Cura begrudgingly decided to help The Blades in this latest endeavour with the hopes of getting them off her knew ultimately that Delphine would only keep pushing if she refused. That woman could never take 'no' for an answer. What was it about Cura that made her so acceptable to push around?

Delphine was lucky that Cura was a Dragonborn of mercy for the most part, because otherwise she would not have so many inches to walk were it anybody else.

"Just thought I'd introduce myself. I'm Lucien." Lucien extended a hand for a shake to Inigo as they walked, finally pulling himself to converse.

"Hey there, Lucien. My name is Inigo. Very pleased to meet you." The friendly blue Khajiit took his hand.

"Pleased to meet you too, Inigo!" Lucien was relieved by the friendliness of the cat man. "I think we're going to make a great team."

"Yes, I am sure we will." Inigo responded, unable to hide his uncertainty. Still, he was attempting to be kind.

"You don't sound very convinced." Lucien picked up on it quickly.

Inigo was hesitant to hurt his feelings. "Well, you seem a little... erm... we-"

Lucien became roused, expecting an insult to occur. "A little what?" He snapped. "Well-educated? Well-dressed? Wealthy?"

"Weak." Inigo put it flatly. "I mean no offense! I am sure you will be fine."

"Fine? You're sure I'll be fine. Gosh, thanks for the vote of confidence, Inigo." Lucien was taken back with no defense to spare.

"Forget I said anything. Sorry, Julian." Inigo tried to set it aside and continue on the path, to which the Imperial boy came running up beside him once more.

"It's Lucien!" The pretty boy pouted.

"Lucien, yes. Er... what did I say?" Inigo asked.

"Julian...!" Lucien exclaimed. He could not believe the nerve of this Khajiit, messing up his name and then playing dumb to his face. It was an insult!

"My apologies." Inigo excused his bad memory.

Lucien sighed. "Apology accepted." It was pointless to hold onto it, but Lucien had to get at least one dig in there. "Right then, Indigo. Let's get back to it, shall we?"

"It is Inigo, not Indigo." Inigo corrected him.

"Exactly." Lucien smiled smugly as he expressed his point of contention.

"Hehe. Point taken." Inigo shrugged. "I do not know about your skill with a blade, but your intellect is clearly sharper than most." He couldn't help but gesture towards Delphine, who was ahead of the group when he said this. "Glad to have you with us... umm... err..."

The blonde Imperial shouted. "Lucien!"

"Lucien! Yes. Lucien! I am sorry." Inigo apologized again, with a snap of his fingers at recollection.

Lucien was insulted. "You're doing it on purpose now."

Inigo began to cackle mischievously. "Hehehehe."

"So..." Serana opened sarcastically. "a Dragonborn Temple high in the mountains doesn't sound totally cliche at all."

"If nothing else, it will be quite a fascinating sight to see!" Lucien beamed excitedly. "Perhaps we'll find a cool, ancient weapon within! Or the Lord's Mail, or maybe the Crusader Relics could be hidden in there now! Or, or..." He shook with glee at the endless prospects.

"Settle down, my friend!" Inigo tried to calm him. "You'll give yourself a heart attack!"

"Oh... yes. Yes, I will calm. Thanks, Inigo." Lucien noticed that his heart was racing. He had never imagined himself going to an Ancient Temple, much less walking the open fields of the Reach, but here he was, teaming up with the Dragonborn of legend and her band of friends.

Carcette walked behind Delphine and beside Cura. "You're the one who's been pulling Cura into all those dangerous tasks, huh?"

"I'm only doing what needs to be done." Delphine spoke dryly. "Frankly, I'd rather not have to deal with the brat, but she's the Dragonborn, unfortunately."

"What do you hope to achieve?" Carcette asked. "Surely it isn't just about the Dragons. You want to bring your failed organization back into prominence, don't you?"

"You're one to talk." Delphine sneered at her. "An organization meant to hunt Vampires, destroyed by vampires. Pretty pathetic if you ask me."

"Nobody asked you." Carcette told her. "And your organization was supposed to defend the Emperor. Instead you were sold out by him to the Elves, from what I hear. Now, the Penitus Oculatus has your place. The Vigil still stands strong, with or without me. The Blades are irrelevant. That must sting."

"Shut up." Delphine demanded. "I'm not trying to compete with you over who has it the worst."

"The Blades, definitely. That's why you're latching onto Candle here. You're returning to your roots as Dragonslayers." Lucien interjected, having overheard it all.

"'Candle'?" Delphine tried not to laugh at the absurdity of that nickname.

Cura held her face in her hands from embarrassment. "Can we maybe just move on?"

"Cura, you've dealt with the Forsworn, right?" Delphine asked again to be certain. "Those aren't just rumours?"

"They're true rumours." Cura stated. "I escaped Cidhna Mine with them. It wasn't my proudest moment, but I had to."

"Cura... they're Daedra worshippers." Carcette reminded her.

"So am I according to our tenets." Cura gestured towards Dawnbreaker and Soellbreaker. "But... I suppose you're right. They mostly follow Molag Bal, Mephala, Namira, and the more malicious ones."

"And that wretch, Hircine. Be very careful." Carcette warned her.

"I'm not going to make it a common occurrence." Cura told her reassuringly. "Don't fret on it."

"There's Esbern!" Delphine pointed ahead.

