For a moment there was nothing. I just floated, weightless. Then my feet abruptly met solid ground. I opened my eyes.

The place I found myself standing in was like nothing I'd ever seen before. The dark sky shimmered in places with hazy rainbows of light, cut off just above the horizon by the tops of shadowy peaks. Despite the golden flames in the braziers that lit the path I stood on, everything I saw had a faint bluish-purple tinge. Tall stone statues depicting solemn hooded figures stood in a long row on either side of me. In the distance I thought I saw some kind of building. It was huge, far bigger than Dragonsreach. Maybe even bigger than the Imperial Palace. I saw faint lights in its windows. That had to be Sovngarde.

Between it and where I stood was a long valley filled with thick white mist. A set of winding stairs led down into it. From somewhere out there, I heard a dragon's echoing roar.

Alduin.

I hurried down the steps and into the mist. The moment that I passed into it, everything went strangely quiet. Even my footsteps were heavily muffled. A chill went down my spine and not just from the cold that seeped in from the overpowering cloud around me. There was something… wrong about the mist. Something evil. It was that cursed dragon's doing. What it was for, exactly, I wasn't sure yet, but it couldn't be good.

How long I wandered, lost in that fog, I wasn't sure. Everything looked the same. I couldn't see anything but the thick white mist that swirled around me. Then the outline of a figure appeared before me in the haze. A human figure. I hurried toward it.

He looked like a Stormcloak soldier. He was certainly dressed like one, garbed in a blue-trimmed uniform like the ones they wore. As I got closer, I saw that there was a faint glow about him. It was gold-colored and just barely visible, hanging around him in a thin halo. When he turned around to face me I saw that his eyes were dull with despair.

"Turn back, traveler," he told me, his voice mournful. Hearing the sound was like trying to listen from underwater. His words were faint and echoing. "Terror awaits within this mist. Many have braved the shadowed vale, but vain is all courage against the peril that guards the way."

"What is this?" I asked, gesturing to the fog around us. My voice sounded strange and foreign to my own ears.

He shook his head slowly. "I do not know, but none have passed through. Alduin, his hunger insatiable, hunts the lost souls snared within this shadowed valley. Can you lead the way to where Shor's hall waits, beckoning us on to welcome long sought?"

"I thought I saw it at the other end of the valley, but I don't know which way…"

I glanced around, but again saw nothing but the mist.

"I saw it fair when first I trod this long-sought path," he sighed. "The pain and fear vanished, dreamlike, and a vision beckoned. Shor's hall, shimmering across the clouded vale. But quenched was hope by the shrouding mist – my mind is darkened. I've lost the way and wander blindly."

Walking around in circles was going to get me nowhere.

"All right, forget this." Turning, I shouted, "Lok vah koor!"

A large patch of the mist that surrounded us dissipated, revealing a patch of grass studded with tiny, jewel-colored blossoms. I nodded to the spirit, and pointed off into the mist.

"Follow me," I told him.

"I'll try to hold to your hopeful purpose. Quickly, before this encompassing fog once more snares me in the World-Eater's net."

We ran as I Shouted a clear path through the mist for us to take. Soon I saw it through the dense vapor. Lights. Then the gigantic dark outline of the hall itself. We were almost there. I turned to look back over my shoulder.

The spirit of the Stormcloak had stopped some way back and was staring up in terror at something that I couldn't see. There was a deep, harsh chuckle and the mist closed in around the man. An instant later I heard a scream of fear and pain.

"No!" I shouted.

I started to run back toward him and quickly stopped myself. The mist was beginning to close in around me as well. If I went back, I'd just get lost in the mist again… or worse. Then it would all have been for nothing. Gritting my teeth, I ran toward the building.

The hall of Sovngarde floated, unsupported, over an empty abyss. The only way to reach it was to cross a bridge made of the skeleton of what looked suspiciously like a dragon. On either side of the bridge, rivers flowed over the edge, and the waterfalls they formed tumbled down into the endless nothingness below.

A man stood between me and the start of the bridge. His arms were crossed, as if he was waiting. The closer I got, the more I realized just how tall he was. He had to be at least twice my height. I stared up at him, suddenly feeling nervous.

"What brings you, wayfarer grim, to wander here in Sovngarde, souls-end, Shor's gift to honored dead?" He asked me in a booming voice.

"I've come in pursuit of Alduin, the World-Eater."

He nodded slowly. "A fateful errand. No few have chafed to face the Worm since first he set his soul-snare here at Sovngarde's threshold, but Shor restrained our wrathful onslaught – perhaps, deep-counselled, your doom he foresaw."

"Will you let me pass?"

"No shade are you, as usually here passes, but living, you dare the landed of the dead." He gazed down at me in a way that told me he was studying me. "By what right do you request entry?"

I took a deep breath. "By right of birth. I am Dragonborn."

"Ah! It's been too long since last I faced a doom-driven hero of the Dragon Blood. Living or dead, by decree of Shor, none may pass this perilous bridge 'til I judge them worthy by the warrior's test."

He drew a massive axe and my eyes widened. Oh gods.

