End of Time, p.1
Until the end of time the Dunmer shall share the fate of their false gods —Azura

Nothing else mattered. He stood at the top of the stairs to the Palace of Kings. Below him, Dunmer laborers and mages were taking apart Candlehearth Hall to make way for a teleport platform. It was once the site of such a platform over eight hundred years ago. The second Akaviri invaders had destroyed it to prevent Nords from fleeing the city after King Jorunn used it to escape.

Elda Early-Dawn was wailing in a protective cluster of patrons. A ring of palace guards protected Revyn from unhappy citizens.

He didn't care. The last note he'd received from Whiterun was from Jarl Balgruuf telling him Helsette and her red Dragon were on their way to Skuldafn.

Skuldafn. Once there, she would face undead armies as she fought to the gate of Sovngarde. If she lived that long, she would cross that gate into Lorkhan's paradise, where she would either kill Alduin or the world burns to make way for the kalpa, the egg of the next world, as the Dragons would say.

Amalie Felix pushed her way through the ring of guards. "Elda's signed. You sign here. Are you sure about giving her ownership of Sadri's Used Wares?"

"It's only fair. She had a quarter year more year of ownership. I have no choice but to take Candlehearth from her now. My shop, all its contents, the future profits, they're hers now.

"More importantly, Helsette should be in Skuldafn by tomorrow morning. She'll be fighting on her own to find the gate site on the other end and clear it of obstructions and enemies. We have to get this cleared and the gate built by tomorrow evening. Then pray to every patron god we know that our magic and the dead Nord guardians can connect the gates."

He heard a commotion behind him. The guards around him shifted to let other people inside their circle.

"So. The gate to Sovngarde is no myth but is in the ancient Dragon city of Skuldafn," said Royal Court Mage Wuunferth.

"Yes. It is also the meeting site of the Ebonheart Pact. The Dwemer had that underground mountain passage through the Velothi mountains to connect the Rift to Morrowind. My wife found it the Rift entrance, but the passage has long since collapsed. The only other ways to get up there were by portals in Morrowind and Black Marsh. When the Pact leaders met up there, the undead were not a problem for them because they had the protection of Almalexia and Vivec. But my wife has no such protection. She'll face every undead warrior, mage, and dragonpriest that Alduin can resurrect. I want that gate open. I can send her warriors and mages to help. If she has to go to Sovngarde to fight Alduin, she should do it when she's in full health and strength, not exhausted from battling through his army."

"So you have an army somewhere to send to her?" This was from Galmar. Behind Galmar was King Ulfric.

"Not much of one. Alduin timed his attack on Whiterun well. Most of my Dunmer fighters are in Winterhold for the Azura day of Summoning. A week away. The only reason I'm here and not over there is that I have just returnd from Solstheim. What I have in Windhelm right now are warriors as old as me. In two days, I might be able to pull most of the Gray Guards from Aldmora. Then it's another two days for them to march here."

"If we are talking about getting the Dragonborn to Sovngarde to battle Alduin, there's plenty of squads in Windhelm and the surrounding suburbs we can send through," said Ulfric. "If you dark elves can provide the mage power, I can supply the warriors. I can't let Balgruuf and Whiterun have all the honor of assisting the Dragonborn in her great destiny." His hand on Revyn's left shoulder gripped with near bone-crushing strength. "Your wife. So, Helsette was the Dragonborn all along?"

"Yes. And she is the Archimage of Winterhold College."

The hand gripping his other shoulder belonged to Thane Icewind. "No wonder every insult just rolled off you like rain on an oiled cloak. A good laugh, I hear, is a good shield for one's mood."

Revyn pushed his hand off. "My wife is chasing your damned Dragon god into Sovngarde. A third of Whiterun was destroyed in Alduin's attack, and hundreds died. Most of their souls likely went to Sovngarde, where Alduin stuffs his stomach to gain the power to resurrect his followers. How many of your comrades are in the black Dragon's belly? I'm not laughing, Nord."

He turned his head and glared at King Ulfric, saying, "Be glad it wasn't known that the Dragonborn resided in Windhelm. It's wintertime, and the city is packed with people trying to stay warm. How well do you think Windhelm would have faired inside these great stone walls with Alduin raining fire from overhead as he did at Helgen? We have tunnels people could take refuge in. There are the bowels of the arena and the Dragon Cult fortress through the Halls of the Dead, but not enough people know about them. And people in a panic—"

Ulfric, hand still on his shoulder, shook him, reminding him to whom he was snarling. He ordered Galmar to have soldiers to protect the Dunmer working to demolish Candlehearth Hall and have other soldiers assist and clear out the rubble. Revyn could continue his explanations inside the war room.

He gave Revyn time to go home to cool down from Icewind's needling and retrieve Helsette's notes delivered to him by magic-protected pigeon couriers. Small slips informing him that the Black Dragon had attacked Dragonsreach and rained down balls of fire upon the surrounding Clouds District, destroying many homes of the nobility. The castle, however, still had its ancient anti-fire enchantments. Many nobles were safe inside because the court had been in session, and most were in attendance. The same could not be said of their families and servants in their destroyed homes.

But the trap in Dragonsreach was done. The new Staerk-Skjold Consultants had helped Gray-Mane finish reforging the time-weakened chains and gears of the great Dragon trap. Helsette wrote she was ready to summon Odahviing, the Dragon Revyn they knew the name of even before Paarthurnax spoke it. The engineering experts and the gameplay predictions — all thanks to Master Curtis, the outworlder and reborn Dwemer King Dumac, who shared his other world knowledge of events to come.

