Chapter 1

Skyrim

Outskirts of Winterhold

On the outskirts of a medieval-looking town, a woman was out walking around the snow-covered ground. As snow fall down all around her, the woman was walking towards something. Something that has attracted the attention of the College of Winterhold, the premier school of magic in Skyrim, a province for the Third Empire. An empire founded by the human Tiber Septim in the late second era over a thousand years ago. Well, perhaps being called the premier school of magic should not be stated as the College of Winterhold is the only official school of magic in Skyrim. The people of Skyrim didn't exactly have a lot of trust for those that use magic for a variety of reasons. One of those was that it was magic users that caused the Oblivion Crisis hundreds of years ago. Then there was the Aldmeri Dominion that not only killed thousands of Nords, the human inhabitants of Skyrim, during its war against the Third Empire literally under a decade ago but also banned the worship of Talos, who Tiber Septim after he ascended into a God supposedly after his death. Talos was the most worshipped deity in Skyrim so to have it banned was not only a slap to the Nords of Skyrim, but also made them feel betrayed by the Third Empire because they accepted the White-Gold Concordat, the treaty that banned the worship of Talos throughout the Third Empire along with other terms that heavily favored the Aldmeri Dominion once it was signed.

The feelings of betrayal was enough for some Nords to rebel against the Empire, causing a civil war that the human-led empire could ill afford while the Aldmeri Dominion was gathering its strength for another war as the White-Gold Concordat was merely a temporary peace as the Aldmeri Dominion and its Thalmor leaders, elven supremacists, wanted complete control over all of Tamriel. The civil war, thankfully, ended a few years ago. Though it would have undoubtedly gone on longer had it not been through the actions of one individual. An individual that the woman walking through knee-deep snow and moving further away from the town was friends with.

This woman, upon first glance, was someone that anyone can tell was not human. Though she was around the height of a human woman, her skin was of a gray tone and her eyes were red that glowed brightly, highlighting her lovely face. This woman was a Dunmer or a Dark Elf for those that prefer that terminology over their true name. And this Dunmer was known as Brelyna Maryon. A Dunmer from House Telvanni, a Great House for the Dunmer that holds great power along with four other Great Houses in Morrowind, the home province for the Dunmer people. House Telvanni was well known for its powerful wizards and mages and its contradictory views and beliefs on a great many things.

Sighing to herself, Brelyna stopped herself for a moment to catch a breath before resuming her search. Usually, she wouldn't be out in the open. The weather was atrocious tonight and even the local bears knew it was wise to stay indoors until the weather calmed, but not her and a few others. And it was all because of one thing.

Just under an hour ago, the College of Winterhold received an urgent message from Winterhold's Jarl. The message spoke that the Jarl's people have seen something over the horizon of their village. A flash of some kind scared them. He urged them to investigate the matter before his people can blame the matter on the College of Winterhold. Though their relations have slightly improved under the new Jarl, the people of Skyrim still fear magic users. Thus, they sent some of their people to investigate the matter. A mix of both instructors and students, the College of Winterhold sent its best to investigate the matter. Brelyna was amongst them along with her fellow students, J'zargo, a member of the feline-like race, the Khajiit, and Onmund, a Nord mage. Though it may seem wrong at first glance to send students to deal with a potentially dangerous matter, they've all been trained to handle themselves in a fight. Both officially and unofficially by the school. Being volunteers in the previous Civil War also helped. And even if it was dangerous, they had several of the best instructors in the College to assist them along with some of the Jarl's men that came to assist them under the orders of the Jarl himself. Plus, they went ahead of the three so they would be safe. In fact, the only reason that she was alone was that both Onmund and J'zargo got sick of waiting and went without her.

Sighing as she recalled them going ahead of her, Brelyna wondered why she had to be the voice of reason for the two most of the time. She loved and respected her fellow students, she really did, but sometimes she wondered if those two can even survive without her.

Reminding herself that it mattered little to complain about her friends' lack of caution, Brelyna resumed her walk towards the area where she assumed the rest of her colleagues were, which was an area lit up with torches and held people wearing the official uniform of Winterhold's guard. Though a part of her mind warned her of those men and women being potential Stormcloaks remnants, former soldiers of the rebel army that had risen to oppose the Empire and the White-Gold Concordant years ago, Brelyna knew that former Stormcloaks would never fight someone without the blue and brown of their army uniform. They were far too proud to wear anything else in the name of Ulfric Stormcloak, the founder of the Stormcloak rebel army and instigator of the Civil War in Skyrim, when fighting their enemies.

Walking towards the group of people, Brelyna was relieved that she didn't make a fool of herself as she saw her fellow colleagues from the college there along with the guards of Winterhold. As she was making her way toward them, she heard them talking. To her confusion, they were speaking in wonderment and confusion.

"This is what has got the city all alarmed about?" Asked a Winterhold guard as he looked at something that Brelyna couldn't see yet.

"How could a child cause that bright light to appear?" Asked another guard. That question caused Brelyna to quicken her pace, curiosity catching her attention.

"It's an omen from the gods! We should kill it." Said the third guard. Upon hearing that, Brelyna narrowed her eyes and was about to speak when the Master Wizard of the College of Winterhold, Tolfdir, spoke up.

"My dear boy, let's not be so hasty!" Scolded Tolfdir, the elderly Nord aghast at such a suggestion. "Besides, I've sensed the child's magic prowess. Though he's young and has yet to develop his skills as a mage, his magical prowess is nowhere near as powerful as what the city has witnessed. In fact, given the strange materials around him, I believe…oh, Brelyna! Thank goodness you're alright." Brelyna, embarrassed at being called out by the Master Wizard, walked towards the group of guards and college mages.

