Disclaimer: I DO NOT own the iconic gaming franchise The Elder Scrolls by Bethesda Game Studios nor am in any way associated with them or their affiliates other than through the purchasing of their various products.

Author's Note: I'm feeling invigorated as I'm starting up chapter five to my slowly growing Gio Dragonsbane series, but we'll see how long that lasts as it is currently three in the morning here and I'm expecting this one to be a long one. Also I am announcing that Gio Dragonsbane may be broke down into three or more separate Fics do to how long it is bound to turn out; I guess we'll just wait and see. I mean, it's not like there's a limit, am I right? No, seriously, am I?

Chapter 5: Wings of Despair

The interior of Whiterun was an impressive sight. The dirt road gave way to a street paved with cobblestone, and people walked up and down the road without a care in the world. Right at the entrance there was a forge, and before I knew what I was doing I was being drawn towards it.

"Excuse me," I said to a woman who was laboring over a breastplate on a table, "but where is the master of this forge? I'd like to make an order."

"You're talkin' to 'er," the woman said, hardly looking up.

"Oh, excuse me. What is your name?"

"Adrianne Avenicci, but most folks just call me the Warmaiden." She stood up from the workbench, wiping her hands off on a rag. "So, what can I fix you with?"

"Something light, but sturdy," I said vaguely.

"Light but sturdy? So, do you hide or leather or fur or…?"

"Steel or iron would be preferable."

"Light armor made of steel?" she scoffed. "What do I look like to you, an elf?"

"No, not at all," I assured her. She was clearly Imperial. "If that's too much to ask, I could use a pair of new blades, unless you could improve on these."

I unbelted my ancient Nord swords, laying them out on the table. The smith drew one of them, inspecting the tarnished metal.

"It could be easy enough," she said, "but I got a better deal. I'll give you some lessons in smithing and then you can use materials to make your own armor and weapons whenever you want."

"It won't take long, will it?"

"It'll take all of an hour at most, depending on how much raw talent you have. Here, take this ore over to the smelter."

She handed me a chunk of rock with silvery metal webbing through it. Somehow, I sensed that it was iron.

The Warmaiden didn't give me any further instruction, but a natural instinct drove me as I placed the ore within the smelter. The red flames within quickly melted it, and I poured the liquid iron into a mold. After a few long minutes, it cooled off and was now a refined ingot.

"Good work," Adrianne complimented me as I showed her my finished my product. "Now take this deer hide over to the tanning rack and make some leather out of it. Then, slice it up into some strips."

I did as I was told, and in another few minutes, I was being complimented once more for my work.

"Not bad; you seem to have a real knack for this." She nodded to the forge fire. "Now, melt down that ingot you made and shape it into a dagger. Use the leather strips you made to shape a handle for it."

This part took much more work than I'd expected. Like at the smelter, I had to melt the iron down and cool it, but at the same time that it cooled I had to hammer and fold it into shape. At first I thought I was doing it wrong as this process took much more time, but eventually I came up with a rather charming knife.

"Impressive," Arianne said, scrutinizing the dagger. "But even the finest Dwemer smiths couldn't forge a blade that was born already sharp. Take this to the grindstone and polish and sharpen it up a little."

The grinding was the easiest part of all, and though it took time, I soon had a hairsplitting blade.

"The finest dagger I've ever seen from a beginner." She handed me some leather and strips. "Now, craft this into a leather helmet. It'll be easier if you use heat from the forge fire to make the leather more malleable, but don't go igniting it on me."

Shaping the leather into armor required more finesse than pounding out iron into a weapon, but after a little bit of work, I came up with a finished product.

"Of course your work isn't finished here," the smith said. "Now, reinforce it with some more leather at the workbench."

Like at the grindstone, it took several minutes to shape the leather together into a sturdier form, but it was easy enough.

"You have the mark of a master," Adrianne said at last. "I can't believe how well you did."

"Is that all then?" I asked her.

"No. Now you need to pay for all this tutoring I gave you."

