Chapter 7

Mikael stood silently in a room where there were two people pacing. He was still waiting for at least one person to speak, the only sounds had been Hadvar when he announced himself.

He could feel Argis nearby, at ready. The man had made his life easier, always staying near and protecting him, yet allowing him to fight also.

"Argis, what's going on?" Mikael whispered.

"Hadvar and the other two are on the other side of the room talking," Argis answered, watching the others guards in the room.

"Hopefully we can leave soon," Mikael muttered.

"We can leave now, Hadvar can find us when he is finished," Argis suggested.

"No, he said there was something important he wanted to do for me," Mikael grumbled tiredly.

"Do for you?" Argis murmured, turning his attention to the two arguing imperial soldiers on the other side of the room. One looked to be the general and the other was Hadvar. There was a lot of hand motions, but barely any sound came to him, though Mikael probably heard more if he was actually listening.

Argis glanced back to Mikael to find him pacing the hall. He thought about stopping the blind nord, but thought better than it. He remembered the old stories of the dragonborn how they had the soul and blood of a dragon. He remembered an old saying about dragons that saying is what made him hesitate – you can never keep a dragon still.

"What the in oblivion is taking him so long?" Mikael hissed as he continued his pacing. He was feeling antsy, not able to stand still any longer. He wanted out of this building and into the fresh air. This was a first for him, never before had he had a problem staying indoors.

"What are they talking about?" Argis asked to distract the dragonborn.

Mikael stopped and strained his hearing, but the argument was jumbled not really making any sense to him. If he had been paying attention from the beginning it might have made more sense.

"I will not!" the general snarled.

"With his connections…."

"Hadvar, you have your orders!" the General's voice whipped out with the warning.

"Yes sir," Hadvar answered meekly.

"I don't know, it makes no sense," Mikael answered, then continued his pacing.

Argis kept his silence, and watched his Thane. He glanced back at Hadvar and noticed that he was walking in a different direction. "Mikael, Hadvar is leaving," Argis said.

"Then we can leave," Mikael sighed in relief and started forward.

Argis moved quickly placing a hand on Mikael's shoulder to redirect him only to find he was too late. He winced slightly when Mikael's face impacted with the corner of the wall.

"And Hadvar wanted us to get you to join? You can't see and would be a hindrance to this war. You shouldn't have high expectation as Hadvar does for you. You belong behind walls where you can harm none and no harm will be fall you," The General sneered before walking away.

Argis scowled darkly at the man's departing back. "Good, I wasn't planning on joining anyways," Mikael stated loudly. "Who would want to join those that are leashed by the Thalmor? I do not wish the Thalmor to rule more than they do and joining you is a sure bet that will happen."

Argis' eyes widened as he saw the General's back stiffen, his hands clench in fists. Argis knew the General couldn't do anything, Mikael never said he was joining Ulfric, but the threat was there. Until Mikael said he was joining Ulfric the generals hands were tied. He could see that Mikael knew this, the small victorious smile on his face said as much.

"Let's get out of here Argis, before General Tullius decides he needs to change the laws to suit his owns needs once more. We wouldn't want to put an innocent man at his disposal, he tends to send them to the block for his amusement," Mikael stated loudly and chuckled when he heard Tulluis' hiss of anger.

~ooooooooooooooooooooo~

"What is the plan my Thane?" Argis asked as he cooked some food for them. Mikael was leaning back against a log, his face turned up to the sky. He seemed deep in thought, or listening intently to something, but it didn't matter they needed a plan, one that didn't include them staying at this camp for months with nothing to do.

"First we eat, then in the morning I haven't got a clue," Mikael answered tiredly.

"What of the Greybeards?" Argis asked softly, leery about even bring this subject up. Mikael wouldn't even admit he was the dragonborn, but he had witnessed Mikael taking a soul not long ago.

"Argis, I told you once and this is the last time it will be brought up. I AM NOT THE DRAGONBORN!" Mikael voice vibrated with power that even he could feel. He winced, still not wanting to admit he was this damned dragonborn.

"If you say so," Argis murmured with amusement.

