Jul

Lucius

I clamped my hands over my ears while my tone deaf traveling companion continued to scream 'Ragnar the Red' loud enough for the sycophants in the Dominion's capital to hear. Hopefully it only seemed that loud, otherwise I was sure that Dorthe would be waiting to kill me once I touched down at Miraak's Temple. I don't even think me being Emperor would be able to keep her from murdering me if that was the case. My only hope was that she didn't find me for so long that her concern outweighed her rage. Knowing she was a Nord, I would probably have to find my way back to the Imperial City by myself.

As Durnehviir entered his third time singing the bardic hymn, I knew I could not take it any more. "Durnehviir, friend! How about we stop singing!?" I asked, cutting the dragon's song off. His eye rolled back to glare at me, and I grinned nervously. Interrupting a dragon was either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid, even for a Dragonborn. "I just mean... what else can you tell me about Miraak? How dangerous is he?"

The dragon shivered at the mention of the First Dragonborn's name. "Krosis, the stories I have heard about his final battle are... unnerving." He fell silent, his words replaced by his powerful wingbeats. I waited for him to elaborate and was gifted for my patience. Durnehviir's gaze returned to the path before us and he said, "The Ideal Masters told many tales about their desire for a Dragonborn's soul, and none more than Miraak's. He discovered ancient Shouts believed only to be possessed by Alduin, and many hundreds of Dov flocked to his side."

"What could be so strong as to scare dragons like that?" I inquired. If Thera found whatever this Shout was, she could destroy all of Tamriel with the raw power of the Shout.

"Influence, Thu'ri," Durnehviir explained. He angled his wing tips and we turned hard to the right and began to descend. It was not long before the Temple itself came into view, green magicks tinting the surface of the stony spires. "This Shout was supposedly capable of not simply bending the will of any dragon to its user's desires, but completely altering the kos kosil of a dragon – its inner being – to be completely in line with that of the mu Thu'um."

"Mind control?" I asked, fighting off the urge to flinch as the dragon spiraled closer and closer to the source of dark magicka at the center of the temple.

"No. They are not being controlled, Thu'ri. They desire nothing except what Miraak desired. He changes them," Durnehviir explained as he landed. His head dipped and he allowed me to slide off of his back. I did so and walked up to his head, placing my hand atop his crown. "His Will becomes their Will."

I stared at the dragon's scared eyes for a moment before patting the center of his head comfortingly. "I thank you for everything, Durnehviir. I will not summon you while I am still on Solstheim, my friend, not if it can be avoided. You have my solemn vow, zu'u hi vat," I said, bowing my head to the monumental dragon.

He smiled, something that had scared away many an adventurer, and his throat rumbled with laughter. "Do not risk yourself for my sake, Qahnaarin. Who would I sing with if you do not survive?" Durnehviir inquired good naturedly.

"Never mind. I won't summon you even if I'm in trouble," I shot back, causing the dragon to laugh again. I smiled and shook my head. "Go, use what time you have left here to explore Nirn."

Durnehviir nodded and raised his wings above his body. "I await our next tinvaak, Dovahkiin." Then he brought his wings down and began to slowly ascend into the sky, shrieking joyfully as he climbed. I covered my face with my glove, keeping dust and stone from my eyes and waved him off with my other hand. He may have been a good friend, but I was more than happy to see – or rather hear – his song disappear into the southwest.

I shook my head and turned to walk up the stairs to the Temple, taking my blade from my hip and readying for a fight. If the lackeys that Miraak had sent were any indication, there was an entire cult that he had at his beck and call. I had little doubt that I would soon be fighting my way through a substantial number of the cult's membership.

I reached the apex of the temple after only a few minutes, and was surprised by what I saw. Dozens, maybe even hundreds of people were all chanting the same creepy mantra, their minds gone. The drones were busy repairing the temple's architecture, so busy that they could not even see me wave my sword in front of their faces. "Creepy," I muttered as I shoved a drone away from where it was working and it drifted right back to its place, continuing its job. I looked toward the center of the Temple, where a carved spire spread the green energy through the stone. It had to be the source of this... My eyes widened. The Shout! This must be what happens when a mortal was subjected to the Shout's abilities. I walked over to the stone, intent on studying the energy so I could figure out a way to break the control or even use it against Miraak. After all, if Durnehviir was scared of him, it stood to reason that I should be as well. I reached out towards the stone with my free hand.

"No!" My hand flew back and I looked towards the source of the voice. It was a young Nord woman, perhaps in her twenty fifth year. She had blonde hair that dangled to the odd, carved steel armor on her shoulders. Two axes hung from her hips, one a similar material and design to her armor and the other a blue material I had never seen before. I cocked my head to my side and raised my sword towards the woman. "No! No, I do not mean you harm! Please, lower your weapon Outsider."

"Who are you?" I asked, keeping my blade pointed at the woman's throat. I glared coldly at her, unwilling to compromise my safety for this odd stranger.