"Hey, you didn't say—"

"Now, now, I just want you to run a little errand for me," she said. "You see, my father is Proventus Avenicci, steward of Jarl Balgruuf in Dragonsreach. I've been trying for a long time now to impress the Jarl, and I think I've come up with a weapon to earn his attention. But with this civil war going on and all these bandits and now the gossip of dragon attacks in Skyrim, he's been in a rather poor mood lately. My father knows the Jarl better than most, so he'll know when it'll be the right time to give it to him. Can you deliver this great sword to him for me?"

She produced a steel great sword from under the workbench, its blade wrapped in cloth. Carefully, she handed it to me, and I accepted it with equal care. I could almost feel the power of the weapon through the cloth.

"With grace and dignity," I assured the Warmaiden with a nod. I slid the great sword into my bag, which I'd discovered to be quite depthless, though I could still feel the weight of what was contained within it.

"Thank you," she said. "I'll take up that request of yours as well. The Battle-Born are running me ragged, but I like the challenge you've proposed to me."

"Then I should be thanking you," I told her. I nodded towards my swords, still resting on the workbench. "Think you could pretty those up for me too while you're at it? I'd do it myself but I need to speak to Jarl Balgruuf immediately."

"Of course," she said. "For you, I'll put them at the top of my priority list. Of course, you'll still need to pay all of this."

"Money is no issue," I assured her. Last I counted, I had more than 2,000 gold accumulated.

I departed, following the Imperial woman's directions to Dragonsreach. I ended up stopping in the square just ahead though, listening in on a woman who was shouting furiously at a man who was using nothing but honeyed words and seductive prods, but she was having none of it.

"Just go away, Mikael," she growled, "before I call the guards."

"Okay, okay," the man said. "Have it your way. I'll be in the Bannered Mare if you need anything."

The Nord man, clearly a bard, sauntered away and into a building not far from the stall where he and the woman had been arguing.

"Was that man giving you trouble?" I asked the woman, who was still looking flustered.

"Like you wouldn't believe," she said. "He's a bard who plays at the Bannered Mare just over there. A real lady's man, or so he thinks. Every day is like this. He comes by my stall and throws a bunch of flirts my way then goes back over to the inn and brags about how he's going to 'conquer me just as any true Nord conquers any mountain.' Bah, he's disgusting."

"If you'd like," I offered, "I could speak to him."

"Go ahead and try, but I doubt anything will get through that thick skull of his."

Ignoring my more urgent mission at hand, I entered the inn that Mikael had gone into. Inside there was a fire pit in the center of a large room, a bar set off to one side with a woman who I assumed was the innkeeper standing behind it, passing out drinks to patrons.

"Oh, hello," she greeted me. "Do you need something?"

"I'm fine," I insisted. "Just looking for someone."

She looked suspiciously at me but said nothing. Standing one side of the fire I saw Mikael, singing a song and playing on some sort of lute for the patrons.

"Mikael," I said to him.

"Do you need something?" he asked me, still strumming his instrument. "I'm kind of in the middle of a performance.

"You need to leave that woman at the vegetable stall alone," I told him.

He finished his song before putting down his lute and turning to face me.

"Oh, you mean Carlotta Valentia? Yes, she's quite the feisty widow. But she's mine, pal. She just doesn't know it yet."

"Come on, leave her alone," I persuaded. "There must be plenty of other beautiful women out there."

Mikael grinned. "What's this? Is my foreign friend jealous? I'm sorry, but she's already spoken for."

"Fine," I growled. "You leave Carlotta alone, or I'll make you."

"What you want to fight?" Mikael challenged. "Fine, it's a fight you're going to get. No swords, no sorcery. Just a one-on-one brawl."

He kicked some chairs aside, and the gathered patrons instantly went into an uproar as they realized what was happening. The woman behind the bar tried to calm everyone, but they wouldn't listen.

Mikael made the first swing, but I easily dodged the clumsy blow, along with the second. His third punch connected, but he hit me right in my iron platemail, and he pulled his hand back, shaking it from pain.

