So... just a quick couple of things. I made Zeus a little less ornery than he was written here. After all, he's less stressed out in the peak of his reign, I would think.

Also still a little more world building before the meat and bones, and this is a half-finished chapter from its original author who never finished it so I tweaked it a bit(LOT), but it's probably not perfect.

Still, I'm happy, and the reason this is up in three days was because it was already half-finished. I'm not actually this fast.

Peace.


It was the day of the Summer Solstice, a day for much celebration among the Greek people. Celebrations and games filled the streets as shouts of joy and laughter filled the air (and money filled the pockets of stores and street vendors!). The longest day of the year was to be the greatest and most long-remembered of them all, and even as the Gods and Goddesses convened in their great halls on Mount Olympus they couldn't help but smile at the little mortals as their jubilation and shouts of praise reached their ears and hearts. On the Summer Solstice their godly powers were strongest, and as such the entire world was a little bit safer from monsters and other evils.

As the gods arrived by their own preferred methods – Zeus always arriving first by a flash of lightning, Hephaestus by way of a magical fiery portal from his workshop, Apollo by his sun chariot, etc. – they bade each other good tidings, and kept a smile on their face at all times.

They couldn't risk anyone seeing the concern that was on their minds.

One by one, the Olympian Council trickled in, meeting and greeting each of their family members in their own way before slowly adjourning to their respective thrones. As Zeus made his way to his, everyone stood out of respect until the sky god sat down.

"Let us all be seated." Rumbled the god, and everyone sat and listened to the king of the gods.

"My fellow Olympians, I bid you all good tidings on this warm day of the Summer Solstice. Today has been a joyous occasion for Mankind, and their praises can be felt by all present I should think, no?" A few nods of affirmation rippled throughout the council, and Zeus continued, "And yet, there is a great shift of power that we all have sensed as of late. A very old and powerful force, yet unlike that of any of the more ancient beings that ruled before us: the Titans, and even the Protogenoi."

"And let us not forget the sightings of new forms of monsters sprouting up everywhere!" yelled out Ares, the god of war. Athena dipped her head in assent.

"Indeed, brother. Great beasts with the structure of men have been spotted hiding in the dark corners of caves and sprinting at great speeds through forests. At first glance they might seem like a new form of monster, yet they have no evidence of Typhon's essence residing within them. They are far more dangerous than any Hellhound, and incredibly hard to kill."

Hades snorted at that, and shifted in his uncomfortable bench that had been provided for him.

"As much as I would desire call that statement preposterous, I cannot refute it. These… half-man, half-beast creatures… are incredibly powerful and seem to be growing in their numbers, albeit slowly. Every other week it seems as if a new variant springs from its lair, first it was the wolves, then bears, even my own damned Hellhounds!" Small whispers rippled throughout the council at Hades' conclusion and revelation, causing Zeus to tap his Master Bolt against the ground lightly, causing a small rumble to fill the hall.

"Silence." The council acquiesced, dipping their heads in apology.

"Now," continued the god of the skies, "we do not know if this is some ploy to attack us, or if it is simply a new god that has arisen in his own time. Regardless, we must keep our heads about us along with a level head. We will not fight this new power un—"

Zeus immediately ceased his instruction he realized there was an individual standing before them near the brazier at the center. He was obviously a minor god of some sort, if the stag skull that adorned his features was any indication along with a small amount of godly power.

"Is there some reason you have deigned to interrupt this council?" grated out Zeus to the newcomer, as the other gods suddenly realized he was there as well.

"You're right, you will not fight this new power," the god spoke with a soothing hiss. "That is, not if you want what you crave most as of now…"

The stranger suddenly grew in great height and power matching the large forms of the Olympians, while revealing a great and decorated spear that materialized in his hand, a ring depicting the caricature of a feral wolf on his left index finger, and a leather cuirass of which held the face of some sort of great beast. Scars that looked like they came from both blade and claw littered his body, causing most in the room to immediately ready their weapons in response. The items held by the being radiated his power, and the skull which adorned his head became more grandiose with the antlers spreading out in beautiful and intrinsic design.

His power changed in a heartbeat, its feeling becoming cold, unyielding, and familiar all at the same time. It was obvious that he was no god, yet rather something much more ancient and terrifying.

When the transformation was complete, the being in front of them was a foot taller than Zeus, who had risen from his throne in preparedness, and radiated his strange power like the very sun that Apollo raised every morning.

The being took a step forwards, causing the gods to ready themselves and their magical weapons in response. The being simply laughed out loud, causing the gods present to shudder at the sound.