I jumped to the side to avoid being cut in half by his swing. As he prepared for the next one, I dashed forward and slashed at his chest, which was bare. Despite the gashes that appeared, he didn't seem fazed. I dodged his next blow, but he managed to hit me with his third. The side of the axe's head slammed into my chest, knocking me to the ground. I gasped and fumbled for my sword as he stood over me.

"You fought well," he said, putting away his axe. The wounds in his chest instantly healed. "I find you worthy. It is long since one of the living has entered here. May Shor's favor follow you and your errand."

Wincing, I slowly got to my feet. Then I grabbed my sword and sheathed it before stepping onto the bridge. I kept my eyes forward, silently telling myself not to look down. It was difficult. There were gaps between the bones of the long dragon spine that made up the bridge. I just prayed that I didn't stumble. When I finally reached the other side, I let out a sigh of relief. Walking up to the massive carved front doors, I pulled one of them open and stepped inside.

The moment I stepped into Sovngarde's hall I was bombarded by sound. Laughter, music, and shouting all echoed off of the stone walls. Massive windows at the far wall looked out into the endless sky. The air was filled with the smell of roasting meat. Hundreds of people at least milled about in the chamber and I saw halls leading off on either side. Some talked in groups. I saw several sparring matches going at once. Many sat at the long tables down the center, eating, drinking, and laughing with one another. A man with elaborately carved armor and long blond hair approached me with a smile.

"Welcome, Dragonborn. I am Ysgramor," he said, reaching out to clasp forearms with me in a gesture of friendship. "Our door has stood empty since Alduin first set his soul-snare here. By Shor's command we sheathed our blades and ventured not the vale's dark mist, but three await your word to loose their fury upon the perilous foe. Gormlaith the Fearless, glad-hearted in battle; Hakon the Valiant, heavy-handed warrior; Felldir the Old, far-seeing and grim."

The three Nords I'd seen in the vision atop the Throat of the World. The ones who'd defeated Alduin the first time. I nodded.

"Come, I will take you to them," Ysgramor said, beckoning to me.

I followed him as he led me down through the assembled crowd. There were so many people around me. Centuries upon centuries worth of the honored dead.

Ysgramor turned sharply to cut around a small group of people dressed in armor denoting them as members of the Imperial Legion. I was about to follow when one of the legionnaires turned around. I froze. A sudden horrible, shaking, wrenching feeling tore at my heart. My head swam painfully.

He laughed at something and ran a hand through his long fiery hair. His bright blue eyes passed over me initially, but he must have seen the grief-stricken look on my face because those eyes soon focused back on me. Not many would walk into Sovngarde, hall of the honored dead and the ultimate reward for the Nordic people, looking like they were in ultimate pain.

"You all right, lass?" He asked me, quickly becoming concerned.

I shuddered when I heard him speak. His voice… it was just like I remembered.

When I finally managed to find my own, it came out in little more than a squeak as I asked, "Da?"

At first he was confused. Then a light suddenly seemed to turn on behind his eyes.

"Mara?"

"Da! Oh, gods, Da!"

I threw my arms around him and he hugged me tight. Shaking tears slid down my cheeks. A harsh edge creeping into my voice, I told him, "I found the smuggler that did this to you, Da. It took a while, but I found him and I gutted him."

"That's my girl. And look at you! My little warrior's gotten so big and strong," he said, pulling back to grin at me. Then his smile faltered. "But you're not… You're not dead. How did you get in here, lass?"

"I… I'm Dragonborn, Da."

He stared at me. Then he let out a long, low whistle. "Really? My little Mara, Dragonborn. Who'd have thought? Then you're the one who's going after Alduin?"

I nodded.

"There's nothing I can do you convince you not to go, is there?" When I shook my head, he sighed. "I thought not. Just, tell me first… is your mother all right? Is she still alive?"

"Yes, and she's safe."

"Good. Now stay strong, fight well, and may Talos guard you, lass. I'm so proud of the woman you've become," he said to me, kissing the top of my head.

"I love you, Da," I murmured.

He let me go and playfully pushed me away toward my destination with a hand on my back. I laughed and wiped away the tears that still clung to my face before slipping back through the crowd.

Ysgramor waited for me near the other end of the hall. Nearby him stood three familiar figures. Hakon, Felldir, and Gormlaith. All three of them were exactly as I remembered them in my vision. Upon catching sight of me, the woman grinned and drew her sword.

"At long last!" She cackled. "Alduin's doom is now ours to seal! Just speak the word and with high hearts we'll hasten forth to smite the worm wherever he lurks."

Felldir held up a hand in warning. "Hold, comrades. Let us take counsel before battle is blindly joined. Alduin's mist is more than a snare – its shadowy gloom is his shield and cloak. But with four Voices joined, our valor combined, we can blast the mist and bring him to battle."

"Felldir speaks wisdom," Hakon told me. "The World-Eater fears you, Dragonborn. We must drive away his mist, Shouting together, and then unsheathe our blades in desperate battle with our black-winged foe."

I nodded. "Let's not waste any more time, then."

The four of us ran for the door, the souls of the honored dead stepping aside to let us pass. As we did, Gormlaith crowed, "To battle, my friends! The fields will echo with the clamor of war, our wills undaunted!"