I stuck next, landing blows in his kidneys, chest, and head. The Nord bard struggled to keep up, but he just had no expertise in brawling. In finality, I gave him a solid uppercut, and he fell over backwards.

"Okay, okay!" he stuttered. "Y-you win. I'll leave Carlotta alone. Just don't hit me again."

"You've got yourself a deal," I said. Without another word, I left the bar to report to Carlotta.

"I can't believe you did it," she said after I confirmed to her that Mikael wouldn't be bothering with her anymore. "Here I thought that he was the unconquerable mountain. Well, you sure showed the both of us. My name is Carlotta. What's yours?"

"Gio."

"Gio," she repeated, almost tasting the word in her mouth. "What a handsome name, however foreign. Well, Gio, I owe you my gratitude. Here, it isn't much, but I hope it's enough for the trouble."

She handed me a coin purse filled with a hundred coins.

"This really isn't necessary," I assured her, trying to give the coins back. "Somebody needed to put him in his place eventually."

"Well, if you won't take it as a reward, then take it as a bribe to come see me and my daughter again," she said, folding my fingers around the purse.

I stared at her a moment before finally nodding my head. Without another word, I continued toward Dragonsreach, hoping that no more distractions would present themselves. None did, and after climbing several flights of stairs, I was standing on a wooden bridge decorated with arching beams similar to the ones that were at Bleak Falls Barrow only on a much smaller scale.

"Hold," a guard commanded, and we went through the same routine as I did with the guard outside before he let me inside the keep.

Somehow, the building seemed larger on the inside than it seemed from the outside. The entire front hall was open space, with two long tables down either side with a large hearth fire blazing brightly in the center of the room. At the end of the hall was a man sitting lazily on a throne, listening uninterestedly to a soldier giving a report of some kind.

I started forward, but was stopped at the hearth fire by an elf woman with dark skin. If I remembered what Faendal had taught me about the different races of Skyrim, she was a Dunmer, or dark elf.

"What is your business with Jarl Balgruuf?" she challenged me, her hand on the sword strapped to her hip. Her accent was thick, though not quite in the same way as the Nord.

"I have a message from Helgen," I said dryly, the routine getting old. Almost fortunately, she broke the same old pattern.

"It'll have to wait," she said. "The Jarl hasn't the time for petty requests from the Imperials to join their cause. He's quite busy handling our own problems, foreigner."

"This is urgent," I told her. "A dragon has burned Helgen to the ground, and is making its way towards Whiterun as we speak."

"Gods I hope you're joking," the Dunmer said, but at last she surrendered and escorted me towards the man on the throne.

We approached, keeping silent until he finished with the Whiterun soldier. They seemed to be discussing how to handle bandits that had been raiding the farms outside Whiterun.

"What can I do for you, foreigner," the Nord man asked me.

"My name is Gio Dragonsbane, and I bring dire news from Helgen, Jarl Balgruuf," I said. "A black dragon attacked the village, burning it to the ground. And I fear it may be headed for Whiterun."

"A dragon? You are certain of this?"

"Yes. I had a clear view of it as the Imperials were trying to take my head."

Balgruuf grunted. "I'll not ask about your criminal past, but this is dire news indeed."

"May I speak, my Jarl?" the dark elf pleaded. "If what he says is true and the dragon is headed for Whiterun, this will mean that Riverwood will be caught in its wake. I'd recommend we send reinforcement troops at once."

"The Imperial Legion wouldn't like it for sure," the Jarl said thoughtfully. "They might take it as a threat. But at this point, I don't care what the Legion thinks. My people are in danger. We'll send a large detachment of the guard here it Whiterun to Riverwood, should the dragon attack."

"Sir, don't absurd," a man said, stepping forward from the shadow of the throne. "What proof do we have of this alleged dragon attack other than the word of some runaway prisoner? I mean, dragons are things of fairytales."

"Peace, Proventus," Balgruuf said. "I have a feeling we can trust our foreign friend here. But Gio, I would have you speak with Farengar Secret-Fire, my court wizard. He studies histories of dragons, and may want to hear of this. Come with me."

