The legend of Storms Wrath had spread across Tamriel like wild fire. Of how I stood against a vast army of the Aldmeri Dominion, Dragons tearing into there soldiers with reckless abandon, and of how I survived I lightning strike... of course that's the official story, that I was present for, and I was at the center of that battle. Most of what I've heard from among the common folk. Is that I charged naked into there lines and drove the entire army off by myself with my bare hands. With the only aid being Talos himself. Not sure why people would believe such absurdity... but that's how legends and story's often work.
They get exaggerated in the retelling, often excising entire details. And ultimately telling a completely different story then the one one thinks one is telling.
But I am rambling. I was in the city of Whiterun... and saw an old figure of the city. Heimskr. A priest of Talos, who stood about on the stairway up to Dragons Reach ranting about the Empire and the Thalmor... while not wrong in anyway. He would just speak the same speech over and over again... rather like the absurd number of guards in Skyrim with knee injuries. It's crazy.
However, instead of ranting on and on about the majesty of Talos with few if any acknowledging his rambling. There was a crowed... that seemed eager to hear him.
"Sons and daughters of Tamreil! Hear me! For too long has the Thalmor lorded themselves over us! First they brought great and terrible war upon the Empire, all but reducing the Imperial City to rubble! Then they had the GALL to demand that mighty Talos be removed from the Divines! BLASPHEMY!... but those are but the sins they committed in daylight for all to see! In shadows, they murder, they demean there own subjects. And worse of all... they used one of my own countrymen. Ulfric Stormcloak as a pawn in there malevolent schemes! YES! It was they who manipulated the war that saw so many Nords, spill each others blood, all in the name of Empire and Talos. All to weaken the Empire so that the second time they went to war, they would stand triumphant over the corpses of Men! Perhaps in time to lay others low. We're it not for the valor, and courage of the Dragonborn. We might not have ever known of there darkest secrets! Nay! We might never have known that there ambitions were to undo, ALL OF NIRN! ALL OF CREATION! My friends!... I stand before you today, not only as a preacher for Talos Stormcrown! But as the Voice of the Dragonborn, and his command is simple. RISE... rise up against the Thalmor! Rise up against the Dominion! Gather up your arms, be they knives, blades, hammers, staves! Bring every weapon that you can muster! For he calls all who can fight against this... vile parody of justice. The Dragons of old have already been mustered under his banner, if that is not the favor of Akatosh and Talos made manifest. Then I care not what might be! TO WAR! A WAR THAT SHALL NOT END, TILL THE TOWERS OF THE HIGH ELVES LIE IN SMOLDERING RUBBLE! AND THE EMPIRE IS REBORN! FOR THE NINE! FOR THE DRAGONBORN! FOR THE COALITION!"
And the crowd thundered there cheers. "Heimskr!" I called from far back, the crowd parted for me to pass, I walked through to speak with the priest. "My Emperor... it is an honor." Heimskr said. "Still up to your old habits I see?" I said. "Your predecessor on the Ruby Throne was weak. A whelp unworthy of the Empire that Talos forged! I can assure you your majesty. You are not him." Heimskr said. "That depends, you speaking for Storm's Wrath the battle? Or Storm's Wrath the tall tale that get stranger everytime I hear it? I swear the last time I heard the Dragons weren't even there!" I said.
"I have heard only what Talos himself has showed me. The rumors of the masses only hold so much interest to me." Heimskr said. "And what exactly is it you do now?" I asked. "I have sworn to carry your message to all of Tamriel. So that all may know the sacrilege the Thalmor have committed. And that you... you are bringing the Empire back from the brink." Heimskr said. "And tell me, what else has Talos shown you?" I asked. "He showed me... that while I was not wrong in my hatred for the Thalmor. That I should not blame all Elves for the sins of the Dominion." Heimskr said shamefully. "I can't say I would have blamed you... but the Wood Elves want to be free from the Thalmor, same as everyone else. And the Dark Elves make there homeland to the east anyway." I said.