"I am Frea of the Skaal. I mean you no harm, I am simply here to find a way to break this control." I lowered my weapon when she said that and considered her for a moment, then I sheathed Dragonbane. "Thank you. Who are you?"

I frowned. The Skaal were a very secretive culture that was only found on the outskirts of Solstheim. Most scholars had thought them extinct until the Dark Elves took over Raven Rock and started to trade with them again. They were also a very trustworthy people, unconcerned with the physical world and its riches. "I am Lucius Ashcroft." I bowed my head slightly in greetings before speaking again, "I'm here for the same thing, except I am also supposed to kill Miraak. He tried to kill the Emperor of Tamriel."

"I see," Frea responded. She gestured behind her. "I killed two of his followers just as the world shook; the entrance is over there."

I scoffed. "Yes, that was... that was a friend of mine. He throws his weight around a bit much," I explained. I rubbed the bridge of my nose, hoping she didn't question further on how large my friend could be.

Thankfully, she did not seem to think that this was her business. "We should ally, for now. It will be easier to breach the depths of the Temple with the two of us working together," she pointed out earnestly.

I nodded slowly. "Fine. I assume I could not stop you anyways," I assented.

"I doubt it as well," Frea responded with a smile. She drew her axes and motioned for me to follow her into the Temple's catacombs. "Come, every moment we spend out here is a moment longer my people and these are enslaved."

I shook my head in exasperation. I left Dorthe behind just to be cursed with a traveling companion who acted like me. "By the Nine," I grumbled.

Jul

Dorthe

Dorthe trotted into Raven Rock on the back of Arvak, appreciating the strange stares she was receiving from those who were around her. She supposed that even the staunchest of the Daedra worshiping Dunmer rarely saw anything similar to a horse made of flames and ethereal purple bones. It wasn't long before Captain Veleth and First Councilor Morvayn were alerted to the strange going ons of their city and the two figures came out to greet the woman riding atop a ghost. "Quaestor Dorthe, correct? Where is your commander?" Morvayn inquired, crossing his arms and staring at the woman. He looked down at the horse who had begun to eat some of the poisonous grasses native to the island, resisting the urge to ask about what it was.

"He went ahead to the Temple to find Miraak and end him before he could cause any more damage. I was sent here to tell you that the individual commanding this Ash Spawn threat has been destroyed. They will not be troubling you again," the woman explained. She pulled the reins of her ghost horse up and Arvak cantered around for a moment.

"Should you not be with him? This individual sounds... dangerous," Veleth pointed out worriedly. Dorthe held in a scoff – even when he was not trying, the Emperor had a knack for making friends out of potential allies.

"He was on foot and said he would wait if he arrived before me. Not that it matters: with Arvak here, I'll get there before him," she said while patting the horse's neck. What she said next made the horse ghost nicker happily. "He's the fastest horse in Tamriel."

"As soon as that is complete, I have one other request of you two. I'm not willing to risk my men on what I truly believe is nonsense, but the owner of the mine truly believes that there is an untapped ebony vein. Should one be discovered, I will gladly offer its contents to your Empire first and foremost," Morvayn said. Dorthe's eyes lit up – that was the second reason the Emperor had even decided to come here. "As a token of thanks for your dealings with the Ash Spawn attacks."

"Thank -" Dorthe looked up when she heard a loud, off tone voice begin to scream the song 'Ragnar the Red' at the top of its lungs. The young Blade began to shiver with pure rage and her mind turned to murder. She looked over at Morvayn and Veleth again. "I am afraid I have to go. My commander has decided he would rather die by my hand than by that of time." She turned Arvak and dug her heels into the bony horse's hide, causing him to rear up on his hind legs for a moment before galloping off and out of Raven Rock.

"Humans are such an odd species," Veleth told Morvayn.

"Yes, indeed they are, Sera," the Councilor responded, a smirk gracing his features as he smirked at the woman's back. "Though I believe those two are not quite indicative of their kind."

Jul

Lucius

I brought Dragonbane around to deflect the incoming blade of a massive Draugr, the blow causing my arms to shudder from its sheer force. I held strong, however, and slid the massive sword off the flat of my blade and shot a spike of ice straight through its chest even as it stumbled backwards. With most Draugr, this would have spelled the end. With this beast, though, it was only a minor annoyance. The creature hissed something incredibly rude about my mother in the language of dragons and swung its massive blade at my head again. I ducked beneath this attack and landed a well placed kick on its chest, driving the spike deeper in. The Draugr stumbled backwards, its head soon separated from its shoulders when the twin axes of my newfound partner in battle slashed through the air. The Draugr's body hit the ground with a dull thud and I quietly sheathed Dragonbane before the blue light left its eyes. "Good work," I complimented the woman as I walked away from her and towards a chain hanging on the nearby wall. They were all the same, these damn places. "You would think a traitor to the Dragon Cult would make use of different doorways." I pulled the chain and a door in the stone slid open to reveal a thin, snaking passageway.

"How did you know-?" Frea began.