The Karthspire was a cavern in the Karthspire mountain at the southern end of the Karth River valley, according to Cura's map.

Immediately she caught sight of the Forsworn, who have made camp outside the mountain, in wooden tents and wharfs that stood over the river.

Esbern waved to Delphine and to Cura, and the group reached him.

"Long time, no see. I nearly thought you died, Dragonborn. I feared I'd have to return to the Ratway." Esbern addressed Cura snobbishly.

"Yes, it has been a while since you ran away with your tail between your legs." Inigo snarled back at him.

Esbern was not fond of the sarcasm and was fast to retort. "My escape was strategic, because my immediate death would do no good for Skyrim. The Dragonborn needs me, whether or not she appreciates that fact."

Cura sighed. "I do appreciate your offer to help, but you're both very invasive." She had no idea how else to describe the irritating phenomena.

"We must locate... let me show you. I know I had it here, somewhere..." Ignoring Cura's response, Esbern opened his satchel and began to search around in it.

Delphine grew impatient and confused. "Esbern, what..."

Esbern held up a hand and continued to search. "Give me... just a moment... Ah! Here it is. Come, let me show you." He opened up what looked like a dusty, old tarnished map. He pointed to a location marked with an odd arrow symbol in the Reach. "You see, right here. Sky Haven Temple, constructed around one of the main Akaviri military camps in the Reach, during their conquest of Skyrim."

Serana narrowed her eyes.

Lucien stared in amazement from behind the mountainous crags. "That was a very long time ago... that was probably also around the time of the Battle of Pale Pass... I will have to consult the History books again."

Delphine looked at Lucien. "Do you know what he's talking about?"

Esbern hushed her quickly, as he noticed Forsworn becoming roused off in the distance, and he ducked back under the crags. "Shh! This is where they built Alduin's Wall, to set down in stone all their accumulated Dragonlore. A hedge against the forgetfulness of centuries. A wise and foresighted policy, in the event. Despite the far-reaching fame of Alduin's Wall at the time - one of the wonders of the ancient world - its location was lost."

Delphine was confused. "Esbern. What are you getting at?"

Cura furrowed her brow and looked to Carcette. "'Alduin's Wall'? Has Brother Adalvald ever mentioned that?"

"No." Carcette shook her head. "I've never heard him mention it."

Esbern was surprised. "You mean... you don't mean to say you haven't heard of Alduin's Wall? Either of you?"

Delphine was too proud to admit to it. "Let's pretend we haven't. What's Alduin's Wall and what does it have to do with stopping the Dragons?"

Esbern began to enthuse, enjoying every second of it. "Alduin's Wall was where the ancient Blades recorded all they knew of Alduin and his return. Part history, part prophecy. Its location has been lost for centuries, but I've found it again. Not lost, you see, just forgotten. The Blades archives held so many secrets... I was only able to save a few scraps..."

Delphine was hopeful. "So, you think that Alduin's Wall will tell us how to defeat Alduin?"

"Yes, I do believe that is what he just said." Inigo stated. "Maybe you should use smaller words next time, old man. She does not catch on very quickly."

Delphine growled at him sternly. "You really have a knack for pissing people off, don't you?"

"Unfortunately, I am not quite the master, like you." Inigo said dryly.

"So, I'm the Queen bitch. Is that what you're saying?" Delphine crossed her arms and pursed her lips.

"It is a Queendom, so you are a Queen. But it is also a Country." Inigo slipped in slyly.

Lucien laughed and high-fived him, catching onto the slur quickly. "That was a good one, Inigo! Well done!"

"Thank you, Julian!" Inigo laughed, causing him to fall to silence.

"That... was pretty good." Serana admitted, impressed. "Did you come up with that on the spot?"

Inigo nodded enthusiastically. "I did! And now I wait for her to say another stupid thing so I can try again!" He clapped his hands together in excited anticipation.

Delphine shook her head. "Whatever." The comment flew over her head, but Cura smirked with amusement. She then continued. "Am I right?"

Esbern seethed lightly. "Well, yes, but... there's no guarantee, of course."

Delphine pointed up to the mountain. "Sky Haven Temple it is, then. I knew you'd have something for us, Esbern." She graciously complimented the old man, having had faith in him for ages.

"Yes. Cura, you may want to ready your sword arm." Esbern fastened on his Blades Helmet as he instructed the young Breton.

"We don't have to fight them!" Cura exclaimed. "Just allow me." She walked around the crag and headed straight for the Forsworn encampment below.

"Cura! No!" Carcette raced behind her in attempt to halt her, and the others followed suit, ready for potential war. Among them were Looters, Shamans, Pillagers, Ravagers, and the fearsome Briarhearts. A Hagraven stood atop the stone stairs to the East and pointed down, calling attention to the group.

As soon as Cura entered the line of sight, the Forsworn drew their weapons and began to threaten her, "That's close enough!"

When Carcette noticed the Briarhearts, disgust overwhelmed her. "These animals... they tear out one's heart and replace it with a Briar... despicable." She muttered. "We should destroy them."

"I'm still not ready for that." Cura informed her, noting how tender her right arm still was. The light limp that was still present in her step also remained true to this fact. Carcette resolved to keep calm, as a result. It would be best to ensure that the injuries do not reopen if unnecessary.