The Jarl stood up from his throne, seeming relieved to be able to get up and move. He started for a room off to one side of the hall, but I walked over to the man Proventus first.

"Are you Proventus Avenicci, steward of Jarl Balgruuf?" I asked him.

"Why do you ask, foreigner?"

"I have something for you from your daughter, Adrianne."

I produced the bound great sword from my satchel, handing it carefully to the Imperial man.

"Ah, so this is the sword she's been talking so much about," he mused. "Yes, I know what her purpose is. She's such a shy thing, unaware of her own talent. Eoruld Gray-Mane is the best smiths in Whiterun, but she rivals even him. I'll be sure to put this in the hands of the Jarl when the time is right. Here, take this."

He started to pull a coin purse from his pocket, but I shook my head.

"I'm doing this in exchange for lessons in smithing. Your daughter has already paid me in full."

"Take it anyway, foreigner. You have done my daughter a great favor."

I accepted the coin purse, and though I knew it would probably seem rude, I counted out the gold within. I found two hundred and fifty pieces. I nodded my thanks to the man, who suddenly seemed less hardened toward me, before finally entering the room Balgruuf had walked into.

Inside, there was a man in mage's robes bent over a table behind a desk, his back turned towards us. Whatever he was doing, he was doing it intently.

"Farengar," Balgruuf said, and the man spun around.

"What is it Jarl Balgruuf?" the man asked in a monotone voice.

"This man here brings ill-tidings from Helgen. There was a dragon attack, and he is the only apparent survivor."

I only survived because I ran, I thought, memories of the children that I'd seen at Helgen surfacing. Had they somehow escaped the village? Or where they—?

"A dragon attack?" the man said, almost sounding excited. He turned to me. "Please, you must explain in detail."

"A dragon came and ravaged the village," I said. "Once everything was reduced to rubble, it left. What more is there to tell?"

"Perhaps we could hold off on this for now, Farengar," Balgruuf suggested. "Gio will be your assistant for any necessary tasks however that may require you to go out in the field."

"I understand, Jarl Balgruuf," the wizard said. After a brief farewell, the man returned to his throne and left me with Farengar.

"So what do you need me to do?" I asked.

"I need you to retrieve an artifact known as the Dragonstone from Bleak Falls Barrow," he said. "You can find the ruins not far from Riverwood. If what I've read is true, the Dragonstone should be hidden deep within the caverns of the old keep."

"What is so special about this Dragonstone?"

"Hm? Ah, not the usual brute that I am forced to deal with, are you? To tell you the truth, I haven't the slightest idea. But from what I know, it may give us crucial clues as to this sudden return of the dragons."

I remembered the tablet I'd picked up from the ash pile that was left of the draugr overlord in the Barrow. I produced it from my bag.

"Is this is it?" I asked, passing the heavy object to Farengar.

"This…is it," Farengar said, almost sounding astonished. "Impressive, Gio. You are definitely cut from a much finer cloth than my normal assistants. This could really advance my studies on the dragons."

The Dunmer elf woman suddenly appeared in the doorway.

"Farengar, Balgruuf wants to see you," she said. "A dragon has just attacked the outpost outside of Whiterun."

"A dragon? So close?" he said, this time definitely becoming enthused. "Please, you must tell me. How big was it? Did it attack first, or was it provoked? How hot was its—"

"I haven't the answers to your questions," the elf said. She turned to me. "You. You had better come too."

She left the room, and Farengar and I followed after her and up a flight of stairs just outside the room. At the summit, I saw Balgruuf along with several guards, one of which seemed flustered. Besides the elf woman, there was only one other woman present, a Nord who wore armor similar to the Dunmer's and no helmet over her long, dark brown hair. We took up positions before him.

"Everyone is here, my Jarl," the elf woman said. "Now, tell Jarl Balgruuf what you told me."

