Eleven Months Later...

Jul

Lucius

While Esbern and Delphine carefully went through any and all of Esbern's ancient tomes on the Blades and their Akaviri predecessors for our next move regarding the dragons, I had decided to attend to duties I had long since ignored. In the past eleven months, I had been a central part of the Imperial war movement. We had conquered areas ranging from Dawnstar and Winterhold all the way south to Riften. It was time for me to aid Jarl Balgruuf and the Empire in reclaiming that which had been taken from them. Whiterun was the penultimate step towards leaving Ulfric powerless and broken at the feet of the Empire, paying for his treason. I had no doubt that Talos and the Divines would have mercy on his soul, but in a world with the Thalmor, the Empire could not afford that same mercy.

I crouched with Hadvar, my housecarl from Solitude, and Rikke, our small, covert group discussing the coming battle. I pulled up on my ebony gauntlet, trying to fix an itch. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again – having the four of us invade this city by ourselves is far from the choice I would have made."

"Oh, shut it, Luc," Hadvar said. "We're the three best Legates in Tullius' legion. If anyone can do it..."

I shook my head. "Well, at least none of you are wearing Legion armor," I sighed. Hadvar was dressed in a set of plain steel armor – he said he didn't feel at home in anything else – and Rikke was dressed head to toe with advanced steel armor that obscured her identity completely. My housecarl, a Nord woman by the name of Jordis Sword-Maiden, was wearing an old set of Orcish armor that I had forged. "But it still won't be easy for the three of us to go in unnoticed."

"Yes, well, the Dragonborn seems to draw a crowd no matter where he goes, eh?" Hadvar drawled. "It's almost like people can feel the Dragon-blood within you."

The Legionnaire was not far off. Even obscured completely in my ebony armor, I was easily recognized. My height was not too far off from an above average Nord or Altmer, but I was still easily recognized in any town I came upon. The Legionnaire Dovahkiin. It was becoming especially hard to avoid the Thalmor, whom Elenwen was sending after me in mind boggling numbers. It seemed that she was desperate to destroy me and the good I was doing for the Empire. Somehow, my title as Atmoran had also become widely known; the Dominion would soon try to find their way to me once more. "Clavicus Vile's Masque should help me talk people down. And if it doesn't... Well, let's hope the ones who do recognize me are desperate for Balgruuf's return."

"Aye," Rikke grunted. She raised her voice slightly. "Now remember, while Hadvar and I go to the main gate as travelers to spread the word to the Battle-Borns and their allies, you and Jordis will sneak in through the tunnel Balgruuf told us about. Wait for us to tell you when to attack. Once you do take Dragonsreach, you are to set the signal. The Empire will attack from without while Balgruuf's loyalists take to the streets within. The Stormcloaks remaining will have no choice but to surrender or flee."

"And what of Vignar?" Jordis asked.

"The General and Elder Council have already decreed that Vignar's head will adorn a pike next to Ulfric's on the Imperial Prison in the Capital," Rikke responded. She stared at us three, and I knew she was done answering questions. Then: "Go. Divines guide you."

"Talos guide you," I replied while placing one gauntlet over my heart. Rikke nodded, and our group split up.

"Are you okay?" Jordis asked me. I sighed heavily and immediately wished I hadn't – adventuring breath in the enclosed helmet was as bad as the Oblivion cursed Daedra who had made the armor. "I know that this is..."

"Personal?" I asked. I turned my horned visage towards my housecarl. "You know that I take great care in ensuring you survive? That you are my friend, not just my housecarl?"

"Aye," Jordis said as we approached the entrance that led into Whiterun directly beneath what Jarl Balgruuf had called 'The Underforge.' He had assured us the Companions, while officially a neutral party with little interest in the war, would not mind the allies of a friend sneaking in through the Skyforge.

"Lydia was one of my first allies in this frozen land," I explained. The cave opened before us, hidden as it was behind a twisting path of rocks that, from afar, looked to be built into the city wall. "I trusted her with my life, and she entrusted hers to me. I failed her in that regard. If I had been present, I could have prevented all of this."