Once outside, we stopped on the other side of the bridge, facing the mist. The four of us stood in a line.

"Clear Skies! Combine our Shouts!" Gormlaith called.

Together, we Shouted at the fog. It cleared, revealing the full valley for the first time. I drew my bow.

From somewhere out there, I heard an echoing, rumbling voice. "Ven mul riik!"

The mist reappeared, white tendrils coiling over the grass. The cloud stopped just before us, where it had been before.

"Again!"

Again we Shouted and dispelled the mist, and again it returned.

"Does his strength have no end? Is our struggle in vain?" Hakon asked.

"Stand fast!" Gormlaith shouted down the line at him. She pointed out at the mist, which I suddenly noticed was thinner than before. "His strength is failing! Once more, and his might will be broken!"

Then Felldir's voice, just as loud, "His power crumbles! Do not pause for breath!"

One last time, the four of us shouted, "Lok vah koor!"

That time, when the mist dissipated it remained gone. With a furious roar, I saw a black shape in the distance leap into the sky. His massive wings spread wide to catch the air. It was the moment of truth: Alduin was coming.

"The endless wait gives way to battle," Gormlaith murmured to my right as she stepped into a fighting stance. "Alduin's doom, his death or ours."

I nocked an arrow, watching as the dragon soared down toward us. He roared and the sky suddenly darkened. Fire began to rain down all around us. I dodged the fireballs as they crashed to the ground.

He was too high up and too fast for me to even try to shoot him. Waiting until he was overhead, I Shouted, "Joor zah frul!"

Alduin crashed to earth and I staggered. Hakon caught my arm to steady me.

"Hold fast, now."

I straightened to see that Felldir and Gormlaith had quickly managed to back Alduin against a rocky hill. The dragon snapped at them with his massive jaws and spewed fire at them. They dodged his attacks and managed to throw in some of their own with their blades. They'd never defeat him like that. My gaze snapped up onto the rocks above him and my eyes narrowed.

"Keep him distracted," I said.

Hakon grinned and hefted his axe. "With pleasure."

As he hurried off to join the other two, I raced around the hill, staying carefully out of sight. I climbed up the rocks, making for the top of the hill, while below I heard the sounds of their weapons clashing loudly against his scales and Shouts from both sides as the Tongues fought the ancient dragon.

Clambering up onto the hill's peak, I looked down at the fight below me. The dragon reared up onto his back legs. His pitch-black wings flapped menacingly and the force of the wind they caused sent the three Nords stumbling back.

"Pahlok joorre!" He snarled at them. "Hin kah fen kos bonaar!"

I took a deep breath.

"Divines preserve me," I whispered.

I took a running leap from the rocks and landed on Alduin's head. Before he could manage to shake me off, I loosed an arrow right into one of his eyes. When he threw back his head, I fell, landing hard on the ground. Shaking my head to clear it, I scrambled out of the way.

His scales started to glow fiery red at the edges and he let out an agonized roar.

"Zu'u unslaad! Zu'u nis oblaan!"

With a thunderous tearing sound, his flesh and scales tore from his bones. Soon not even his skeleton was left when it quickly dissolved in black smoke. There was an explosion of light that knocked me off my feet.

Then everything was still.

Wincing and rubbing the back of my head, I looked up. The lights had appeared in the sky again and the fire was gone. All around me the valley was pristine, as if no fight had happened there at all.

As I got shakily to my feet, the bridge-keeper walked over to stand before me.

"This was a mighty deed! The doom of Alduin encompassed at last, and cleansed is Sovngarde of his evil snare. They will sing of this battle in Shor's hall forever, but your fate lies elsewhere. When you have completed your count of days, I will welcome you again, with glad friendship, and bid you join the blessed feasting."

I hesitated at that.

"Would it be possible," I said slowly, "to give my place to another? A woman named Juliana Fides?"

He studied me for a moment. Then a sparkle appeared in his eyes, as if he suddenly understood my plan. "I believe that may be arranged."

I smiled a little. After they were parted for so long, I'd make sure my parents were together again. They deserved so much for all the pain that they went through.

"When you are ready to rejoin the living, just bid me so and I will send you back," he said.

"I'm ready."

He nodded solemnly. "Return now to Nirn, with this rich boon from Shor, my Lord: a Shout to bring a hero from Sovngarde in your hour of need. Hun kaal zoor."

I repeated the words back to him.

"Very good."

Some of the souls of the honored dead had streamed out of the doors of the hall and stood in a large crowd on the other side of the bridge, cheering loudly. I caught a quick glimpse of Da among them. On my side of the abyss, the three Tongues were cheering as well.

"All hail the Dragonborn! Hail her with great praise!" They cried.

I'd heard a Dragonborn hailed like that once before. That it was me this time… it felt strange to say the least.

"Naal daal vus!"

The air started to shimmer and distort around me. Everything suddenly became brighter, taking on a gold-ish tint.

"Mara!"

I looked around. In the distance, I thought I saw someone running toward me. He was still too far away to make out his face. Still, that voice… It sounded so familiar…

Then the world around me spun and I was gone.