The soldier nodded his head, and said shakily, "It came in from nowhere. We couldn't see it clearly, and before we knew what had happened, it destroyed the watch tower and killed almost everyone there. Me and another man came to deliver the news, but only I made it. Last I knew, three men were left trapped at the outpost, unable to leave or else the beast might appear again."

"We need to respond at once," Balgruuf said. "Irileth, I want you take Gio and a team of our best to the tower."

"Understood, my Jarl," the Dunmer said.

"Gio, you should also go with them. Whiterun soldiers are strong, but none of them have the same experience with dragons as you. You will follow Irileth's instruction, but I will trust you to follow your own instincts. My men at the walls will keep an eye out should you be overwhelmed and more help becomes necessary." He waved his shield bearer over, taking a banded iron shield from him.

"Take this shield from my personal armory," he said, handing it to me. "It was forged by Eoruld Gray-Mane, the best smith in Whiterun, and enchanted by Farengar so that it repels even the hottest of flames. I hope it will help you against the dragon."

I examined the round plate of iron. It was heavy, and would slow me down considerably. But, if I was to fight a dragon, I'd have to make do with it.

"Just don't make me wear a helmet," I said lightheartedly, strapping the shield onto my left forearm.

"Let's go," Irileth said, rounding up a few of the guards in the room and heading down the stairs.

She led us down the stairs, retrieving more man as we walked down the hall. Soon, including myself and her, there were a dozen men. As we marched through the keep doors, she started organizing us in teams of three.

"Gio, Lydia, you two will be with me," she said.

I looked at the Nord woman, automatically assuming her to be Lydia as she was the only other woman present. She was looking at me as well.

"Gio Dragonsbane," I introduced myself.

She faced forward again.

I snorted, turning my own gaze frontwards as we jogged down from the keep to the lowest level where the shops were at. As we passed Warmaiden's Adrianne stopped me.

"I'll catch up," I assured Irileth. She didn't ask any questions but continued the troop forward.

"I finished your swords, but I'm not quite done with the armor yet," the smith woman said. "Would you like to collect them now?"

"Yes, I could use them," I said.

She retrieved two cloth covered blades, placing them on the workbench and opening up the cloth so I could see what she'd transformed my swords into. I barely recognized them without all the black rust and edges that almost hurt to look at. One of them was still relatively dark in color, but the other was a silvery white.

"These are some fine blades," Adrianne said, looking at the two swords. "You'd be surprised to know that they're spoken of in legends." She picked up the darker one. "This is Elder Reaper, and this—" she picked up the other sword, "—is Dragon Tongue. I don't know where you found these two swords, but I'd recommend you pay their homes another visit to see what else is hiding there."

"This isn't going to mean I'll have to pay extra, does it?" I asked, gripping the hilt of Elder Reaper as the Warmaiden passed it to me.

"Not at all," she said. "A hundred gold pieces will be enough."

I counted out the coins, laying them out in a purse on the workbench before retrieving my swords. Before leaving to catch back up with the others, I also left her with the rusted great sword that I'd retrieved from the draugr overlord. If the true power of this weapon shown through only dully, I could only imagine what it would become with a little bit of polish.

The guards outside pointed me to where Irileth and the others had gone and I didn't bother with the roundabout path that brought me out of the exterior wall, instead jumping down off the top of the stone and wood walls. By avoiding the beaten path, I caught up with them before they were even halfway to the outpost.

"Glad you could join us, foreigner," Irileth said. "What did Adrianne want with you?"

"I left some swords with her that needed polishing and sharpening," I said vaguely. "Wouldn't have done to fight a dragon with no sword now would it?"

"I'm afraid to say a sword might not be very effective against a flying dragon. I hope for your sake that you can shoot a bow, or maybe cast some powerful magic."

There was no other conversation as we jogged for the outpost. It wasn't very far away, but the winding path extended the trip slightly. We stopped behind a boulder, where Irileth briefed us on our strategy.

"My team will take the tower," she said. "I'll stay at the ground level while Gio and Lydia climb up to the top."