He looked at the gods, simply staring at them through the skull's empty sockets before continuing, "Information, is it not? Now if you would, kindly allow me to enlighten your perspectives."


"These beasts are YOUR doing?!" roared an irate king of the gods, "Explain yourself, trespasser!"

"Abate your aggression awhile Lord Zeus, and you will know why." Was the calm response. Zeus was livid, but indeed refrained from taking aim at the being in front of them.

"I thank you for your patience. My name is Hircine, and I am a Daedric Prince from the plane of Oblivion on Nirn." At the confused faces of the council, Hircine elaborated: "It should be understood that I am not from this plane of existence. Rather, from the aid of another, I flung myself to the universes in order to find a suitable world for my charge. Unfortunately, I can do nothing for the Were-beasts as they are an unfortunate side-effect of my presence here, but Lycanthropy is a great and powerful gift to any mortal. The realm of men here could greatly benefit from it."

"The beasts are of mankind? It would explain their states of existence," questioned Athena. Hircine simply nodded towards her.

"And who is this charge of yours? The one who was capable of your arrival?" inquired Artemis. Hircine smiled towards her.

"Ahh, the one who presides over the Hunt in this realm. I bid you a fond welcome, one Hunter to another." Artemis did nothing to hide her distaste of the man who spoke to her. He may have been a god – or Daedric Prince, as he referred to himself – but by no means did she crave any sort of civility with him.

"Why the hostility? I simply greet you as a peer, and acknowledge your reign over our shared sphere of the Great Hunt."

Like a coiled spring, those present gasped at the revealed information almost nearly in unison.

"You protect the Hunt? But you… you are…!"

"A man?" provided Hircine. Artemis simmered, almost growling at the Daedra. "Oh, yes… I know all about your seething embitterment towards all things mortally male." She was stopped from getting out of her throne in rage by Demeter, who laid a hand upon her relative and shook her head at her actions, warning her against starting an altercation.

Hircine continued, "Oh, don't give me that scowl, I do not wish to attack your pre-conceived notion that I am simply a man, but I'll do so anyway for the sake of knowledge. Know this, goddess: Daedra have no gender. What is seen of me is simply how I wish to appear to anyone who sees my physical form." This tidbit of information caused the gods to whisper amongst themselves slightly, before Zeus tapped his Bolt on the floor of the Council building, ceasing the hushed conversations. Aphrodite spoke up:

"So you mean to say that you have no true gender?" Hircine nodded at the question. "Interesting. You would be an interesting being to… uncover…"

"Aphrodite!" Hera furiously shushed the goddess of love and sexual relations, while many of the other gods simply shook their heads in embarrassment. Hircine simply laughed outright, his helmet made of stag skull amplifying the laugh.

"HA, ha, ha, ha! You would not be the first to wonder, my dear. There have been many who desire physical relations with a Daedra simply because of the strange and esoteric nature of our true being. I take no offence. But as for my counterpart," Hircine gazed towards Artemis. Suddenly the Daedric Prince's form shimmered and shifted, becoming slightly shorter and well-endowed. The skull on the Daedra's head became smaller, turning into a mask of sorts that only covered the being's eyes with small antlers that rose about upwards about an inch.

The Olympians looked on in fascination and rapt attention, watching as the once male figure in front of them was slowly turned into a ruggedly beautiful female. Long, raven black hair flowed down the back of her leather cuirass, which had been altered to fit the female form more acceptably, and scars that covered her previous form had not left, still haphazardly placed all over her body.

All Olympians gathered watched as the now-female Daedra twirled around for added effect, laughing quietly as she did.

"Is this a more appropriate form for you, Goddess?" The being's voice had drastically changed as well, becoming softer and more musical, as if she could sing a lullaby at any moment. Artemis was shocked, unable to comprehend what she had just witnessed.

"Very well then, I'll take your silence as affirmation. But this is beside the point of which I come to you with." Hircine stabbed her spear upwards, then swiped downwards to her side. A black portal emerged from where she pointed, and once the void dispersed there remained a suspended woman with ash-grey skin, pointed ears, slanted eyes, and a leather cuirass not unlike the Daedra's own, curled up in a fetal position.