"We had hoped it wouldn't come to this," Revyn wearily explained to Ulfric, Galmar, and others Ulfric deemed necessary. "But her learning to fly and short teleport, her ability to chase down Dragons, the organization of effective Dragon hunters — Alduin had to act. He was losing Dragons faster than he could resurrect, especially with the civil war over and fewer souls entering Sovngarde. We miscalculated his arrogance. He was quicker to realize his weakening position than we'd expected.

"Balgruuf has had crafters restoring the trap of Dragonsreach the past two years. Alduin knew the Dragonborn had a home in Whiterun, so what better place to issue his challenge after she beat him at High Hrothgar the first time they battled? He dared not challenge her in Winterhold, where she would have her mages ready to battle, and she also has the protection of Azura there."

"She fought Alduin at High Hrothgar and beat him?" demanded Ulfric.

"I misspoke, sire. Paarthurnax, the master of the Greybeards, was the one who battled Alduin. My wife had just finished re-reading an Elder Scroll to study again the original shout the Tongues used to bring down Alduin. The first time, he ignored her. Now, he did not and tried to fight her there. My wife was at too great a disadvantage. It was in the middle of an ice storm, and as you know, my king, the air is thin and hard to breathe and exert oneself. Paarthurnax had to fight Alduin to protect her. The old drake held his own against the young monster. All my wife could do was shout, but it was enough to tip the battle in their favor. Alduin fled until he could find a way to bring her to his chosen tournament arena of blood.

"Now that he's learned she is learning to fly, he knows he has to kill her himself. Nor more sending lesser Dragons. And so he attacked Whiterun to force her to accept his challenge to battle. She has no choice but to go now. But her primary goal is to find the Skuldafn gate first and clear the area. She will do that before trying to find the gate to Sovngarde."

"Why didn't the Greybeard Dragon take her Skuldafn?" asked Icewind.

"As I said, he's old, thane, and gravely injured. And he's been sitting on top of High Hrothgar for thousands of years, watching the time rift the Tongues created when they exiled Alduin from the world. He's a warrior that's gone gray and feeble through the millenniums. He appointed himself guardian, and he's stayed at his post as all the other Dragons were slain or driven away from Skyrim. He barely held his own against Alduin. He still hasn't recovered his strength to even hunt for himself. If it wasn't for the pilgrims bringing him cattle ever since he revealed himself, he'd starve up there."

"This red dragon, can it be trusted?" asked Ulfric.

"I don't know. Odahviing is its name. He was resurrected a quarter year ago. Paarthurnax was formerly Alduin's second-in-command. That red Dragon was the third. We asked Balgruuf four years ago to use the trap of Dragonsreach built by his ancestor, Olaf One-Eye. Work to restore the machine had to wait until the civil war was over. Once trapped, Odahviing would have only two choices: carry my wife, or see how long he could endure imprisonment before going insane.

"My wife has learned how to fly, but she cannot fly and fight at the same time yet. She cannot hope to win against the Dragons patrolling the skies around Skuldafn. We needed to find a Dragon ally willing to battle on her behalf. And for that, she needed to find the strongest Dragon. Parthuurnax named Odahviing the best choice because he knew the red Dragon was questioning Alduin's strength and leadership."

Ulfric nodded. "I see. I should be grateful that the Dragonborn was not known to live in Windhelm. We have no way of trapping a Dragon here, unlike Whiterun." He looked down at the map of Skyrim. "We shall send help to Whiterun; their sacrifice deserves our respect and aid. Galmar, ready our elites to raid Skuldafn. Revyn, how do you intend to re-open the ancient gate?"

X—X—X—X—X—X—X

"Ambarys, you're back!" Revyn tightly embraced his friend.

"Oi! Just in time to see you blow out Candlehearth. What's going on, Revyn?"

"My wife's gone to Skuldafn. It's time to re-open the gate. Ulfric has agreed to lend me troops to invade Alduin's city."

"Just as you knew he would. Nords and Sovngarde. What better way to die than to defend the gates of their paradise. How did Helsette get to Skuldafn?"

"She had to use the Whiterun contingency. A third of that city is destroyed. But she caught a dragon and forced its agreement to get her safely to Skuldafn past Alduin's sky sentries. I can tell you details later. Tell me, was your mysterious mission successful?"

"Aye. I found the mer I was looking for much sooner than I'd hoped. He was expecting me and made it easy for me to find him."

"Who is he? You never did tell me that."

"You'll know him as soon as you see him."

"You're being very coy about this, Ambarys. That's not like you. Your no-nonsense personality is what I value most about you."

"That right? So be it. I brought you Vivec in hopes that you can settle the future of our people more favorably than what Azura cursed us with. Sothat's fate left our people isolated, and Almalexia's madness is destroying our land. Vivec's our last hope that things can turn around."

"No. I can't handle this right now. My wife's in Skuldafn. I've got to send help to her. I'm not interested in Vivec unless he's able to re-activate the portal, fight off Alduin's undead armies, and escort my wife safely to Sovngarde. Ideally, if he could help kill Alduin… But he can't enter Lorkhan's paradise, can he? So she's still on her own. He can't guantee her return. I've got nothing for him then. The future is dead unless my wife returns."


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