The rest of the men were ordered to spread out, taking cover where they found it. Hopefully, we'd be in and out with the survivors before the dragon came back, but we were prepared nonetheless.

We continued the last few meters towards the tower, patches of the ground still ablaze here and there. As we drew nearer, I recognized the smell of burning flesh, and realized that the flames weren't just burning on dry grass. The sight of a dozen dead men lying dead on the ground didn't seem to do much to improve the men's spirits.

"You have to hide!" I heard a man call out desperately to us. I looked over to the tower, where a man was standing just outside of the entrance to it.

"What happened here, man?" Irileth asked, leading me and Lydia over to him while the rest of the men began taking positions and searching for any other survivors.

"It ate them, all of them," he said, hysterical. There was a roar in the distance and he cried out. "No, it's coming back! Please, gods, help me!"

I recognized the same panic that had been in Lokir. Lokir didn't live long; I doubted this man would either.

"Ready your bows, men!" Irileth ordered, the Whiterun soldiers already notching arrows on their bowstrings.

"Lydia, Gio get up that tower," Irileth ordered us.

"We're on it," I said, leading the Nord woman inside the tower. By the time we'd reached the landing halfway up, the dragon had already reached us. Another memory of Helgen surfaced at the sight of the wall blown in.

"Lydia, you wait here," I said, and she didn't make any objections. I wouldn't have either; the position offered more protection than the top of the tower.

I made it the rest of the way up, coming out onto the open top of the watch tower. Circling overhead I could see a dragon, not nearly as large as the one from Helgen though. Arrows flew nonstop at the winged beast, but the few that actually found their mark didn't seem to bother the dragon too much. It wouldn't hold still for long, attacking with fire-breathing dive bombs and otherwise staying away from the ground.

I tried out my frostbite spell on the dragon when it drew near. It clearly felt the destruction spell, turning its attention to me.

"Damn," I uttered just before it flung me off the top of the tower with a swiping of its tail.

I hit the ground hard. My armor absorbed most of the bone-breaking shock, but I was left gasping for air and could already feel ugly bruises forming on my whole backside. But what really left me realizing that my fate was sealed was when the dragon landed in front of me, walking slowly, deliberately, towards me, completely ignoring the futile attempts from the soldiers to penetrate its hide.

It growled at me in some foreign language, similar to the one the dragon at Helgen used as well as the draugr at Bleak Falls Barrow. The dragon almost seemed as though it was gloating.

"Mulqahdiiv," I said, remembering the words that I'd used at the Barrow. But this time, they had no effect.

So this is it, I thought. Saved by a dragon; killed by a dragon. Ironic how the world works.

The monster reared its head back, red flames roiling in the back of its throat, the creature growling in its ancient language. Just as I was embracing my fate, prepared to die, a black shape darted across my vision and collided with the dragon's chest, knocking it backwards and stopping it from breathing its flames.

"I can't believe it," I heard one of the soldiers saying as I sat up, finally recovering from my fall. I was shocked at what I saw.

The black wolf-hound had appeared, and was fighting the dragon. It was at first clinging to the beast's neck, but when the dragon tried swiping it away, it crawled up onto the dragon's back and ripped at the tendons in its wings. No matter how much the dragon flailed, it couldn't shake the hybrid.

I drew Elder Reaper and raised my shield, charging the dragon and letting out a battle cry. The winged monstrosity tried its fire-breath on me, but it parted around my shield like water around a stone. I leapt up into the air, raising my blade and thrusting it down the dragon's maw and slicing the inside of its throat, steaming blood splashing onto my armor.

I landed soundly before the dragon as it collapsed, the wolf-hound leaping from its back and taking place at my side as the dragon gave its final breath before it crumpled. Its flesh began rapidly deteriorating, burning away and floating up into the air as little flakes. Strange as that was, it wasn't nearly as strange as the aura that spiraled from the carcass and into me, cloaking me in its odd light.

I had the sudden urge to shout, to let my voice be heard, and I had just the thing to say: "Fus!"

