AN: Apologies how long it's been since I made any posts. My wife and I lost a beloved pet recently so inspiration or energy to write has been hard to come by.

AN2: A lot of people have complained about the ship so I'm going to make a few things clear. One, it is NOT going to be a Harem. Two, for the party balance thing I'm going with I wanted a rogue with ties to the guild in Riften so the only options that could be arguable were Ingun or Sapphire. And Sapphire was a bit 'much'.

The New Storm Crown

Chapter 3

-Harry-

Sitting in a rickety wooden chair, Harry grunted as he kept twisting and twisting until his back finally cracked with a relieved sigh. Across from him, Hadvar and Ralof were doing similar rituals as they awaited the arrival of the General.

Speaking of, the man himself arrived with some tankards of mead, "I have a feeling this talk is going to need these." Tulius groaned in displeasure as he took a pull from his tankard, the other three passed out.

"Probably." Harry shrugged as he happily gulped down the booze that had a hint of Juniper berries in it.

"Let's start with what's the most pressing. Who, or what, are you?" Tulius demanded, eyes narrowing as he studied Harry intently, "You did magic I've never fucking seen before. Hell, I've never heard of some of those spells you were doing. And I don't recognize your accent at all."

"That's…a good point." Hadvar frowned as he adopted a thinking pose "I remember looking through what was confiscated off of you and I didn't see any travel papers that you'd have needed to cross the border."

"That's because I didn't cross any border." Harry sighed, reluctantly setting aside his tasty new drink "Got shoved through a portal by some bigoted genocidal jackasses. Honestly, they and those Thalmor twats would get along swimmingly if it wasn't for each group's rampant racism."

"Blegh." Ralof made a face at the thought of 'human Thalmor', not that he could blame the man.

"Damn it all." Tulius pinched the bridge of his nose, "You're another left-handed elf."

"Im a what handed what now?" Harry blinked, if that was an insult it was a new one.

"There's a race of people known as the 'left-handed elves'." Hadvar explained helpfully, "They came to our world when theirs was ending. The General is stating you're from a realm that's not Tamriel."

"And here I thought I was special." Harry pouted petulantly even as Ralof snorted into his mead. The ass.

"Succinctly put Hadvar." Tulius nodded, the man having drained his tankard and gesturing for someone to bring him another, the stress clearly being more than the aged warrior wanted right now.

"So…what now?" Harry sat cross legged on his chair, curious at what the group's plan was.

"At the moment I have to try and jail defectors, work on tracking that fucking dragon, dragon proof the cities, and work on keeping the Thalmor from getting uppity that a giant lizard ate all their representatives in our unit. You'll be free to go once I write you some travel papers."

"…That's it?" Harry blinked in surprise. He'd expected to get drafted into the army, or be given a 'go track down and slay that dragon for your freedom' or at least some sort of Ultimatum that would fit with the usual bullshit in his life.

"Hah!" Tulius barked an amused laugh even as he wrote out a short pass on a scroll, passing it over, "No Son, I'm not so hard pressed that I'll draft every skinny mage that I find in the snow."

"I'm not that skinny." Harry grumbled as he took the pass, pausing before looking at the man "By the way, I forgot to mention it earlier with all the…everything that was going on. But that Ulfric guy is brainwashed."

"…Come again?" Hadvar and Ralof looked confused while Tulius' gaze sharpened.

"My homeland had a type of mental magic where I can read surface thoughts easily and, if the target isn't prepared or shielded, look through deeper ones. The Thalmor captured Ulfric Stormcloak years ago and tortured him to brainwash him, to condition him into killing his king and starting this civil war to make the Empire waste resources."

"That would explain why Ulfric never had us lead an attack on the Thalmor Embassy." Ralof realized with a frown while Tulius processed the information.

"Thanks for the intel son." Tulius nodded, even if Harry could tell the man wasn't taking his word at face value. The General would probably be using his own resources to look into it. "But what do you plan to do with yourself?"

"I…don't honestly have a clue." Harry shrugged, "I know jack shit about this place."

"The College might be the best for now." Hadvar suggested, "That's where most Mages who don't resort to banditry or cultism gather."

"Ugh, school." Harry made an exaggerated expression but knew it probably was for the best. Plus, whole new world, all new magic.

"Then you'll want to swing by Whiterun first." The General tapped the scroll he'd written out "This'll work in the Neutral Whiterun or any Imperial controlled city but those who fly Stormcloak colors are more likely to arrest you on sight with this. The Jarl will likely be able to write you more useful travel papers. Or just register you as a citizen of his Hold."

"And…what of me?" Ralof finally decided to ask the question Harry knew had been eating at the man for some time.

"You stuck around to protect the civilians." Tulius looked the former Stormcloak soldier in the eye, "Not to mention you have no known murders or other actions to your name like others such as Galmar. With the Thalmor agents who were here dead I can pardon you without much issue."

"A…pardon?" Ralof seemed stunned at that.

"Son, you stuck around to protect civilians under my care." Tulius seemed tired as he spoke, "And all those still here can confirm that. The only ones who would have raised a fuss were the Thalmor agents, who are dead, and my former Captain who is currently facing the block for her own desertion during the Dragon attack. I'd rather not have to kill a man who genuinely does just wish to protect his homeland."

"I…thank you." Ralof seemed stunned and unsure of what to do with himself even as Hadvar gave his old friend a grin.

"If you're looking for work then I could use a guide." Harry offered with a shrug, "I should have some gold in the pouch that was on me when the bitch attacked me."

"It'll be returned to you." Tulius promised even as Ralof agreed to guide him, at least till he figured out what to do with himself. "I'll also add my own payment of a pair of horses if you two will travel through Riverwood and to Whiterun to inform both places of the dragon." The man placed another pair of scrolls on the table "These are official notices from me about it."

"You've got a deal." Harry grinned, shaking the general's hand. Things were starting to look up in this cold ass country.