"I was young then... when our land was drowning in the blood our brothers. Talos shammed me for my blind prejudices. But now, if you ask it of me. I will happily die with Mer's as my shield-kin on the battlefield." Heimskr said. "One thing at a time, but I didn't come all the way north just to jaw on with an old priest." I said. "I know... you came to jaw on with old kings and there kin! I do not mean to eat up more of your time. Go... go with Talos's blessing, so say's Heimskr the Humbled." Heimskr said as I went up the steps to Dragons Reach.
I should probably explain properly what I'm doing back in Dragons Reach? To put it simply, I've called for the free leaders of Tamriel to meet here. To discus our first moves against the Dominion. The Coalition, as it is known. For so far none of them have bent the knee to my rule, to my Empire... it is of no concern for now. The politics are largely unimportant. The only thing really worth noting was the An-Xileel was complaining about having to give occupied territories in Morrowind back to the Dark Elves. As well as Thalmor attempts to subvert High Rock and Hammerfell.
But what matters to me at least... is that I got a dance with Princes Elorl of Hammerfell. I must be honest... I was nervous about wearing 'formal' cloths altogether. But Elorl put my fears at ease... what? A demigod can have weird insecurities. We danced through the night, to the music of some of the finest Bards of Skyrim. Latter on, we made our way to Dragon Reach's balcony. Where we managed to get a moment alone. It was a cloudless night, and the stars glistened like diamonds. But I was more focused on the sapphires that Elorl was blessed to have for eyes.
"So tell me, Emperor Fange... who were you? Before Helgen's desolation?" Elorl asked. "That... is a life I have not thought about for many years... many long years. All I can say, is that I was not born to noble blood. To farmers, a loving family. But where they are now?... I do not know. Perhaps they still live, perhaps they are among the Divines august company or amidst the halls of Sovengarde. I do not know for certain. I have only thought of them a few times since I left them... saving the world from Alduin, and by extent the Thalmor tends to leave ones focused on that and very little else." I said.
"Aye, rebuilding an Empire from scraps. Marshaling anything, everyone and everything that can serve against the Thalmor. Courting a Princess of Hammerfell?" Elorl said. "Yes- wait? What was that last thing?" I asked, caught off guard by her last question. "Calm yourself Fange. I take no offense... though your smell does leave something to be desired. But it is a small thing." Elorl said, obviously her wit and tongue were as sharp as I assume her curved swords. "I honestly never noticed any kind of offensive smell." I said. "You may attend to your hygiene another time Emperor. For now... we're all alone. A strapping Emperor, and a princess." Elorl said, and then she kissed me.
It was a long passionate thing... and I must be honest. While I am more then certain of a mutual attraction between us. Could she love me, for who I really am? More then just the Emperor of a restored Empire. But as Dragonborn... as a low-born peasant, even with the soul of a Dragon?
Fortunately... or unfortunately. That love would soon have an opportunity to proven in earnest. "Fange! We've got a problem down stairs!" Serene said as she burst into the balcony. "What?!" I said in surprise as I drew my lips away from Elorl. "I'll give you one guess kid." Serene said as she presented a severed arm... one covered in Glass armor. "Thalmor..." Elorl and I said with contempt. "Exactly, there in the city. Durnehviir and his undead, the Companions AND the city guard are keeping them at bay. But a number Thalmor have slipped into Dragons Reach... looking for your head." Serene said as I hastily donned my armor, Elorl tore off her dress to reveal her own Alik'r armor beneath. "Were you wearing that all night?" I asked.
"What? One never know's when a party will turn violent." Elorl said. "I was only asking... also, could you teach me to do that at some point?" I asked. "Gladly, but first we have some egotistical Elves to deal with." Elorl said as we made our way downstairs. "THALMOR!" I shouted, outraged at the number of bodies strung across the floor. "It is MY head you want. Face me! Or as you as cowardly as they say? I've slain rabbits with more courage then you witless assassins! Or are you so terrified of a mercenary turned Emperor. That your willing to die in droves in the vain attempt that you might just SCRATCH my armor? What does slaughtering passers by do to end the greatest threat to an Elven dominated Tamriel, since St. Aleesia herself? Face me! FACE ME! OBLIVION AWAITS YOU FILTH!" I bellowed with Winters-Bite drawn.
