as they help to keep me motivated.