"This is Queen Barenziah Taeylis of the Dunmer race. She is currently a fugitive of the Empire of Cyrodiil and its ruler, and is the indisposed royalty of her homeland of Morrowind. As for why," The Daedra looked to the side in thought, before shrugging her shoulders in a mortal-like fashion, "well I'm sure that's her story to tell, should she wish to tell it." With a flick of her wrist, the… Dunmer, as Hircine had called her, softly uncurled from her stasis and landed softly onto the marble ground of the Council floor. Hircine shimmered back to his male form (much to the disappointment – and chagrin – of a few choice males in the room as well as Artemis), and shrunk down to the size of the woman before placing a ball of inky-black oblivion in front of her eyes, causing her to awaken.

"My… my lord Hircine…? Where… do we…" Barenziah's eyes fluttered open, and she attempted to gaze upon her surroundings with tired eyes.

"Peace, little Hunted. We are far from comfort, displaced, on a differentiating plane of existence entirely. Gaze upon who would allow us here, fear them not."

The gods present each raised an eyebrow at the pretty way of speech that the Daedra used. Suddenly he spoke with an antiquated tongue, eloquence and respect heard clearly in each of the words used.

"Many blessings and thanks to you, o Aedra." Barenziah, now caught sight of the gods in front of her, prostrated herself before them with her face horizontal to the ground. She dared not look upon the beings in front of her. "May the blessings of Lorkhan and Kyne flow through you." Hircine chuckled slightly.

"They are not of the Aedra, little one. They are offspring of the Primordial powers of this world, though this does not mean that you shan't discontinue. Call them as they are: gods."

The surrounding gods were pleasantly surprised at the reverence radiating from the prostrated woman in front of them. A mortal from a different walk of life and heritage was bowed in front of them in complete acclaim, not even daring to look them in the eye. Zeus sat a little straighter in his throne, and spoke a little softer than normal.

"Rise, little mortal. It comes to our attention from this present god—eh, Daedric Prince… that you are a fugitive of an Empire. Is this Empire of your land?" Barenziah remained where she was, almost as if she was incapable of doing so out of pure shock and awe.

"Nay, o gods. I hail from the land of Morrowind, my sires being the late king and queen of Mournhold. As they were lain into the ground, I took up their kingdom as their only surviving offspring and became Queen. I was taken from—"

"Hold a moment, little one." Hera interrupted softly. Barenziah immediately ceased her flow of words, terrified of offending the deities in front of her. The Queen of the Gods smiled, and spoke again, with a gentle, almost motherly tone.

"You need not remain where you bow, little one. You may rise and gaze upon us in discussion, as you have shown your reverence for us tenfold with much respect."

Hera could see that the woman in front of them was absolutely terrified to be in the presence of the gods. Most mortals would be in complete awe or shock, but instead she dared not look upon them in fear of their power. Indeed Hera was most pleased with the display, as was most gathered, but the goddess of marriage and motherhood couldn't help but call out for the girl's ease.

"I don't know," Apollo huffed jokingly, "I was enjoying the praise rolling off her. It was immensely more powerful than that coming from anyone below." Hera gave a short-tempered glare towards the sun god, who held up his hands in surrender with a smile.

"Steady on, mother dearest! It was simply a compliment for the little Queen."

"Perhaps you should hold your tongue, nephew. Your mother doesn't look like she is in the mood for your jocularity at the moment." Poseidon spoke up with a very small (almost imperceptible) smile on his lips.

As the Council died down, they returned their sights to the woman remained in her previous form on the floor, yet this time with her head raised slightly as to gaze upon the forms of the Olympians.

She was awestruck.

From childbirth till now, Barenziah had been taught of deities. Yet they were divine… untouchable and unseen. All this she knew, and even still seated before her were some of the most powerful figures of this world, almost the same nature as the Aedra of Tamriel, if Hircine's words were of any indication. They sat in a half-circle around a dais on the floor, made of a strange mix of what looked and felt like stone and metal combined. The entire hall radiated with power coming from the… gods… in front of her, a different type coming from each being.

The most powerful of them all was the one seated in the center, with a stern and overpowering force stemming from him, like that of a swirling wind that could crush someone with little effort. The smell of a fresh lightning strike surrounded him, and his throne seemed to embody this, as the back of it was an intricate design of a lightning bolt striking upwards into the sky. Although his very aura was empowering, he looked at her with a gentle face and looked steadily at her as if to gauge her.

To his right there sat a man with hair as dark as ebony metal, a stark contrast to the being next to him. He held a large three-headed spear that was colored blue, and would occasionally ripple as if water traveled down the length of it. A soft smile was on his face, reassuring and almost jovial.

At the master god's left a woman with the kindest and most motherly face stared back at her. She was dressed in fine jewelry, and her throne was that of some strange bird's plumage arranged in an arc.

A rather disfigured god fiddling with what looked like a small Dwemer machine.

