AN: Hey! Glad this one didn't take four months, huh?

Anyways, Dragonborn and Miraak are probably my least favorite story line out of all them, even if I do like them. It just feels like the main story all over again but with way too much involvement from Hermaeus Mora for my liking. I thought the best part was the return to Solstheim, honestly. Anyways, I hope you don't mind that the fight with the man underestimating the Jokaar only lasts one chapter. He's no Alduin and definitely no Lamae from this story. Even Harkon had weirder powers in his fight as a Vampire Lord. No, the big climax isn't the fight with Miraak, but it's the best fight Thera's had in a while. The next one, maybe two, chapters are where big things happen.

To DGW3321: Thanks, I'm glad you think so highly of this story! On the number of faves, I'm honestly just glad that anyone reads it and likes it like I do.

Jul

Lucius

Dorthe stood silently nearby as I began to set up the ritual I would use to tear a hole in the veil separating Mundus and Aetherius, letting me enter Apocrypha. My way out would be more difficult; hopefully, I could use whatever portal was meant to allow the Thalmor bitch to escape back to Tamriel to wreak her havoc. If that was not an option, at the very least I would lock us both in Apocrypha. Better I never be graced by the sight of the woman I loved than let that monster destroy her. I had made a promise to come home, but I was prepared to break it to save her. I had lived my life, it was our son's turn. But, should I even fail in that, I could take recourse in the fact that the Bow would be gone after this ritual, destroyed and consigned to Aetherius. Thera would fail and, eventually, a Dragonborn would be chosen to destroy her, just as we had been chosen to end Miraak. That, or Miraak would escape and another would be forced to eradicate him in our stead. I told myself that many times to try and feel better about the possibility of losing to Miraak or my counterpart.

"What is it you want to say?" I asked Dorthe somberly. I placed the Black Book at the base of the All-Maker stone, the front cover outward so I could see the cursed face that Hermaeus Mora had placed on its visage. I grabbed the bow and reached up as far as I could, reaching the top of the stone only because of my almost Atmoran height. Auri-El's bow looped around the top of the stone and I brought it down until it could no longer move easily downward, the unbreakable string and unbendable body of the bow stiff against stone. I took a break and glanced towards the woman. "If you wish to say it before I leave?"

"I don't like this. Any of it," she explained sullenly. "You're traveling to Oblivion – alone – to fight two Dragonborn and a Daedric Prince – alone."

"Delphine has really done a number on you, Dorthe," I replied with a dry laugh. I shrugged. "I got by just fine all by myself for years before I reformed the blades."

"You say that, but you've had someone watching your back almost all that time. Me, Serana, Jordis... Lydia." Dorthe shook her head at me.

I sighed. She wasn't wrong, sadly. "Well this is our only option, Dorthe," I said simply. I picked up the vial of Serana's blood. "I'd love nothing more than to leave it to fate and hope they both get locked in Apocrypha forever. But if I do that and the survivor escapes, they could use the Shout to take more than half of the continent. Enslave everyone they want to."

"I'm not saying don't go, Emperor. I'm just saying... you've been reckless, especially in recent years. Like you thought you had nothing to come back to." Dorthe crossed her arms and glanced over at the Skaal village. "You should know that, regardless of whether you had it before, you definitely do now."

I smiled softly and wrapped my arms around the young woman. "Hadvar was like a brother to me, Dorthe, so you're already family. Why do you think I made you my personal bodyguard?" I straightened up and ruffled the woman's hair. "Now, go keep the rest of our family safe."

Dorthe shook her head and laughed. "Yes, Em – Luc." She bowed slightly. Then: "Luc, she left her father because he was willing to do anything for power. I know you did this for family, so I think even the Skaal could forgive you eventually. But make sure doing anything for the power to protect her doesn't turn into doing anything simply for power." Then she turned and ran towards the sleeping village.

I watched her go for a while, pondering her words. I knew it would never come to that, but it was nice to know she cared. She really was like family to me after knowing her family for so long. Soon she became like an ant on that other hill once more. She was with them, keeping them safe. Which meant that it was time for me to become very unsafe. I turned back to the Stone and the ritual I had created around it. "I hope that this works," I muttered, praying to the Nine under my breath. Then I untopped the flask of my wife's blood and dripped a third on the Stone, a third on the Book, and a third on the Bow. I tossed the flask away and raised a ball of magicka in my hand, a pure extension of will burning like a star, and I shoved it forward. For a moment, the energy filled up the All-Maker's Stone and launched light towards the sky. Soon, the world exploded in a bright ball of energy that consumed my vision until, finally, it all went black.