"I do!" Mikael said calmly, a smirk coming to his face now that someone was finally agreeing with him.

"It's not like a blind person could be a dragonborn, the gods would never make one so weak, so I can understand why you wouldn't want to be the dragonborn. It's obvious that you don't want to slur the good name of Talos," Argis said with an evil grin as he watched many emotions pass over Mikael's face.

Mikael fell silent, many emotion filling him. One emotion wanted to shout the man to bit, another hated that he was right. Then there was that damnable voice that he heard rarely now. He tried to ignore it, he didn't want to listen.

"Are you weak as the man suggests?" the voice asked smoothly.

"No!"

"Really? Could have fooled me. You are like no dragon I have met. You may be called dragonborn, but you will never be strong enough or worthy enough to be dovahkiin," contempt filled the voice.

"Silence!" Mikael yelled in his mind. "I am not weak!"

"Really? Prove it," the voice taunted.

"And how would I prove it to you? It should be obvious since I killed you," Mikael mocked grinning.

"You would think and yet you've done nothing, you kept yourself weak," the voice murmured.

Mikael sighed, it was hard to argue with that logic, "What is your suggestion dragon?"

"You were called, answer that call," the voice answered.

"Mikael?" Argis murmured, he wasn't sure what just happened, but it seemed as if Mikael just had a conversation with himself. He would say the man was no right in the head, but that didn't seem right.

"Yes Argis?" Mikael answered, deep in thought.

"My Thane, who were speaking to?" Argis asked uncertainly. He sat there nervously, unsure what to expect or how he felt about protecting an insane man.

"The very first soul I took, sometimes I can hear it speaking to me," Mikael answered slowly, unsure how better to explain it or why it was happening.

Argis stared, his mouth agape, not sure what to say, or if what his Thane said was true. It didn't seem like the man was lying, but still. A dragons' soul speaking to him? It seemed farfetched. "What does he say to you?"

"Now? He told me I am weak, not worthy to be called dovahkiin," Mikael muttered.

Argis eyes widened, not sure how to take this news. He watched Mikael carefully. Did he believe that a dragon soul was speaking to him? Admittedly, yes he did. Mikael didn't act like a person who wasn't right in the head. "What are you going to do? Can't kill that dragon a second time," Argis murmured.

"It looks like I will be seeing the Greybeards, after that, who knows," Mikael sighed tiredly.

"What are your plans for the Imperials?" Argis asked carefully, unsure if he really wanted to know.

"Actually I am thinking of joining Ulfric. After Helgen… after seeing what General Tullius is capable of just for his sense of justice, he ready and willing to put me to the block until he found out who I was. It took a signed paper by the emporer, one that he hadn't even paid attention to until I brought it up. I can't and won't fight for a man like that," Mikael answered softly.

"Doesn't Jarl Balgruuf support the Imperials?" Argis asked.

"So?" Mikael grumbled, his anger starting to rise once more.

"If you side with Ulfric, the chances are high that Balgruuf will no longer be Jarl, and killed," Argis told him softly.

Mikael exhaled softly, he didn't want Balgruuf dead, but it wouldn't bother him at all if his brother lost his seat as Jarl. It still angered him that Balgruuf believed the lie. He was still angry with his brother for treating him like an invalid and their mother.

He wasn't stupid enough to say that he could talk Ulfric out of killing Balgruuf, that would be a lie. Shit, now he didn't know what to do. He wanted his brother to pay for his lies, but he didn't want him dead.

"Shit…." Mikael whispered, shaking his head as his frustrated raised.

"That about sums it up, so what are you going to do?" Argis asked.

"I don't know! Is that what you want to hear!?" Mikael shouted, he could feel the echoing of something more powerful in his own voice. Something large rose in his, feeding on that anger, enjoying it and he didn't need to be told what it was. His dragon soul was waking, or making itself known. Pretty soon everyone would know who and what he was, that annoyed him. It annoyed him that he wouldn't be able to hide who he was.

Argis fell silent as many emotions passed across Mikael's face. He glanced around, giving the man time to compose himself once more. He didn't understand how he became the voice of reason, but it seemed that is what he must be for his Thane.