"It is because of you that many in Skyrim even know that Ulfric is an Aldmeri asset. He may not believe it, he may deny it, but the truth is out there for all to ponder," Jordis said, trying to bolster my spirits. She was correct, of course. The information I had stolen had been released two months prior, two months after the taking of Riften for the Empire. Winterhold had surrendered almost immediately after the information had been released. Whiterun's false Jarl had not been so quick to see truth, however. "I am sure that Lydia sings and celebrates your victories even now in Shor's Hall."

I nodded. "If any deserved Sovngarde, it is she," I replied. I looked up at the cave and motioned for Jordis to follow me. "Come, our duties await us." Jordis and I crawled through the cave that led under the enchanted, ancient Skyforge and into the city of Whiterun.

When we exited the Underforge behind Jorrvaskr, we were immediately greeted by a terrifying sight. "Is that..?" I began. I couldn't keep going. There were a series of heads on pikes in the middle of the town square, including Proventus' daughter, as well as Olfrid and Idolaf Battle-Born's. I felt my fists quiver in rage. Vignar had murdered Adrianne, a local blacksmith, just for being the daughter of Balgruuf's closest advisor. And the Battle-Borns' deaths made our entire scheme that much more difficult. The man had more connections throughout Whiterun than most others, even within his family. I wasn't sure who was the new head of the Battle-Born clan, but I doubted they were nearly as capable as their predecessor.

Seeing the heads that adorned the square of the Cloud District, I was barely able to hold my rage in. I walked past Jorrvaskr with Magickal lightning jumping between my fingers. I was seeing red, and I was ready to unleash my rage out upon the Stormcloaks responsible for those deaths. For the death of Lydia. Oddly enough, it was the thought of my long dead friend that had calmed me. I couldn't claim vengeance on the Thalmor whore and her Stormcloak pawns if I did not think about this with as much cunning as the bitch herself. I had to follow the plan. Which meant that my righteous vengeance would have to wait. "Let's wait here," I told Jordis, leading her back towards the Underforge to wait for Hadvar and Rikke to tell us all was ready.

Jul

Hadvar

Hadvar and Rikke sat together in the house of Clan Battle-Born, waiting for their host. The building was less magnificent than it had been just a year prior, with much of the family's Imperial art and armaments seized by the occupying Stormcloaks. Spare room in the home was being used to help the now-homeless and jobless loyalist guards hide from traitors and Stormcloaks alike. If the coming revolt succeeded, Hadvar had little doubt that the Battle-Borns would be the most beloved family in Whiterun.

Of course, the success of their plan was still a big if. Hadvar knew that any of a thousand things could still go wrong: the Battle-Borns could turn them in for leniency on the ex-guardsmen, or too few of the citizens could revolt. Success depended on the almost too many variables. But it was the most – and only – feasible plan. "I was wondering when you people would show up," a Nord voice rumbled from the doorway. The entrance to the house slammed shut, and the new head of the Battle-Born clan stood to greet the Imperial soldiers.

"Jon Battle-Born. I was wondering if you would show up," Rikke said. She removed her helmet and stared at the one-time pacifist and bard. "After all, Idolaf said you were never one for the War."

"Aye," Jon replied. Rikke studied the man, and noted several scars on his face and arms that looked incredibly fresh. One crossed over the man's eye socket and gave the once jovial man a burning rage behind his eyes. "I was also never one for letting my kin be murdered senselessly."

Rikke was not sure how to respond to that. "Look, we're here because we need your clan's help," Hadvar cut in. "Where's Olfrid?"

Jon looked to the ground, then returned his stony gaze to Hadvar. "Vignar killed him. Idolaf, too," he responded. "Like I said – never one for letting my kin be murdered."

"Are you one for revenge?" Rikke asked.

At that Jon frowned grimly. "Nay. But justice? Of course. What do you have in mind?"

Hadvar responded first. "Your family, I'm sure you know all of the Imperial sympathizers still in the city. We're taking it back, for them," he explained.