"Come. Come and face the Forsworn..." one of the members readied his axe arm as Cura stepped on the border of their territory.

"It's all right," Cura began. "I'm a friend of Madanach's!" She lifted up her right hand, revealing the Ring of the Black Hawk that the King in Rags himself gave her during their escape.

Immediately one of the Forsworn approached her and took her hand, examining the Ring. "It is the Ring of the Black Hawk." He recognized it. "I see." He turned around and gestured towards the others to sheathe their weapons. "She is Cura of Dawnstar. Friend to our King, Madanach. She helped him in his flight from Cidhna Mine."

Cura exhaled with relief that Madanach had actually done as he'd promised. He truly considered her a friend.

The Forsworn cleared out and returned to their affairs, leaving Cura and the others with the chance to walk up the cliffs nearby, on Esbern's lead.

Upon entering, they found a natural cave with a campfire in the center of the upper walkway and a wooden ramp to the left of the fire which led up to the main living area. Beside the campfire were a sleeping Forsworn guard and three bed roll beside him, and behind the cavernous wall was an iron ore vein.

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Lucien became nervous. "Doesn't look Akaviri to me."

"Because it's most likely further in." Cura stated. "At least they're gracious enough to let us inside."

"That's true." Carcette admitted. "I thought they were just savages, these Bretons. Nowhere close to as refined or noble as we of High Rock." Her Bretony pride was beginning to seep through, and Delphine shook her head.

"Boy, am I glad I was raised in the Imperial City." Delphine snarked. "I'd heard the Bretons of High Rock were snobs, but now I see it."

Carcette scoffed with annoyance and walked around her, continuing on ahead.

Serana got Cura's attention. "Hey, are you doing all right? We may have to fight something sooner or later, so I just want to know if you can smack things again."

"I can, but I won't be as effective." Cura informed her, disappointedly. "My arm isn't at a hundred percent. In a way, I suppose this journey was a better idea, because it's been peaceful so far."

Serana nodded with agreement. "Yeah, you're right. I was expecting a Dragon, Forsworn attacks, and maybe even a couple of Bears, but all we encountered on the road were Foxes and a few Frostbite Spiders. I guess the gods are being merciful."

Cura could not argue with that. "And I am thankful to them for it." She stated. "It's... been a rough time, since I began my quest. And now, it feels like I never left home." She gestured towards Carcette, who was back with Delphine, arguing about methods of command. "With her here, I have to watch what I say."

"You know, I think that it's kind of true, what they say about Bretons." Inigo chimed in, leaning an arm on Cura's left shoulder and another on Serana's right. "They just cannot get along. Must be the Human and Elf blood, haha!"

"It explains why I'm so inept." Cura chuckled in response. "I can't make up my mind because it's always at war with itself." Her chuckle trailed off sadly at the end when she realized how pathetic it sounded. Though, there was veracity in it, considering that Men and Mer could never seem to get along on the whole, throughout history.

Inigo snorted and began to laugh. "You are funny, Candle! Very, very funny!"

"Oh, no." Cura placed her hand on her forehead. "Not you, too."

"Hehe, yes!" Inigo took his arms off their shoulders and moved ahead into the dark cavern, to meet Esbern. "How do we find the entrance to Sky Haven Temple?"

Esbern kept himself alert, not turning to look at the Khajiit. "We should be careful. There's no telling what traps and wards the ancient Blades may have set."

"We'd best be careful in here." Inigo agreed. "I will lead the way, with my Catlike eyes. I can see in the dark better than you Humans can."

There were many food barrels around the cave, including two in the southeast corner, one of which had three gold coins resting on top, tempting Inigo to put his hand in the cookie jar, earning him a disapproving glare from Lucien, which he dismissed. Inigo then attacked the small buffet table with a chair and a small mead barrel and a fillet of salmon meat on top. Again, Lucien glared at him.

"I'm a Cat! Do you think I could just ignore Salmon?" Inigo furrowed his brows at the judgmental Imperial.

"No, I just thought you'd have some tact. Maybe not steal from the murderous savages who actually tolerated us." Lucien pointed out the folly in his action.

"I'll just tell them it was you." Inigo waltzed on ahead, leaving Lucien standing there, concerned.

"You... wouldn't actually do that, would you?" Lucien asked worriedly and clung onto Cura's arm when she passed him by. "He wouldn't do that, would he?"

"Probably not." Cura stated. "But with Inigo you can never really be too sure."

Lucien's voice became squeaky as he clung to his Breton friend. "Save me, Candle!"

The wooden planking continued to the west and then wrapped around the northern cave wall, just ahead of them. Then the path continued into the blackness of earth and then the tunnel opened into a large open-roofed cavern. There were stairs on the right against the northeastern terran wall. On the wall, just before the stairs start, was a second iron ore vein.

"Do you think the Forsworn picked this location for the Iron Ore?" Lucien wondered, having calmed down.

"Maybe. There does seem to be a lot of it." Cura entertained the notion. "But if they wanted better equipment, they'd do well to invest in Ebony instead."

"I... don't think there are many Ebony Mines in the Reach." Lucien postulated. "There is in Shor's Stone, but that's waaaay further East."

"They have an Ebony Mine in Raven Rock." Delphine stated. "If you're ever looking to upgrade to an Ebony Armour, or something better than... whatever that is, you should check in there." She gestured towards Cura's outfit, to her offense.