A shockwave sprung from my mouth, rocketing skywards. It flew as high as the clouds, ringing out like an explosion and parting the fluffy white clouds.

The soldiers all gathered around me, looking at me curiously. They were all mumbling and whispering things, but two words where said most frequently, "Dragonborn" and "Shout".

"This is an impressive turning of events," Irileth said, approaching me. Lydia hung back with the other men.

"What is this that the men are saying about Dragonborn?" I asked.

"They're talking about you. What you did just now hasn't been seen in hundreds of years. You absorbed the soul of a dragon and used its power to Shout."

I turned my head so that I was facing the tower, repeating the word which I couldn't help but shout. Another shockwave came with it, and several of the bricks on the lower part of the tower were knocked out of place.

"Return to Jarl Balgruuf immediately," the Dunmer said. "By now his watchmen are probably already reporting all of this, but he'll want you to tell him more. Lydia, go with him."

We nodded our heads, not wasting any time in returning to Whiterun. I lead the way, completely ignoring the beaten road as I forged my path. Lydia didn't seem appreciative of this, but it was the least I could do to someone who had given me the cold shoulder on more than one occasion. The wolf-hound didn't follow us, but it watched for a minute before running off into the distance in the opposite direction.

Just as we were reaching the exterior gates, there was a sudden thunderous noise, and Lydia and I ground to a halt. It seemed to be coming from a mountain in the distance towards the east, almost like it was calling to someone.

"What was that?" I asked.

Lydia, of course, gave no answer, and we continued our sprint.

"Wait! Are you Gio Dragonsbane?" a man called to me as I flew past him.

I skidded to a halt, Lydia nearly running into me.

"I am," I said.

The man nodded his head, handing me an envelope. "Here, I was entrusted to deliver this letter to you by an anonymous person. That's all."

The courier continued on, and I slid the envelope into my bag. I could read it later.

I didn't bother stopping at Warmaiden's or for anyone, Lydia and I making a mad dash for Dragonsreach.

We erupted through the double doors into the keep, and I continued towards Balgruuf on his throne although Lydia hung back a little ways, though she still approached.

"Forgive me, Jarl Balgruuf," I said, interrupting a three-way argument he was having between himself, Proventus, and another man in crude iron armor. "But the dragon that raided the western watch tower has fallen."

"Yes, I heard," he said, sounding excited. "I also heard—quite literally—someone Shouting."

"I can take the honors of saying that that was me," I said.

"Of course the honors would go to a foreigner. How many centuries has it been since a Dragonborn has rose up?"

"I still say that the idea is ludicrous," Proventus said, earning a scowl and a growl from the large man in armor.

"Do you know what that thundering noise was outside?" I asked.

Balgruuf nodded his head. "It was the Greybeards, without a doubt. They were calling out to way, I wager. They probably heard you Shouting as well."

"Greybeards? What would these men want with me? Better yet, who are they?"

"Studiers of the Voice, the greatest power gifted to man by the gods. They have long been some of the only to have been able to effectively use the Voice, and for just as long have been tutoring the Dragonborn and any others who climb the Seven Thousand Steps to their temple High Hrothgar at The Throat of the World. Undoubtedly, they want you to come to them." He chuckled. "I'm jealous of you. It's been too long since I've climbed the Seven Thousand Steps, and the few times I made the trip weren't by invitation.

"But, as for the matters of your feat in defeating the dragon, I think a reward is in order." Balgruuf stood up from his throne. "I, Jarl Balgruuf the Greater, hereby name you, Gio Dragonsbane, Thane of Whiterun in recognition of your feats in valor and honor. I present you with the Axe of Whiterun as your badge of office."

He slid a snow-white axe from his belt, handing it to me. I accepted it graciously, caught somewhat off guard by the sudden formality.

"I also name Lydia Thundercaller your personal Housecarl."

He outstretched a hand towards Lydia, and my heart dropped for a second. But, then again, Lydia seemed as though she was seeing me in a new light quite suddenly. When she noticed me looking, she clamped her mouth shut and returned to her normal, placid appearance.