Fahiil

Thera

I stood at the edge of the platform, a Word Wall standing tall behind me and an empty, endless ocean of black ink stretching before me. The Wall had contained the word to strengthen the Dragon Aspect shout that had been locked away in Miraak's so-called 'Tomb.' I was briefly surprised by the wall's appearance in the realm of Apocrypha given Mora's proclivity for storing knowledge on the page, but that disappeared when I focused instead on trying to find my way to the First Dragonborn. The ocean was a cruel creature, as likely to attack me for looking at it as touching it, so a swim was out of the question. My Vampire Lord form would be of little help, either. It's flight capabilities were good for temporary floating, the thin wings more for show than actual flight. I supposed that I could use the secret weapon I held in my pocket, but I would rather not. It would be a waste of a good tactical surprise.

It appeared, however, that I was wasting my efforts by thinking this through. Miraak had sent his pet Dragon to come for me. I was unsure if the appearance of this Dragon was meant as attack or as passage, and I did not care. I gathered breath in my lungs and gazed upon the Dragon's form intently. "Gol-Hah-Dov!" The world turned yellow around me as the energy poured out from my lungs and engulfed the serpentine dragon completely. The beast shrieked in surprise far above before turning on its wing and angling down towards me. I stepped back around the wall and stood at the edge of a large, circular platform. The Dragon landed heavily, sending wind, stone, and dirt flying from the center. I did not bother to blink, as nothing that hit me would deal any lasting or meaningful damage. What was done had already healed by the time the Dragon turned its maw of massive teeth on me. I wondered briefly if Mora had lied to me about the Shout, if he had decided to kill me for a laugh.

Finally, the Dragon's head bent downward in the closest approximation of a bow that the monster could manage. "Hail, Thuri." His eyes returned to mine and begged for direction. I smiled – this Shout was quite the useful tool if it made a dragon this amenable. I knew it would do little to my Jokaar since he knew at least part of the Shout as well, but that was a problem as temporary as his life.

"Take me to Miraak," I demanded quickly.

The Dragon cocked its head to the side. "Do you have a way to defeat him, then?"

My mood soured. "I did not ask for your questions, Dragon," I hissed. "I told you to take me to Miraak."

The Dragon turned its head to the side indignantly. "Of course, Thuri," it said nonetheless. It bowed again and lowered its chest to the floor to allow me a perch upon its back. I pulled myself up and sat at the base of the serpentine Dragon's neck. He still waited until I cleared my throat. It seemed Dragons remained unfortunately willful even under control of the Shout's power. Unfortunate. Perhaps I would have to make deals with Mora for ways to increase the power of Shouts. On the other hand, there were no creatures with wills as strong as a Dragon's.

Zuspein

The flight took little time, and soon the serpentine dragon was circling another platform at the center of the black ocean. Two more of the monster's kind were perched upon the stone, staring up at me. Miraak stood between them, golden-bronze mask locked upon us. An idea formed in my mind. "Dragon, dive straight towards Miraak."

"Why?"

Ah, that pesky will of a Dragon. I fed my Vampiric control into the creature and whispered the Words of Power once more. I could feel the Dragon's mind slip away into nothingness The Dragon's wings tipped down and the Dragon was on a collision course with the tiny figure on the platform. "Relonikiv. Kruziikrel. Stop them."

I pulled one sword from my belt as the other two dragons flapped their wings and slowly took to the skies. "Hm... You served your purpose, Dragon." I slammed the tip of the blade down intot he skull of the dragon, easily carving through the creature's flesh and bone with the single blow. The Dragon shrieked in pain for a moment as its brain was mangled and the magick of its soul began to channel into me. I pushed myself up on the back of the Dragon until I stood on its decaying flesh. This would be a... flashy move to pull off. Anyone else would fail. The two dragons shot towards me at full speed, eyes glinting with murder. I sheathed my sword and pulled out a more disposable blade – still a Glass blade, nothing but the best even if it is for a one use weapon – and aimed carefully at the Dragon to my left. I wasn't sure which name it owned, but I cared very little. I threw the blade and it soared true, blade piercing the eye of the beast in a throw that even I found beautiful. The skeleton of the second beast was soon on a collision course with that of the Dragon I stood atop.

Now came the more difficult part.

I tensed my legs and leaped from the skeleton of the serpentine Dragon and right towards the single surviving dragon. Its mouth opened wide and I could already see the words of Flame rumbling in its throat, orange and bright. I was quicker off the draw, however. "Gol-Hah-Dov!" I shouted and yellow energy slammed into the Dragon. Unfortunately, the force of my Shout had thrown me off course more than I had expected. I was swirling through the air, head and heels swapping location every few seconds while my body tumbled towards death. If I fell too far, I would use what I had to save myself... but there was no need. The last surviving Dragon arced beneath me and flew upward, letting me hold on its spines and pull myself into a sitting position at the base of its neck.