"This is Skyforge Steel!" Cura expressed as she shifted her robe to reveal the armour beneath. "Best Steel in Skyrim! It was made by the living legend, Eorlund Gray-Mane himself!" She demanded respect on his behalf; Eorlund spent years perfecting his craft; she was not going to stand by and let Delphine insult his work like that.

"Irrelevant." Delphine stated. "Steel is steel. Ebony is still much better. Even your stupid Cat can see that." She gestured towards Inigo's Ebony Sword, which caught the light of her torch.

"This stupid cat can also see the future!" Inigo expressed. "And without you with us nagging, it looks much brighter!"

Cura nodded and snubbed her, walking ahead with Inigo.

Delphine shook her head with annoyance, reminding herself that they needed them, as unfortunate as it was. Her foot met the stairs, and she climbed up the cold stone to meet with Esbern, who was still the forerunner of the entourage.

They found themselves in another wide, open cavern where sunlight poured in, revealing a castle and a large gap between itself and the cavern wall, with a bridge that was waiting to be lowered. At the top of the stairs were three strange pillars with unusual symbols.

Delphine approached the pillars. "This looks promising."

Esbern grew excited as he admired the work. "Yes. Definitely early Akaviri stonework here."

Lucien hurried to see when he overheard this, and Cura came forward, as well. Perhaps she needed to know this.

Delphine examined the drawbridge across the large gap. "We've got to get this bridge down. These pillars must have something to do with it."

Esbern continued to focus on the pillars. He turned to Lucien to instruct him as he could sense the boy's intrigue. "Yes. These are Akaviri symbols. Let's see... you have the symbol for "King"... and "Warrior"... And of course, the symbol for "Dragonborn." That's the one that appears to have a sort of arrow shape pointing downward at the bottom."

"This is so cool!" Lucien took out his private journal and quickly began to jot down this information and drew a crude representation of the symbols.

"Dragonborn." Cura stared at the symbol. So, the Blades really did serve the Dragonborn! It wasn't just fiction created by Delphine to persuade her into helping them.

Esbern pointed ahead to the arrow-shaped avatar. "Yes, that's it. The symbol on the middle pillar."

Carcette was shocked. "Then the Akaviri really were allied with the Dragonborn..." She looked to Cura. "I suppose they would know what's best for you, Cura. Perhaps the gods should have had you placed on Delphine's doorstep instead."

"No, I'm glad it was yours." Cura told Carcette. "She would have probably thrown me to the wolves."

"I wouldn't." Delphine defended herself. "What kind of monster do you think I am?"

"You were ready to kill me on our first meeting for knowing too much. If I weren't the Dragonborn, I can only imagine I'd take an arrow through the face." Cura stated.

"Look, I already apologized for our first introduction." Delphine stated. "It's an old habit to threaten people into submission."

"One day you'll threaten the wrong person." Carcette stated.

"Until that day, I have a duty to perform." Delphine dismissed. "I only want what's best for the Empire. Cura being Dragonborn changes everything! Not just for the Dragons, but for the Empire itself."

"Explain." Carcette crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.

"I think she means because the Emperors used to be Dragonborn." Lucien stated.

"Titus Mede is getting old." Delphine stated. "He could go any month now. He may eve get assassinated. Who knows? The Empire would be leaderless."

Cura fell silent, and Lucien stepped in. "You think that Candle could fulfill the Emperor's role? Take his seat?"

"A half-Elven Empress would certainly make a lot of people unhappy, if Skyrim is any indication." Inigo stated.

"Me? An Empress?" Cura was shocked by the mere notion of it. "I could never..."

"Saint Alessia was a Dragonborn, too." Lucien reminded her. "Find yourself a Pelinal Whitestrake and you just may be able to do the same!"

Inigo interjected. "Just stay away from Minotaurs, of course."

Serana spoke to Cura. "Don't think I'm trying to kiss up to you or anything, but I could see you on a throne someday. Maybe in a decade or two. You have a kind heart and eye for justice. Learn to take the reins every now and then and you'd be good for Skyrim, I'm sure of it."

"Perhaps Cura could even bridge the cultural divide." Carcette stated. "Her Nordic ancestry and sympathy to the Empire, as well as her might as Dragonborn..."

"Everyone, can we just get back to the matter at hand?" Cura tried to divert back to their task.

"Of course, Candle. I've already figured it out! Watch." Lucien began to rotate the pillars seemingly haphazardly, but they settled in a harmony and caused the drawbridge to fall down, closing the gap. "Bingo!"

"Inigo!" The Khajiit corrected him.

Lucien stared at him blankly. "I... wasn't calling you."

"Oh. Oops." Inigo rubbed the back of his neck.

The tunnel past the small palisade opened into a room full of pressure plate tiles on the floor.

On the floor were repeating symbols, depicting what was shown on the pillars outside.

Esbern focused on the stone face sculptures adorning the walls. "Fascinating! Original Akaviri bas reliefs... almost entirely intact! Amazing... you can see how the Akaviri craftsmen were beginning to embrace the more flowing Nordic style..."

Delphine cleared her throat and laid a hand on his arm, pulling him out of his fancy. "We're here for Alduin's Wall, right, Esbern?"

Esbern caught himself. "Yes, of course. We'll have more time to look around later, I suppose. Let's see what's up ahead."