"Thank you, Jarl Balgruuf," I said. "I am honored."

"You should be," he laughed. "The title of Thane doesn't just get thrown around, you know. There's a house open in the Plains District as well. I believe it's called Breezehome. It isn't as large as homes such as the Houses of Clan Battle-Born or of Clan Gray-Mane, but it should be more than spacious enough for you alone. It may take until tomorrow before we can finish decorating it, however."

"You offer me more than I could ask for." I furrowed my brow. "But on the subject of these Greybeards. Do you think they'll be expecting me right away?"

"If they are, then they are fools. The only way up to High Hrothgar is on the other side of the mountain in Ivarstead, and the road there from Whiterun is harsh. You'll need training and supplies before you should make such a journey by foot, or even by horse, and you should rest after your fight with that dragon."

"I have something to offer you as well, Gio—er—Thane Gio," Farengar said, walking out of his study. He had an armful of books of various categories, some of which I recognized as spell tomes.

"What are these?" I asked, walking over to the table where he'd placed them. They were all on various subjects related to sciences and history, but others appeared to be simple storybooks.

"Just some old tomes and novels of mine. I have no use of them, and Faendal informed me that you seem to enjoy reading."

"You know Faendal?"

"Of course. He and I trade recipes on potions once every month or so. He spoke quite highly of you."

"I see. Well, thank you, Farengar Secret-Fire."

"Don't worry about those," Proventus told me. "We'll be sure to place them carefully within Breezehome. Why don't you explore Whiterun, get to know it a little?"

"Yes, I think I will," I said. I told everyone farewell—Balgruuf informing me that he would be sure to alert his men about my new title—before turning to Lydia. I walked her over to the doors at the front of the keep before turning to face her.

"So, explain to me: what exactly is a Thane?"

"The title of Thane is a great honor to receive," Lydia said, sounding genuinely impressed with me. "Only those who display great acts of courage and heroism are awarded with such a title. As a Thane, common guardsmen will know to turn a blind eye when you are near."

"And a Housecarl? What are your duties?"

"I am your sworn servant. I have given my word that I will protect you and your belongings with my life." Less enthusiastically, she added, "I am also sworn to carry your burdens, however heavy."

"Sounds good to me, I suppose. So, will you be accompanying me?"

"I am sworn to you, my Thane."

I nodded my head before remembering the letter I received. Curious as to what it said, I pulled it out of my pocket, reading it over. It read:

I know who you are, Dragonborn. I heard about you Shouting. I also know about a great power that you might be interested in. It is hidden deep within Sunderstone Cave.

Sincerely, a Friend

"Cryptic," I muttered.

"May I ask what it says?"

I handed her the letter. "Whoever sent me this says that there is some sort of power inside Sunderstone Cave. What do you know about it?"

"Very little. Sunderstone Cave would almost be as a hard a trip as the one to High Hrothgar if it weren't that it's a straight shot there and that the roads are clear of anything save a few stray wolves or bandit raiding parties."

"Think it's a good idea to pay this cave a visit?"

"That is entirely up to you, my Thane."

I smacked the envelope against my hand thoughtfully.

"I suppose a little peak couldn't hurt. In a world of civil war and dragons, a little bit more power is welcome."

Lydia nodded her head, and I opened the doors to Whiterun and to my new future as Dragonborn, devourer of souls.

End Chapter

Author's Note: Word count: 6.5 thousand; page count: twenty-four. So, how did you like that chapter? Didn't post it as soon as I'd thought I would, but I'm relatively satisfied. And let me tell you: I have been waiting FOREVER to finally get Lydia into Gio's party. Now that she's here, it's time to test Gio's limits as he has to deal with her and her…just her. You guys know how Lydia can be. Jumping in the way of your dual cast Flames, giving away your position by charging an enemy when you're trying for a stealth kill… The list goes on and on. But, Review, Favorite, Follow, and enjoy the Fun Fact.

Fun Fact: I wrote this entire chapter on only two mugs of coffee.