Rikke continued, saying, "We need a coordinated uprising within the city. We have a team moving in to collect Vignar now. As soon as they launch a fireball from the balcony, we'll need a mass uprising from the citizenry while the Legion attacks from without."

"Honestly, that sounds like a damn fool plan. But if the Empire is behind it, I suppose I should aid you," Jon explained. "In memory of my fallen father and brother."

"Do you need our aid to spread the word?" Hadvar asked.

"No. But I do need your friends to ensure that Olfina does not die," Jon explained. "I know that she is her uncle's housecarl, now, but she cannot agree with everything he has done."

"I can only tell you that they will try," Hadvar told the man. "But they cannot ensure her safety. If she tries to kill them, they may have no choice."

Jon glared at Hadvar and Rikke for a moment. "I suppose that is the best I can hope for," he sighed, his eyes hollow and conflicted.

"Thank you," Rikke said as she and Hadvar stood to tell Lucius and Jordis that the plan was ready. "We will see you soon, Jon." The two Nords bowed slightly to their host and left the house.

"That was damn foolish, Hadvar," Rikke told the younger man. "A Legate should think more tactically than that."

"He's a man torn between love and duty, Rikke, but he's still a Nord. He knows what he has to do, and even what that might mean for Olfina," Hadvar assured.

"I pray to Talos you are right," Rikke said quietly. "Or all four of us may soon be dead."

Jul

Lucius

I had been ready with ebony sword drawn as soon as the first footsteps approached the Skyforge. I had pulled the first of the two approaching in and aimed my sword directly for their heart, only to stop when I saw Hadvar. I lowered the blade and shook my head. "Sorry," I groaned sheepishly.

"You're lucky that Eorlund isn't here to hear that," Rikke barked as she entered the Underforge.

"Aye, that I am. Is it time for us to attack?" I responded. I felt my fingers twitch with anticipation as I asked this.

"Yes. But Jon Battle-Born, the new head of his Clan, has requested that you try to prevent the death of the current Noble Housecarl, Olfina Gray-Mane," Hadvar said. "He'll help regardless, but he loves her and would appreciate your compassion."

"I'll see, but -"

"If it is unavoidable, it is unavoidable," Rikke interjected. She looked grimly at the ground. "Jon already knows that." Her eyes returned to mine, her stare unyielding. "This is perhaps the most important mission you have undertaken yet, Dragonborn. Are you sure you are up to the task?"

Without answering, I turned to Jordis. "Let's go," I began as I walked away from my peers, "we have a Hold to free."

I led Jordis around the back of Dragonsreach, our sneaking abilities and my enchantments just strong enough to ensure we remained unnoticed. We approached yet another of Jarl Balgruuf's secret tunnels, an exit – or, in this case, entrance – that led into the lower levels of Dragonsreach. It was midday, or thereabouts, which meant that we would have to fight our way through the entire room of Stormcloak allied soldiers and guards to get close to Vignar. And not to even bring up the difficulty capturing and holding the false-Jarl while we gave the signal. Even being the Dragonborn, I knew that odds like that were near suicidal. Even with the Thu'um I had accrued in the past year, I was not sure if my Voice was up to the task.

But I knew that my thirst for Vengeance was more than ready.

I entered Dragonsreach ahead of my Housecarl, assuring myself that I would not lose another friend and ally in the main hall of the castle. My ebony sword slid quietly through the chest of the first Stormcloak guard to get in my way, and Jordis quickly dispatched the soldier standing next to him. I nodded silently and we moved up the stairs. This brought me face to face with someone I was not sure I wished to see again. His eyes widened at the sight of Clavicus Vile's Masque and he came close to screaming, but I grabbed the man and pulled him back. "Don't make a noise, Farengar," I commanded, my voice a low, terrifying growl enhanced by the Magick imbued in the Masque. I removed my hand from the Wizard's mouth, and he stared at me with wide eyes.

"Lucius? Is that you?" he asked, unsure.

"I can't believe you would betray Balgruuf like this," I hissed, my blade ready to cut through the court mage.

"I didn't!" the Secret-Fire whispered back, stopping me from killing him.