"Brother Adalvald would love to see this." Carcette thought of her companion. "He was greatly into the studies of ancient culture. Another reason I'm surprised that he never mentioned Alduin's Wall."

"It has lost itself to the ages." Esbern told her. "Only the Blades really know of it."

Cura was about to step on one of the symboled tiles ahead, when Esbern pulled her back and extended an arm to the rest of the group. "Wait."

Delphine was confused. "Why are you stopping?"

Esbern addressed Cura "We should be careful here. See these symbols on the floor?"

"I see them. What about them?" Cura asked.

Delphine responded to Cura. "Hmm, Esbern's right. Looks like pressure plates."

Esbern reinforced the point. "Be careful."

"I see a Pull chain on the other side." Lucien pointed to a sculpture directly across from them. "We'll have to navigate over to it very carefully."

"Forget that." Serana scoffed as she began to levitate over the plates, dumbfounding Esbern until he realized what she was.

"Vampire!" the old Nord exclaimed with terror.

Serana pulled the chain, and a tumbling sound echoed through the floors. "Should be safe, now." She stated as she lowered herself to test it. She stepped on a few plates, and nothing happened. "Well... either these are the right ones, or the trap is deactivated."

Cura walked on ahead, and nothing happened. "There we are! It's safe, everybody!"

"It is not safe until I can run circles on it!" Inigo rushed onto the deathfield and began to run around on every plate, and fortunately for him, it was safe. "Ah, there we go! Come along, Julian!"

"It's Lucien..." the Imperial muttered as he walked on the plated floor.

The pressure from the sky above the open ceiling told them that they were now at the highest level within the large open-roofed cavern. The path forward headed west and fanned outwards into a large stone chamber with a large chest in the middle on a platform and a quicksilver ore vein at the entrance. There was a large sculpture of a man's face on the wall directly ahead of them. This was the entrance to Sky Haven Temple.

Esbern exclaimed. "Wonderful! Remarkably well-preserved, too." He ran ahead of the group and faced what looked like a mystical seal on the floor before the statue. "Ah... here's the "blood seal." Another of the lost Akaviri arts. No doubt triggered by... well, blood. Your blood, Dragonborn." He turned to Cura, who came closer to examine the incredible art. "Look here! You see how the ancient Blades revered Reman Cyrodiil. This whole place appears to be a shrine to Reman. He ended the Akaviri invasion under mysterious circumstances, you recall. After the so-called "battle" of Pale Pass, the Akaviri went into his service. This was the foundation stone of the Second Empire."

"Yes, that was what I was talking about earlier!" Lucien exclaimed. "Candle, this is incredible!" His excitement was immeasurable as he wandered the room, studying the architecture around.

"Wait... a blood seal?" Carcette asked, not relishing in the implications of this. "You want Cura's blood for this?" She was visibly disturbed.

"We need Cura's blood for this." Esbern confessed. "Otherwise, we could have done this ourselves."

Inigo became defensive. "You are not going to kill my friend, you bastards!" He unsheathed his swords. "I will not allow you to spill her blood!"

"Oh, no! Nothing like that!" Esbern shook his head quickly. "Just a little of her blood will do. She carries the blood of Dragons in her veins."

"Couldn't we just bloodlet a Dragon instead?" Lucien proposed.

"Where do you see a Dragon here?" Delphine stressed. "It's not like we could capture one and hold it still enough to do something like that."

Serana stood at the face sculpture and examined it. "There's a doorway behind this. I can vaguely make out the shape in the wall." She walked up to Cura. "It's your choice, Cura. It's always been your choice."

Cura nodded and removed her Steel Plate Gauntlet from her left hand. "All right. It's not going to be pleasant, but if it gains us entry, I will do it. Does anybody have a dagger?"

Delphine unsheathed the dagger fastened to her right hip and gently passed it to Cura. "It's Iron. It won't cut too deep."

Cura took the dagger and nodded silently and turned her focus to the blade and her hand.

"And... thank you, Dragonborn." Delphine sheepishly expressed her gratitude. "You're doing a good thing." It was certain that she was not used to expressing her gratitude, as her wall of pride often did not allow room for it.

Cura drove the blade across her left hand and grit her teeth when the sharp pain registered. Slowly, blood began to run down her hand from the open gash on her palm and settled into the center of the magic seal. Carcette's eyes were fixed on the warm, red fluid as it ran from Cura's hand, and found herself moving forward in desire, but quickly turned her head and slapped herself in the neck to retain her composure.

Once the blood was enough, the seal began to glow with white light and the entire cavern trembled and shook.

The face sculpture began to raise and shifted upwards towards the ceiling, facing the sky above. Stairs were revealed in an open fissure, leading up to a door.

"You should be the first to go in, Cura." Delphine offered. "You opened it."

"You will be the first person to set foot in there for millennia." Esbern told her. "This is History in the making."

Cura nodded and ascended the stairs, and her friends followed suit. Once she reached the door of the crevice, she rested her right hand upon it, and took a light breath. Her left hand was still bleeding, but she clenched it into a fist to hold the sanguine fluid within.

"Go on, Candle! Let's see what's inside!" Lucien goaded her excitedly.

"For all we know, there could be an army of Draugr or Vampires in there." Serana stated. "If Cura's still hurt, should she really go in first?"