"Sorry for being late. J'zargo and Onmund went ahead without me." Said Brelyna. The two aforementioned mage students simply nodded while observing what got the guards all worked up.

"Yes, I've already scolded them for running off without you and disobeying my instructions of waiting until I told them it was safe to come out." Said Tolfdir. Technically Brelyna broke that rule as well, but Tolfdir gave her a past as the danger has now been identified and decided to be safe for the college students. "Anyway, it's safe to be here now, my dear. The threat has been contained. Actually, now that I think about it, the anomaly would be a more apt description of what we have right here."

"Really?" Asked Brelyna upon hearing that. "What exactly is it? What could cause the anomaly that the city sa…what? What is a baby doing here?"

Just as Brelyna said, a baby was inside the circle of mages and guards. Held by Faralda, the College of Winterhold's top teacher, instructor, and scholar for Destruction magic. The Altmer, a subtype of Elf, like the Dunmer, woman held the newborn in her arms while casting a minor fire spell near them to keep them warm. Being a master of Destruction magic, she knew how to keep the fire going while also knowing how to keep it safe around the child.

Looking at the child, Brelyna saw that it was a human child. Black hair on top of their head with bright green eyes that were curiously looking at all of them, switching from one person to another in a second. To her shock, the boy had a lightning bolt-shaped scar on their forehead. Wondering how he got that, Brelyna was unable to say a question when Faralda spoke up.

"As much as it's understandable to voice those questions, I think it's best we all return to our homes. The storm is getting worse and it'll be poor for all our health if we remain here, especially the child's health." Said Faralda as she held the child, keeping him calm with an illusion spell.

"Agreed." Said Tolfdir before he addressed the guards. "We'll take the child to the College. So that, in the event they're more dangerous than they appear, the city will be protected from the child." Some of the guards looked a bit reluctant to leave the child with them, but the majority were fine with it.

"Alright, wizard, but the Jarl wants a report of this situation as soon as possible." Said the head guard. "The people are getting nervous the longer they don't have an answer to all this."

"Don't worry. We'll send a report as soon as we discern what's this all about." Said Tolfdir with a smile. "The reputation of the College has only recently improved its relations with Skyrim. We try our best to avoid anything that can damage it." The head guard took that to heart and ordered his men to leave. While the guards were leaving, Tolfdir spoke to everyone. "Brelyna, help Faralda with the child. Onmund, J'zargo. You two carry some of the stuff around the child back to the College. Consider it your punishment for leaving your fellow student alone." Onmund and J'zargo complained about this but nonetheless began to find and carry the stuff they found with the child when they first found him. Granted it wasn't much, but it was arduous work considering the amount of snow that was falling right now. Soon, though, the group found everything and were making their way back to the College. As they were making their way to the college, Brelyna looked at the child and wondered what this all meant.

Later

Brelyna

College of Winterhold

"Why do I have to handle the child?" Asked Brelyna as she looked at the child in front of her, on top of her bed. Upon returning back to the college, Tolfdir placed her in charge of looking after the child while he wrote a letter to the Jarl about the situation being contained as well as figuring out what to do with the child.

Onmund just shrugged his shoulders as he looked at the child, playing with some sort of stuffed animal they found with the child. It looked like a bear but smaller and more…friendly looking, unlike the bears of Skyrim.

"I guess because Faralda is needed to discuss what to do with the child." Suggested Onmund. "I mean she's pretty important in the college. Plus, this may be something that needs the attention of all the instructors in the college. Including Colette."

"But still. Why me?" Said Brelyna as she looked at the child playing with the strange thing in their hands. "Why not Nirya? Or Enthir?"

"Do you really want Nirya, a known narcissistic and arrogant stuck-up, to take care of a child?" Asked Onmund bluntly as he looked at Brelyna. "Or a black market dealer that literally will sell or buy anything from literally anything?"

"Okay fine, you made your point." Said Brelyna in reluctance. Realizing that she was indeed not only the most capable but also the only one that can keep an eye on a child properly. "*Sighs* I hope that we can solve this situation soon. I don't think I can properly handle a child." It was then that J'zargo, who has so far kept quiet, spoke.

"J'zargo thinks that his Dunmer friend will do well in keeping an eye on the child. J'zargo knows no one else that can complete the task as well as you. J'zargo is many things, but J'zargo is no father or parental figure." Said J'zargo. Knowing that J'zargo was only trying to give words of encouragement, Brelyna gave him a smile of appreciation before going back to keeping an eye on the child.

"You two will still help me, yes?" Asked Brelyna. "Not like there are any lessons tonight on account of the storm."

"I got nothing better to do." Said Onmund as he crossed his arms. "May as well."

"And J'zargo is curious about the child." Said J'zargo as his tail wagged around. "And J'zargo knows that children are difficult to take care of. J'zargo will help keep an eye on the child. Though J'zargo will not help change him. J'zargo is no caretaker." Brelyna just shook her head at that before looking at the child.

"So…are they a boy or girl?" Asked Brelyna as the child stopped playing to look at the three mage students in curiosity.

"Boy." Said J'zargo simply. "J'zargo will not say how he knows. It is one of his many talents. J'zargo will not tell his secrets." Brelyna sighed at that, wondering how she became friends with the competitive J'zargo in the first place.

Things to say about this story:

Mostly follows the canon storyline of Harry Potter with obvious changes. Some of the minor while others will be significant.

Dragonborn is Argonian.