"Dive towards Miraak," I commanded once more. The dragon shrieked and its wings angled us downward just like its predecessor's had.

"She can't be that damn insane..." Miraak muttered, eyes locked on the plummeting, roaring harbinger of death and the Dragon upon which I sat. He didn't believe I would actually do this, launching myself at him like a ballista arrow made of tooth, claw, and Magick. It slowly dawned on him that I, in fact, was that driven. He took a deep breath in. "Zii-Los-Dii-Du!"

I knew immediately that something was wrong when the dragon below me went limp, its wings bending back as they went slack and the skin began to fly from its ancient bones. Well, at least it saved me the effort of murdering the dragon, even if now I was plummeting out of control. Well, it was part of the plan anyways so there was no point in panicking. I pushed myself up atop this Dragon as I had the last. It was time to see if Mora had actually known anything about the Skeleton Key I held in my pocket. I reached in and grabbed it, the world disappearing around me.

I found myself staring at an explosion of dirt and stone that erupted from the center of the platform and shook everything around me. "I – ugh – have to admit that was far more of a fight than I expected from you," a voice stated angrily from within the cloud of dust and stone. The Dragon bones, which had formed a haphazard pile of death and ruin at center of the crater, began to stir. Finally, one of the longer bones was shoved to the side followed by a cracked half of the skull. Miraak forced himself out. His mask was cracked, some of the tentacles shorn off by the force, and his cloak was covered in bone dust and torn every few inches. His left shoulder hung low and I saw a stain of dark liquid running down it. "You are far more of a threat than I had expected from a woman or an elf."

"Tch..." I shook my head and smirked. "Cute."

Miraak forced himself to stand up straighter and he drew a black, oozing sword from his hip. "You're much faster than I had expected."

"And you are much more durable than I had expected," I replied with a shrug. I pulled one sword from my hip. "I wonder how we can test your limits."

He snarled behind his mask. "Or you can die! Zii-Los-Dii-Du!"

The Key in my pocket burned with power and I was no longer where the shout was heading. I appeared on the other side of Miraak and watched as the words, whose only force was that on the Soul of a Dragon, pass harmlessly through an arch overlooking the ink ocean. Then I charged him before he could think. "WULD!" I screamed, moving like a storm wind to stand behind him, glass blade raised over my head.

Miraak turned faster than I had expected he would be able and his black sword whipped around to crash into mine. A tentacle of Magick sprouted from the weapon and lashed out at my face, forcing me to duck beneath the reaching grasp. I sidestepped and brought my sword down on top of his, and the two blades slammed into the ground. I raised one foot, leveraging my speed against the jerk of his weapon upward, and slammed my heel into his chest. Miraak stumbled backwards, his sword slipping momentarily from his hand, while I lowered my foot and bent down to grab his blade in my off hand.

"Zii-Los-Dii-Du!" Miraak shouted again, still off balance when the words tore from his throat. The Key's power surrounded me again and I was beside him. Miraak jumped backwards, a purple and black sphere in his fist. Moments later, an ethereal blade appeared in his hand. Its tip arced at my throat, forcing me to bend backwards slightly to avoid it. I turned with my movement and spun around, lashing out with my blade and then with Miraak's own. He blocked the first blow easily, glass and energy crashing against each other with the noise of clashing steel. The tentacle that shot out from Miraak's sword was another story, looping around the summoned sword and wrapping around Miraak's throat. I yanked hard as the tentacle began to retreat into the blade once more and Miraak flew across the stone platform. He slammed into one archway with a loud 'crunch' that told me both stone and bone had broken from the impact.

I walked slowly over to the other Dragonborn, leveling my blade at his throat as I did. "The First Dragonborn, is that what they say you are?" I asked. I crouched beside his prone body. "Clearly the Divines saw the need for improvements on their design."

Miraak looked up, one of his blue Nordic eyes gleaming with amusement and rage. "I had always thought you were never a match for him. I see now Sahrotaar was right to think of me as a fool."

"You let me walk in here, you underestimated me. A very... human mistake," I said simply. I sheathed my blade on my right hip and then his on my lift. "I overestimated you, however. Disappointing." I lifted the other Dragonborn with both of my hands and stared into his eyes. "I have always wondered what our blood tastes like, Dovahkiin." Then I brought him down to me and tore his throat out with my fangs.