Cura opened the door without hesitation and passed through, answering Serana's question. Carcette, then Inigo, Serana, Delphine, Esbern, and Lucien followed suit. Serana immediately walked over to a brazier that rested in the shadows of the western wall and lit it with Esbern's torch, providing some extra light. The daylight from the previous room could only allow for so much sight.

Esbern quickly walked to the east portion of the main hall, where old bookshelves rested against the wall, and he unloaded his bag. "I will have to return to the Ratway to get more of my collection, but I will have it here soon enough."

Delphine's eyes widened and her mouth hung open. She slowly walked past Esbern and noticed a large mural on the eastern wall, and she held up her torch to it. "Esbern?"

Esbern heard her and looked up from his book collection and jumped with shock at her discovery. "Shor's bones! Here it is! Alduin's Wall... so well-preserved... I've never seen a finer example of early second era Akaviri sculptural relief..."

Indeed, the carvings were no small feat; they were statuesque in their multiple dimensions, all the while remaining a flat hieroglyph that encompassed the entire wall. On the left, odd priestlike shrouded figures were depicted, as well as warriors and dragons, and as it spanned, it revealed warriors battling the dragons in excruciating detail.

Delphine deigned to remind him of the reason they came. "Esbern. We need information, not a lecture on art history."

Esbern began to walk her through it. "Yes, yes. Let's see what we have... Look, here is Alduin! This panel goes back to the beginning of time, when Alduin and the Dragon Cult ruled over Skyrim. Here the humans rebel against their dragon overlords - the legendary Dragon War. Alduin's defeat is the centerpiece of the Wall. You see, here he is falling from the Sky. The Nord Tongues - masters of the Voice - are arrayed against him."

Delphine couldn't see the relevance just yet. "So, does it show how they defeated him? Isn't that why we're here?"

Esbern tried to slow her down a bit. "Patience, my dear. The Akaviri were not a straightforward people. Everything is couched in allegory and mythic symbolism. Yes, yes. This here, coming from the mouths of the Nord heroes - this is the Akaviri symbol for "Shout." But... there's no way to know what Shout is meant."

Delphine raised her tone, deliberately attracting Cura's attention. "You mean they used a Shout to defeat Alduin? You're sure?"

Esbern mused on it. "Hmm? Oh, yes. Presumably something rather specific to Dragons, or even Alduin himself. Remember, this is where they recorded all they knew of Alduin and his return."

Delphine slapped her own elbow. "So we're looking for a Shout, then. Damn it."

Esbern pointed again to the center-right of the relief. "Look, here. In the third panel. The prophecy which brought the Akaviri to Tamriel in the first place, in search of the Dragonborn. Here are the Akaviri - the Blades - you see their distinctive longswords. Now they kneel, their ancient mission fulfilled, as the Last Dragonborn contends with Alduin at the end of time. Are you paying attention, Delphine? You might learn something of our own history.:

Cura smirked at that. Clearly Delphine needed a sore History lesson, if her earlier assumptions, plus the 'Wood Elves hating the High Elves' were any indication.

Esbern continued. "I know the prophecy by heart. Once all Blades knew it:

'When misrule takes its place at the eight corners of the world'

'When the Brass Tower walks and Time is reshaped'

'When the thrice-blessed fail and the Red Tower trembles'

'When the Dragonborn Ruler loses his throne, and the White Tower falls'

'When the Snow Tower lies sundered, kingless, bleeding'

'The World-Eater wakes, and the Wheel turns upon the Last Dragonborn.'

Cura's mind snapped back to the Book of the Dragonborn. That day, at the Bannered Mare, when she first learned of such a thing, those words lay there, rested in the pages of the book.

Delphine shrugged. "Well, I'm going to look around some more. See what the Blades left for us." She walked off to search the armory on the western side of the main hall.

Esbern agreed. "Yes... yes, that's an excellent idea. Who knows what lost treasures we might discover?"

A few hours passed and Cura spent most of it inside her own head, pondering where she began and how she arrived at this point. How she met everyone, how much they've all changed since their first meeting.

Carcette, first and foremost. Not too long ago, she and Cura would continuously butt heads on whether or not Cura could leave the Pale, and now here they both were, in the ancient Akaviri Temple, in the heat of a war against ancient and powerful Vampires and even more terrible Dragons, as well. The world was certainly much more dangerous now than it had been when they lived at the Hall of the Vigilant. Cura also considered the changes in the former Keeper's character: she seemed much more content now, even if she was a Vampire. She expressed more of herself and seemed to relish in the outdoors. Now she understood how Cura felt, perhaps. Maybe being a Keeper took more of a toll on her than she let on? It was strange.

Next, Inigo. Where could she begin with Inigo? They'd met in prison. To most people that would be a red flag on high display, but Inigo was surprisingly fun and caring, for a criminal. There were times during their travels together that Cura forgot that he was a felon. He harboured great guilt-that much was certain-but why? He must still be trying to cope with what he's done to another in his past. She wanted to help him in any way that she could-but first, he would need to accept the truth.

Serana. The daughter of the Vampire Lord they were at war with. There was no way that it was easy on her. As cruel as her father was, it was clear that she still loved him, and at the very least, wanted that to be acknowledged by him. She was a lonely soul, with a big heart, which was quite the surprise, Cura must admit. Other Vampires she'd encountered were akin to Harkon. Minorne, Fenrik, even. Serana Volkihar truly was special, and she needed to be protected.