"Talk."

"I..." the Wizard sighed. "I was not in the city while the battle occurred, but when I returned, I was brought here to swear fealty to the new Jarl. I thought of not doing it... but there are things here that must be protected."

"The Jarl's children... You've been keeping watch on them?" I inquired quietly.

"Aye... they – there is a force in Whiterun that the Jarls have always prevented from growing out of control. Without their father, or their freedom, the children were forced to draw close to that terrible force to survive. I have been keeping them from descending too deep into that madness," Farengar assured. "Please, you have to understand... I could have warned Vignar about that passage, you know that. But I didn't. Jarl Balgruuf is my friend, and I would never betray him."

I furrowed my brow behind my Masque, then delivered a quick, blunt blow to Farengar's head. The mage fell to the ground with a dull thud, unconscious. "Then I don't want you to be put to death if this goes poorly, friend," I said. I turned to Jordis and motioned for her to enter the main hall with me. I was able to deliver a single Magickal blow to the nearest guard, a strike of Magickal lightning that jumped between four Stormcloaks and left them dead. With Magick, I grabbed the nearest Stormcloak's weapon from the ground and launched it through the air to his allies, impaling three on the two handed blade.

"We're under attack!" the false-Jarl screamed as he drew his blade. The entire room rushed to kill us, including the new Housecarl – Olfina Gray-Mane. The girl was a strong looking woman, who would endanger many with her strength. If it had been just me versus her, I would have easily defeated her. The army at her back, however, made her a much more viable opponent.

I rushed forward, into the fray. My blade carved through the ocean of Stormcloaks and their lackeys, their crimson blood layering into a painting of death and mayhem that the main hall had seen once before that year. The red eventually began to flow into a river that cascaded down the steps and extinguished the flame in the center of the great hall. Burnt flesh and the rare smell of boiling blood began to fill our nostrils. "VIGNAR!" I screamed. "YOU ARE UNDER ARREST BY ORDER OF THE EMPIRE AND JARL BALGRUUF!" I heard a laugh echo across the battlefield from Vignar. He wasn't going to surrender, it seemed.

The battle continued, with Olfina and Vignar staying off to the side. The two slowly became more and more worried as the battle dragged on. Jordis and I were completely fine, whereas the Stormcloaks and traitors dead around us were not. My boots began to stick tot he ground, sinking into the volume of blood. As another wave of Stormcloak traitors rushed Jordis and I, I decided that I had dealt with enough of this. "IIZ-SLEN-NUS!" I shouted, my breath taking the form of a physical blizzard. The blue-white air rushed through the air to freeze the very bones of my enemies. Soon, the second wave of attacking Stormcloaks were little more than Stormsicles. The blood beneath my feet became red ice, and the dead bodies became frozen over in their own fluids.

"Vignar!" I screamed again. The man narrowed his eyes that seemed to glow orange, and approached me.

"Uncle!" Olfina shouted. She rushed forward to me in a vain attempt to save her kin.

"Admirable," I said as I deflected her clumsy attack and slashed through her left forearm. I cauterized the wound with a gout of fire. "But foolish." I slammed my fist into the woman's head and she slumped to the bloody ground.

"Can I not see the man who would claim my life?" the false Jarl asked. I complied. I tore the Masque from my head and tossed it to Jordis, who was still marveling at my strength. "Lucius Atmoran. You chose the wrong side for one who hates the Thalmor."

"Then you are a shortsighted fool," I replied as I pulled my mage's hood onto my head. "Surrender now and you may live to see tomorrow, if not the next year."

"Never," the man said. His eyes flashed gold again, and he darkened to a blood red. The false Jarl's body contorted in pain as his skin seemed to liquefy and fall from his bones, which were shifting and reshaping themselves. I watched with morbid curiosity as his body erupted back into being, a maw of sharp teeth and thin, tattered wings erupted from his back. The Vampire shrieked at me and rushed forward to kill me.