Jul – Vod

Lucius

The black became slowly brighter, the world turning into a grotesque library of demonic flesh with green smog for sky and the ever seeing eye of Hermaeus Mora exchanged for the sun. The huge eye, surrounded by a writhing mass of tentacles, swiveled towards me and narrowed. From all around, even from within me, I could hear the voice. "It would seem you are more well read than I had believed, Ashcroft."

I laughed dryly. "Ashcroft... I haven't heard my real last name in almost... a decade." I shook my head. "Knowing my name is a poor excuse for not knowing I would get here."

"I was unaware the blood of a Daughter of Coldharbour could function as an anchor for that ritual. You surprised me. Impressed me, even." Mora's eye widened and turned away from me; the world shuddered. "I could use this entire plane of existence to crush you. Wrap you in a ball of otherworldly energy and suffocate you in pure Daedric magick. Perhaps turn your skin inside out and feed you to the Lurkers, have your soul dissected and studied by my Seekers."

The eye returned to me. "But as I said, you impressed me. You gave me knowledge of something I had only suspected. For this I give you free rein. Perhaps you can even arrive to kill the victor of that little battle. I wait with... bated breath, as you mortals say." The eye turned its gaze far to the... well, I supposed I would call it my east. I was surprised, to say the least, but I was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

I felt bad for summoning Durnehviir from Nirn, where he would likely still be engaging in a flight of freedom, and into this twisted excuse for open air. Still, it was necessary and I hoped that he would understand. So I said his name.

Purple energy erupted before me, swirling around as a Dragon was pulled through the veil between Planes. "No! Qahnaarin, why?" Durnehviir asked, arching his head up to the sky and roaring in rage and discomfort. "This place makes my very soul itch!"

I sighed and walked up to the Dragon, placing my hand on his flesh without any discomfort from his dripping flesh. "I apologize, Durnehviir. After this, I will summon you in the skies of Cyrodiil to soar as long as you wish. To see The Imperial City, the volcano of Morrowind, or the swamps of Argonia. Whatever you wish for, you shall have it. I swear that, if I can give it, you will have it."

Durnehviir considered this and shook his head. "I would see Akavir, if I could. Our birthplace is so long forgotten, now."

I smiled. "I will head as far east as I can and let you fly to the continent. As long as you tell me what it's like over there now."

"Of course, Qahnaarin," he said with a toothy grin. He bowed down and allowed me onto his back. "Let us fly as one, Lucius."

Zuspein

I saw the platform at the center of the ocean a few minutes after Durnehviir did. The stone was shattered by a Dragon's skeleton that had cracked as well from the collision. Two other skeletons drifted lazily in the ink oceans. "Miraak's power was always of interest to the Ideal Masters, Qahnaarin. Much as yours."

"Well, it was..."

Durnehviir looked up at me then followed my hand to where I pointed. "Ah..." he said as he saw what I had seen. Thera was holding Miraak above her, her jaw locked on his neck to give her easy access to devour his blood. There was no portal yet, only the bitch."I shall land. The Ideal Masters pull me back and Mora pushes me away. You will be alone."

"Then I thank you for getting me this far," I said before he dipped his wings and landed atop the Dragon bones. They shattered beneath the force of the landing and Durnehviir was torn away before I had a chance to dismount. I fell, forcing my feet beneath me and landing heavy on my feet. An old pain from a wound on my leg – where an ice spike spell had torn a chunk of flesh from my thigh – ran up my spine and I winced. Dammit, when did I start getting old?

"Mmm... it's like fire and cinnamon!" I looked up at Thera, who quickly dropped Miraak at her feet. His flesh slowly disintegrated, the fire of the magick burning away his mask and robes until nothing but a skeleton remained. Thera turned towards me, drawing an enchanted Glass blade from her left hip and a twisted relic of Mora from her right. "I could use another taste."

I drew Dragonbane from my hip and readied a flame spell in my left hand. "It seems he was the smallest of the threats we've faced."

"He was meaningless. A Man. We've both killed innumerable Men. We kill Dragons and gods. He overestimated his power and underestimated mine. I would guess he even underestimated yours," she said, though it looked as if she had to spit the admission out. Her grip on her swords redoubled. "He had lazed away in this realm, become less with every century without conflict. But us? We wage war."

"And every war eventually ends, doesn't it?" I pointed out. Dragonbane in my hand surged with hunger for the Dragon Soul in the Thalmor that stood before me.

She shrugged. "Just like your life." Then the bitch dashed forward, blades crossed in front of her. I snarled and launched my open palm forward, white hot flames trailing from my fingers.