Lucien Flavius. Cura just met him yesterday morning, so she hadn't much to go off of, but from what she could surmise currently, he was a young adventurer at heart who spent many years cloistered indoors with his nose in books and wanted fresh world experiences. She was hesitant to bring him with her on her quests, because she would undoubtedly be endangering his life, but he insisted on it. She would need to keep him close... or far, if the situation demands it.

Last but not least, Stendarr, the God of Mercy. Much of him remained an enigma to Cura, even if she spent many hours talking to him. At night, early in the morning, and twice on Sundas. What was he like, really? She understood him as the avatar of mercy and justice, true, but what would that mean of his personality? Was he a soft-spoken old man, or a stern, no-nonsense judge? Was he quieter, like a Librarian, or loud and excitable like a Nord Thane? He was also the Shield-Thane of Sheor, after all. Maybe he was a stoic, battle-hardened warrior? It was all conjecture. Cura had never seen or heard him, ever. It was all an enigma, but she knew one thing: he was watching her. No pressure.

Esbern sat at the long table, beside Delphine, who was examining a long, curved Katana-like blade, and Cura took a seat across from him, having come back from the dusty old bedroom.

"The barracks will need a good sweep." Cura informed them. "Very messy, dusty, and there are rat droppings and some bones there, whatever that could mean."

"We'll get to that." Delphine assured her. "So, continue, Esbern."

Cura felt awkward now, knowing she interrupted their conversation.

"I used to dream of it. In the dream, I was standing… someplace high up… a tower, or a mountain. It was always just before dawn. The whole world was in darkness. Then came the flash of light – just on the horizon, within the clouds that mark the border between worlds. It could have been lightning, but there was no thunder. In the dream, the sense of foreboding grew, but I could never wake up." Esbern began to recall his distresses in the past with shaking hands. For much of his old life, he was tormented by prophecy. "Then it came again, this time more distinct. Closer. Definitely not lightning now. It was orange – brilliant orange, the color of hearth and dawn. And a sound, too. Distinct and indistinct. Not thunder… something else. Something I should recognize, but in the dream, I cannot place it. I want to leave my high place, to seek shelter. From what, I don't yet know. In the manner of dreams, I cannot escape. I'm forced to wait and watch. Then, finally, realization and horror arrive together. The orange is flame, heat. The sound a roar, a challenge in their ancient tongue. But now it's too late for escape. The Dragon is upon me – fire and darkness descending like a thunderbolt. And not just any Dragon, but the Dragon – Alduin, the World-Eater, the Dragon who devours both the living and the dead. And then I would wake up. And hope that it was just a dream… but know that it was not."

Cura looked down at the dried blood on her hand. She felt bad for Esbern, that he had many sleepless nights due to these visions. Would this be the machinations of fate in effect? Was he tormented so that he would bring her to this point? "A flash of light..." Cura muttered, thinking about herself and Auriel's bow; and the darkness, Harkon and his minions. She must defeat Harkon before she could be ready to challenge Alduin.

"I've had prophetic visions, as well." Carcette told Esbern frankly, her glowing eye luminated in the darkness of the ruins, unsettling them. "Cura is the Dragonborn, as you know. Stendarr revealed it to me on the night I first met her, when she was a babe. The gods themselves spoke in the vision of her battling the black wyrm, in a landscape very much unlike our own; with colourful skies and swirling clouds above, and a great field and building in the backdrop. 'Child... chosen by the gods... will save Skyrim... the last Dragonborn.'" she recalled the words from her vision, only remembering small parts of it. "I hadn't taken it seriously until I heard about the Black Dragon in Helgen."

"Does Cura defeat Alduin, then?" Delphine asked. "Did you see her destroy him in that vision?"

Carcette shrugged. "I only saw her battling him, alongside three other warriors I've never known. All Nords."

Esbern examined Cura's party. She had Serana, a Nord Vampiress, who was examining the ornamental wall. There was Carcette, a Breton Vampiress, who was her former mentor and sat beside her. There was Inigo, a Blue Khajiit, who seemed to be chasing his tail in the darkness, hoping nobody could see him, but he underestimated Human sight. And finally, there was Lucien, the fresh-faced Imperial Scholar was nervously poured himself into the books that were left behind from ages long past, holding his torch carefully so as not to burn them.

"She only has one Nord in her squad, and she is a vampire." Esbern concluded. "If she is with other people in that vision, it could mean..."

Cura became anxious as the intended implication slowly began to sink in. She quickly pulled back her chair. "No. No, I cannot accept that! I WON'T!" She began to panic as she headed on towards the wall on the west side of the room, enshrouded in darkness. She leaned against it as she became short of breath and her heart began to race.

"Drama queen." Delphine snorted.

Carcette stood up and walked over to Cura and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Cura what's wrong? What troubles you?"

"I... I can't. I can't go through it again! I can't!" Cura sobbed, cupping her face in her hands. "I can't lose you all!" She spun around and embraced Carcette. "Keeper, please tell me you don't all die!"

The mere thought horrified the young half-Elven maiden. The thought of losing her friends and family. After what happened to Lydia in Markarth, she resolved that she would never allow it again. She would rather die herself, even if she cannot afford that luxury.