I ducked beneath the first powerful swing of Vignar's claws, but was sent sprawling by the second. I sat, dazed, on the wall for a moment. I barely regained sense in time to dodge the incoming explosion of red Magicka. "You are a threat to our plans!" the Vampire hissed, Vignar's voice erupting from its hideous, bat-like face.

"I get that a lot," I responded before launching a fireball at the creature. Vignar took the brunt of the blast and rushed towards me on leathery wings. I rolled beneath the next swipe of his claws and slashed my blade through his side. The creature screamed in pain as I rolled to my feet once more. I looked at the creature, now insane with rage, and waited for it to rush towards me. As the Vampire approached, I twirled my ebony blade through the air and Vignar's terrifying visage rolled across the ground.

"Jordis, stay with Farengar and Olfina," I commanded. I grabbed the Vampiric skull and ran up the stairs of Dragonsreach to deliver the signal. And to expose Vignar for what he was before any lives were lost.

Jul

Hadvar

Hadvar was milling about the square of the Cloud District with the other fifty or so civilians stationed with him. Alongside those fighters stood many disguised former members of the Whiterun guard force. "Look! Up there!" Ulfberth shouted, gazing in pain past the severed head of his wife. Hadvar followed the man's gaze to the fireball soaring through the sky above the city. Civilians, soldiers, Loyalists, and Stormcloak alike gazed up at the burning Magicka. And suddenly, it exploded. With that explosion, Oblivion began to break loose. Civilians and ex-guards drew the weapons that Ulfberth had armed them with and took to fighting against their oppressors.

Hadvar cut down a Stormcloak soldier and bashed his shield into the skull of a traitorous Whiterun citizen. "For the Empire! For Whiterun!" Hadvar screamed. He deflected the blow of a Stormcloak and ran the woman through with his sword. The crowd around him screamed with him, echoing the sentiment. "Whiterun!" and "Empire" rang over the cacophony of battle.

"What in Talos' name is he doing!?" a Stormcloak aligned priest screamed. He was largely ignored.

But the shout that came next, that shook the foundations of Nirn itself, was not. "FUS-RO-DAH!" Lucius screamed, staggering all in the melee below and drawing the attention of an entire city to him. "Listen well, Whiterun. Surrender now. Your false Jarl has been deposed, and his true nature revealed!" Lucius raised a gray shape in his hand. "FEIM!" Lucius, now pale blue, jumped from the balcony of Dragonsreach and landed unharmed on the ground.

"Behold, your Jarl..." Lucius demanded. He tossed the gray shape into the center of the square as he approached, and there was a hush that ran through the crowd.

"You're lying!" a voice screamed. "Imperial Bastard!" came another.

"No," Lucius snapped, forcing the entire city into silence again. "Vignar Gray-Mane was a Vampire, whose brutality is best seen here! In your own city!" Lucius gestured up at the pikes of the Battle-Borns and Adrienne. "Adrienne was killed because of her father's loyalties! The Battle-Borns for not bending knee! The Empire allowed all the fallen Jarls and their kin to run for Windhelm! But Vignar murdered any who opposed him. Surrender, you have nothing to fight for."

There was a ripple that flowed through Whiterun as this was said. "I have no wish to see my family die, Dragonborn," Eorlund Gray-Mane, de facto leader of the rebels in the city, said, defeated. "My family surrenders, then. I urge all to do the same." Eorlund turned to stare at the Skyforge and his shoulders fell. The other rebels around him seemed to do the same.

"Well, that turned out better than we could have hoped," Hadvar said, surveying the lack of death around him.

Lucius glanced up at Dragonsreach. "Aye," he groaned. "Aye." The Dragonborn turned from his friend and half-staggered up towards the scene of death he had just left.

Jul

Lucius

The Vampire Vignar had screamed that I was in the way of plans. Ulfric, last I met him, was not a hideous Vampire bent on annihilating his people. If anything, the man was incredibly moral. I had little faith that Ulfric was the one who was in control of Vignar. No, I was sure that something much more sinister was at play. However, as I had a Civil War and Dragon War to deal with, that would have to wait. Still, I knew that this couldn't wait.

Across the country, another man was already way ahead of me.