"Like I said, all these tombs are exactly the same," I grunted as I pulled a dagger from my hip. It would be better for such tight quarters. I took point. "Stay behind me."

"I do not need your protection," Frea protested, but I was already through the door.

"You would just be getting in my way," I responded bluntly, ignoring her and holding my blade backhand in front of me. Luckily, nothing came towards us. We walked down the entire length of the winding hallway, hideous serpentine effigies sprouting from the walls, ceiling, and floor. I did not like the way they looked at me, sightless eyes of stone filled with hungry hatred. Even worse, these were the typical images used by the cults of Hermaeus Mora, which meant –

"Dammit," I growled as we came upon the final room. The only thing in the room was a pedestal upon which rest a black book bound in what looked like Dunmer skin. What was Mora's obsession with having his books bound in mortal skin?

"What is the problem?" Frea asked, coming up behind me and trying to get a glimpse over my shoulder.

"It's a book. That's the only thing here," I explained, sheathing my dagger and walking up to the book. "Hermaeus Mora."

"Herma Mora?" Frea asked. She sounded worried, terrified even. I knew much of the Skaal, but this I did not: why. My confusion must have been evident on my face, because she quickly explained. "Herma Mora is... one of the Adversary's most dangerous aspects. He seeks to steal our knowledge and souls to try and destroy the All-Maker's creations. If he is the cause of all of this, we have underestimated Miraak's danger."

"I agree," I grunted even while I reached for the book. "It's time to estimate it perfectly." Then I picked it up – releasing the pressure plate and opening a door in the wall at the back of the room – and opened it.

The world immediately changed, and I was greeted by what many scholars described as Apocrypha, the Oblivion Realm of Hermaeus Mora himself. "Just once I would like to be wrong," I grunted while staring up at the green sky.

"But where would the fun in that be?" I turned to the source of the voice. It was a Dragon Priest with a bronze, tentacled mask.

"The cultists have a good approximation of that mask," I told him while drawing Dragonbane. He was standing in front of a smooth, blue dragon and between two Seekers – Daedra who served Hermaeus Mora.

"That is the idea," the ancient warrior replied. "Dragonborn."

"Dragonborn," I said with a nod of my head.

We were silent for a while, just staring at one another, analyzing everything we could about our new enemy. Finally: "You're the second Dragonborn to visit me." I laughed once. Of course she was here. Both Empires without their leaders in the middle of the greatest war in a thousand years. "Yes, she seemed to anticipate your presence as well. I have not heard everything about why."

"Who says the gods do not have a sense of humor?" I inquired. Miraak laughed in agreement. "Surrender. I won't ask twice."

His laughter cut off and his posture changed. "To the point. A Dragonborn's Soul has intense power, you know this," he explained, his deep voice filled with fiery rage. "I am stuck here, in this... gods forsaken pit of..." He coughed and calmed himself. "I must escape if I am to lay claim to my birthright."

"The entire world, you mean," I finished. What was wrong with us all that we each elected to conquer the world, regardless of what we desired? I remembered Paarthurnax, then – the will to dominate was in our blood. "Then come and get me. It won't be easy, of course. I devoured the soul of the World Eater Alduin. I hold the power of Akatosh on my back. I am Harbinger and Archmage and Emperor of All Tamriel, Men and Mer and Beast alike. I am beyond you."

He scoffed and made an audible smirk. "No. You are a mortal. I am a Dragon. Mul Qah Diiv!" I recognized the first of those words – Dragon Armor, the shout I had learned in his own temple. "I am beyond you, Last of our Kind. Return to your Plane until you are worthwhile. Nahl Dal Vus." I blinked once and I was with Frea again.

So I was not even worthy of his time yet? I was nothing to him? "What happened? You seemed to... fade from the world!" Frea shouted, grabbing my shoulder and shaking me. The book in my hands slammed shut of its own accord, the cover's evil face glaring up at me.

"It is Miraak. The First Dragonborn and Servant of Hermaeus Mora," I confirmed with hollow voice. I pulled open my pack and haphazardly attempted to stuff the book into it – it was much too large, but it would stay. Given that he had just sent me away as if I were nothing more than a spoiled child, I had to admit that he was right: "He is beyond me... for now."

"Of course he is – he is Dragonborn," Frea assuaged. I cast her a look over my shoulder that told her everything she needed to know. "Y-you..." She set her jaw and nodded. "You should speak with my father, Storn Crag-Strider, in our village to the north. He leads our people, knows our histories even back to Miraak. If anyone knows how to even chances with him, it would be my father."

I hesitated. Dorthe would not like it if I decided to run even further from her watchful eye than I already had, and I wanted to warn her that Thera was here. No, no... Thera didn't know Dorthe, and she likely meant to keep a low profile while on Solstheim. We both did. Still, I had to get a message to Dorthe that I was heading further from her. I took my unique Emperor Dragon Bone dagger from my hip and oriented myself in my mind. I placed the tip north on the floor, then froze it with magic until Dorthe could find it. "I have always wanted to meet the Skaal," I finally agreed.