Carcette comforted her. "I can't promise that it won't happen, but I will try my damndest to ensure that it doesn't." She promised. "And you'll have to, as well. This life you're leading is dangerous; not just for yourself, but for your allies, as well. We all must look out for one another on the battlefield. Didn't Tolan tell you that?"

"Yes, many times." Cura confirmed as she wiped the corners of her eyes. She looked around at her friends, and even Delphine and Esbern. As much as the two of them grated on her patience, she would not wish them dead, either.

There was so much death in this world already, and, in the wise words of Mjoll the Lioness, she had seen enough death to last three lifetimes. But unlike Mjoll, she was tired of the fighting and killing. And she enjoyed the heat of battle simultaneously, but perhaps that was the Dragon blood in her.

"There are so many things out there that seek our deaths." Cura stated. "And I don't even know where to begin. Is Harkon the bigger threat here, or is Alduin? The one who threatens to blanket the sun, or the one who consumes all things?"

"Both scenarios result in bitter ends." Carcette stated. "Without the sun, life could not exist, and with Alduin, all ceases to be. It's really quite the bind. I wish this wasn't thrust upon you, Cura. I really do."

"I'm not ready to fight Alduin." Cura admitted. "You can ask Delphine; my Shout didn't even faze him."

"I don't think it even reached him." Delphine chimed in from some distance away, having heard their conversation. "We're in dire straits."

Carcette was floored by this. "Your Shout couldn't hurt him? That is bad..."

"I think that after fighting Harkon... if we can defeat him... then I could maybe stand against the World-Eater." Cura brought her fist down onto the palm of her hand for emphasis. "But... I don't understand Alduin."

"What's to understand about him?" Esbern chimed in. "He's the devourer. The one who consumes the souls of the dead and the living. The cleanser of creation. The destroyer."

"Yes, he is that, and more." Cura began. "So why hasn't he already consumed the world? He must know that I'm a pushover right now. He could swoop down here and eat me if he wanted to, and I really couldn't stop him, especially now. He could have eaten Delphine and myself at Kynesgrove, but instead he revived Sahloknir. I think he's testing me."

Delphine put down the katana and stood up and marched over to Cura. "Come with me, Dragonborn. We're going outside for a moment. Courtyard's open."

Cura looked to Carcette, who nudged her head in Delphine's direction. "Go with her, Cura."

The young Breton accepted her judgment and followed Delphine through the large doors out onto the courtyard, where very distinct Akaviri fazebos remained intacy, complete with an Archery range and training dummies littered along the endpaths.

Inigo was shooting the targets for practice and instructing Lucien on wielding a bow. The young Imperial man was handling it clumsily and nearly shot himself in the foot.

"Lorkhan's eyes, be careful!" Delphine exclaimed when the arrow hit the floor inches away from his big toe.

"Sorry, Ma'am." Lucien apologized as he pulled the arrow out of the soil.

Delphine ushered for Cura to follow her onto the open area. "Show me what you can do, Dragonborn. I want to see your technique."

"I... don't think I can fight yet." Cura excused herself. "I just recovered from some terrible injuries..."

"If a Dragon were to attack us right now, do you think he'd care?" Delphine asked frankly.

"No." Cura admitted. It was true, especially given their vicious nature. If her own actions in Markarth were any indication, it was a difficult thing for a Dragon to comprehend, Mercy. They were creatures designed to dominate and slaughter opposition. She only knew mercy because of Stendarr.

"Exactly." Delphine set the point in stone. "I don't care if your arm is hanging out of its socket; if your life is threatened, or if people are in danger, you must fight! Do you understand me?"

Cura nodded. "I do." She was a little hesitant, still.

Delphine opened her satchel that hung on her hip, and she took out some green saplike blob, and handed it to Cura, who looked confused by its mere existence.

"What... is that?" Cura asked, puzzled by the weird object in her hands.

"Ambrosia." Delphine told her. "It can be used in Healing Potions, but as it is, it can be used to relieve pain, as it slowly regenerates health. Should ease your muscle soreness. I bought at least forty of them from a travelling Khajiit Caravan. One of their Rare Curios."

"Thanks." Cura was surprised by the kind gesture. "That's... very nice of you."

"I'm not your enemy." Delphine reminded her. "I only want to do my part. You succeed and we all succeed. You fail, and we all fail. There is no middle ground."

Cura nodded. "I understand." She took the Ambrosia and quickly shoved it into her mouth and chewed on it and swallowed it. She began to feel a tingling sensation in her right arm and left leg. "Okay, I'm ready. Let's go!" She readied her mace and her shield.

"Haha, that's the spirit!" Delphine expressed contentment as she withdrew her dual Imperial Swords. "We'll make a Blade out of you yet. Come at me!"

Inigo and Lucien stopped what they were doing, as the spectacle before them began to unfold. Carcette and Serana stood atop the stairs and watched as well, in anticipation of what was to come.

"If you want to protect your loved ones, pain should never stand in your way." Delphine stated. "You'll have no choice but to throw yourself out there, into the fray. So, work through it. Come at me, Dragonborn!"

Cura kicked up some of the dirt, drawing a curved line in the mud with her boot, much like a horse readying itself to charge. Then she rushed forward to meet Delphine, roaring like a Dragon.