The Thalmor were slaughtered like lambs... only one came even close to getting the drop on me. But Princess Elorl stabbed him in the back. "No this as you die in vain assassin. You, and everyone you dragged here will die. There meat fed to the wolves. And soon... sooner then we had planned. Alinor will burn with my vengeance. And where once great cities stood as the envy of the world. All that will remain shall be ruin, and the echos of Dragons roars." I said to the assassin as she choked on her blood. It did my heart good to see that Balgruuf was not among the dead when I was done... but those that had fallen. Been murdered to get to me! There will be no mercy shown!
"Make safe the city!" I said as I charged through the main gates of Dragons Reach. Joining in the defense alongside the Dragon Durnehviir, his undead minions. As well as the Companions, and the City Guard. "Dragonborn! You do us honor tonight! One of the Companions, Vilkas said. Wielding the dreaded ax of Ysgramor, Wuuthrad. "I do not fight for honor alone old friend... I fight because these damned Thalmor leave no other choice!" I said as I stormed into the melee.
The last thing those Thalmor heard was my shouts as the fell like trees to a woodsman's ax. Then... I was caught off guard as Elorl cried out in pain... a Thalmor got a lucky strike with his blade, and cut one of her eyes. It filled me with rage I had not felt since I had to intimidate the Moot just to agree on a candidate.
So I waded through the High Elves like water. Cutting them down. I don't remember much after that point... just a burning anger...
By morning, I was in a bed, covered in bandages for my wounds. "And here I was, expecting you to die during that beserker rage. You never cease to surprise me." Serene said. "What happened... is Whiterun still standing?" I asked. "Yep, you killed pretty much every High Elf that wanted your head. But you were full of arrows when we found you. And gash wounds... point is you were a mess when we found you lying face down in blood. Don't worry I cleaned up the mess myself." Serene said. "And... what of Elorl?" I asked. "Doing better then you. Her only serious wound was her eye, not sure how. But Inviiktuz healed it up. She's right over there asleep." Serene said, pointing to Elorl's bed. "I see... are her wounds fatal?" I asked. "No, just lost an eye. Which I just said Inviiktuz healed up." Serene said. "Then marshal our armies." I said grimly.
"So we're finally getting this war underway?" Serena asked. "Yes... the Thalmor will know. That they are not facing old men bereft of the guidance of Talos's bloodline. But an Empire, reforged and recast through the fire and blood of Dragons! That we will avenge every dishonor and disgrace they have thrust against the races of Men, and Mer, and Beast! And soon... Alinor will know the clamor and chaos of war. Winter is coming for the Aldmeri Dominion... a winter over two centuries in the making. Now go, Serene. Let our allies know that I call for the armies of Tamriel to march against the hated Thalmor and there pet Dominion. And gather every creature of darkness you've bound to your will since Hrothgar." I said. Serene left without another word.
I stood up... well tried to stand up from the bed. My wounds hadn't fully healed yet... which raises the question as to why Inviiktuz didn't heal me. "Elorl! ELORL!" I said as I crawled to her bed. "Wha?... your majesty. You shouldn't you be mending from your own wounds?" Elorl said half awake. "I know. But I must ask of you... do you truly love me?" I asked. "What?... how could you question it?" Elorl asked. "I soul may be kin to the Divines... but I am still a Man. With every silly insecurity that entails." I asked. "Fange... you have pulled together Tamriel as even Talos himself hadn't done. For the first time since the closing days of the 3rd era, there is an Emperor of Dragonsblood, even if you are not of Talos's line. On the Ruby Throne." Elorl said.
"But that does answer my question... do you love me?... would you have my side as Empress of Tamriel?" I asked, fearing that she might say no. "Yes... I would. I would love you as any wife would love her husband. And I will join you as Empress over Tamriel, and help you rule over this land." She said. "And if I were not Emperor... not Dragonborn... would your answer still be yes?" I asked. "Your courage inspires all Fange. I would." She said. "Then... my fears were for not... could you help me back to my bed?" I asked.