A most beautiful goddess who seemed to constantly switch her face, each more beautiful than the last.

A god whose countenance was as bright as the sun.

A goddess on a throne made of vegetation, the majority of it wheat.

A somewhat grouchy looking god with small skulls adorning his fingers, hands, and wrists like twisted jewelry.

There were more gods and goddesses to the right and left, but Barenziah didn't dare be caught staring more than she already was. Slowly rising to her feet, she timidly looked the lord of the gods in the eye and began her tale.

"I-I was of royalty in my homeland, and it was either through fate or some cruel circumstance that I was brought – stolen, almost – to the great Empire of Cyrodiil. The Emperor, Tiber Septim, desired me after watching me from afar, and requested my presence in his chambers. As I entered, he asked that I lay with him, and in return he would ensure my people's prosperity and return to glory." Barenziah paused for a moment, as if she were remembering everything in her head with vivid detail. Realizing her hold, she began again with a softer voice.

"Septim's promises were something of both the most wondrous dream and most horrendous night terror. On one side of the coin, I was to lay with a committed and the most powerful and dangerous man in the known world… yet on the other if I did so then his word would bind him to my people's aid.

After a terrible disputation within my mind, I decided to lay with the Emperor and spend my night with him."

The gods in the room, even Ares, were listening intently to the story being told, not even slightly moving lest they disrupt the woman by accident. Though even as all eyes were locked on the young Queen, none's gaze was more intense than the moon goddess's, who was latching onto every word and shift in tone.

Barenziah continued: "Even as the deed was done, he repeatedly requested my presence during the nights as they led, assuring me that his spouse knew nothing of the altercations between us and expressing his hunger for… intimacy. I initially refused, but he grew hostile and spoke that he would rescind his agreement to assist my people. As I couldn't place my people in such a precarious situation, I accepted the following nights.

"Eventually my physician and close friend discovered that I had conceived, which meant my future child could be a threat to Septim's legacy, as his own wife was with child as well. Shiriah attempted to help me escape, but was killed in Septim's rage by a Shout. With the previous aid, I was able to escape the capital city and flee into the surrounding clearing where I would happen upon a shrine to Hircine, the Daedric Prince of the Hunt and Father of Were-beasts."

"So these creatures are a part of your very sphere… interesting," Athena muttered whilst looking towards Hircine, still in his shrunken size alongside Barenziah. Hircine gave a slight smile.

"I would offer my apologies, but the gift of the Hunt is a powerful one. When those gifted learn to become one with their beast, they will become true masters of the hunt. My sphere is hence a collected one you see, and I am able to strengthen it as I am able."

"But what if those afflicted learn that they do not want their… gift?" The goddess of the Hearth, Hestia, spoke up from her throne comprised of bronze-gold flame.

"Those gifted with Lycanthropy have never chosen their past life over their new one. Their newfound power is something they may not understand at first, but will come to treasure in time." Hircine nodded while he spoke, leaning against his spear and appearing carefree.

"I believe we are getting slightly off-track, here." Hermes spoke out, occasionally shifting his attention to the twin snakes that seemed to be conversing amongst themselves. "Your Majesty, you were saying something about happening upon… Hircine's shrine?" Barenziah nodded towards the messenger god.

"Indeed my lord. It was then that lord Hircine created a pact with me so that my unborn child and I would be spirited to a safe haven, somewhere that – for the time being – Septim would not be capable of finding. There, my offspring would be safe and his power would remain uncorrupted from anyone sinister to attempt to twist it."

"Power?" Ares sat up in his throne at that, showing the slightest amount of interest in the current conversation at the information.

"Indeed; Septim was a being of great magical potential, and coupled with his being a Dovakiin," Hircine's good natured grin was gone, replaced by a serious, grim façade. "Well, suffice to say that his illegitimate heir would obtain his incredible power and abilities." Ares leaned in, intent on knowing what type of power the Daedra spoke of.

"What type of power? And what is the title you used… Dovakiin? What does this mean?" Hircine grinned, obviously very pleased that he would be able to explain.

"Why, my dear God of War… simply put? Septim's very essence – his soul in its entirety – was Draconic."

Zeus sat forward in his chair, for once unable to comprehend what the Daedra had just described.

"It means… that he was Dragonborn."


Thanks to N1CkHast, and Dastardly Destructive Detour for favoriting this. And thanks to ANON Rabato for leaving that nice review. It actually does mean a lot. This is my first fic on this site, and you gave it a chance. That's all I ever hoped for.

Peace my dudes.