A/N: Sorry for not updating in almost a week, been busy as of late. 10 Followers, 8 Favourites and 3225 views as of this note's writing. Thank you! For celebrating the tenth follow, I am including an alternate scenario when Janice founds out about her true self after the ending of this chapter, enjoy!
All characters, place settings and other items belong to their respective copyright holders, Bethesda Games Studios/Bethesda Softworks LLC./ZeniMax Media Inc.. Characters that does not appear in the original content of The Elder Scrolls (OC, or original character) that bears, but not limited to, a name similar to other popular story character names and/or character behaviour and attitude are purely coincidental.
Chapter 16: The Battle For Skyrim, again Part 2
[Next day, 8 a.m. Dragonsreach]
"So Cacco, what is the best way to get to Solitude before nightfall? I am planning to go to Northwatch tomorrow morning instead of attacking at night, better visibility." Janice asked the general as she bit down on a piece of her apple pie.
"The shortest way is to go through Morthal, but the mountains make it very difficult for an army of this size to transverse through. We will need to take a detour through Rorikstead before heading north, Your Majesty." Cacco replied.
"That isn't a problem, as long as we reach Solitude in time before night, we should be fine." Janice said as she finishes her pie.
"I have taken the liberty of sending a message to Tullius to send some spies to Northwatch, their reports should be in Solitude when we get there, Your Majesty." Cacco reported.
"That is good. I want to stay in my own house in Solitude, if you don't mind Cacco. I don't quite like staying in Balgruuf's quarters and having him sleep on the floor while Derkeethus and I sleep on the bed." Janice told Cacco.
"Of course you can stay at your house, Your Majesty. It is just easier to protect you if you are staying in the capital building." Cacco replied.
"Where is your sister, Your Majesty? She disappeared when we left Helgen yesterday." Cacco asked in concern for Her Majesty's soul sister after a few minutes of quiet chewing on Derkeethus' part.
"She will be alright, she will be back when she wants to." Janice answered as the air in front of them suddenly distorted. "Looks like she has returned," Janice said as the air gave way to a portal.
"Janice! I have got some news that you might not like." Alduin said as she flew out with a golden sword that has a magic ball of light in its hilt in her claws.
"What kind of news? And why did you bring Dawnbreaker here?" Janice asked as Balgruuf shifted uncomfortably in his throne.
"News involving the undead of course. Also, I have brought father's bow and some arrows too." Alduin replied as she dropped Dawnbreaker on the table.
"Father's bow? What are you talking about?" Janice asked, not having paid attention that Auri-El was the snow elf's name for Akatosh.
"Don't play dumb, you knew that Auri-El is Akatosh." Alduin said as she landed on Cacco's vacated seat.
"No I don't. How did he even react when he learnt I had his bow?" Janice asked Alduin as everyone stared at her in shock upon hearing that Janice might have Auri-El's bow in her possession.
"He just said you were lucky that it didn't kill you when you touched it before noticing that you tempered with it to make it better than what he could do." Alduin said, snickering a little at the last part.
"Just give me the bow and my weapons back, I am not surprised that he doesn't know how to make his artifact better given the tools he had back then." Janice said as she put Dawnbreaker away.
"Is there a problem?" Derkeethus asked the crowd of people staring at them.
"No… no, we just didn't expect Auri-El's bow here." Balgruuf said as he made his way upstairs, to where Odahviing was imprisoned not so long ago. "Pardon me, Your Majesty, but I need some fresh air."
"So, what is the news? Ralof's using the undead? Is that it? I don't think a few undead is going to hamper us." Janice said.
"Not quite, Ralof teamed up with the Dawnguard to assault Volkihar Keep, wiping out all the vampires. But he secretly kidnapped the girl you were working with when Isran and his troops weren't looking. Akatosh feared that he might want to be turned, so he sent me to collect some of your weapons for you. Oh, and he is indeed using undead too, so that is a given." Alduin replied.
"I didn't need father's bow or Dawnbreaker to kill hordes of undead, I went into Skuldafn with just my normal equipment. Judging by how fast those Draugr Deathlords of yours fell, I don't need these." Janice said proudly.
"You really should have taken the time to explore that temple, it was a work of art by the cult!" Alduin said with shining eyes.
"Whatever, saving the world was more important at the time, maybe next time." Janice said as she stood up, all prepared to leave.
"It is always about saving something with you and never about yourself or enjoying yourself, isn't it?" Alduin rebutted.
"I had enjoyed myself, by that I meant killing your minions in more ways than you ever could." Janice replied as Derkeethus, Cacco and Ragnos joined her in heading out the keep.
"You enjoyed killing? That doesn't sound like the sister I knew." Alduin said.
"Killing the bad, yes, but never spilling the blood of the innocent." Janice said as she stopped at the top of the stairs leading down to the door.
"Uhh… Hi?" Janice said to the cult members kneeled at the foyer in prayer.
"Don't mind them, Great One. They are just doing their morning prayers." Ragnos explained.
"Do they have to do it here of all places? And why aren't you praying?" Janice asked.
"We always prayed in the direction in which we know your benevolence is. As High Priest of this cult, it is important that I complete my morning prayers before anyone else." Ragnos replied.
"So, what is it you pray for? Maybe I can grant some prayers." Janice said as Cacco walks off to gather his men.
"Be careful what you grant, I learnt this the hard way." Alduin whispered to Janice when she landed on her shoulders.
"You mean Miraak?" Janice asked. "He was so weak that a gentle breeze could have killed him."
"Yes… I meant Miraak… As for the other comment, how did you do it?" Alduin whispered lowly, not liking how her sister had killed the strongest priest of her cult without a problem when she had faced difficulties in even trying to injure him.
"Somethings is better left unknown." Janice whispered back.
"Here is the list of things some of the members were praying for." Ragnos said as he walked up and handed the white Daedric clad Khajiit a small list.
"Endless mead supply, safety of family and a sword? How unoriginal, but I guess it can be done. Well, at least for the sword and safety, I don't think there is a place where mead flows endlessly." Janice said.
"Listen up! As long as all of you have faith in your skills as a soldier, you never would need to pray for your family's safety as you alone hold the power to protect your family! For those who wants a new sword, just go see Eorlund at the Skyforge beside Jorrvaskr, he makes the best steel I have seen on my journeys. Do it after we dealt with this Ralof problem first though, I need every arm I can have." Janice announced to the cultists.
"Alright, let us depart." Janice said after a few minutes of silence.
[After lunch, Rorikstead 1 p.m.]
"Oh no, quick, get on me when I transform." Janice said to Derkeethus and their mothers.
"Why?" Jane asked as she got on Janice's dragon form.
"I saw Isran at the other end, it is best that we don't fight." Janice said as she took off, leaving Cacco and Ragnos to wonder what is going on.
"Oh, that Dawnguard leader? I see why you are afraid to see him again." Jane said as Janice disappeared into the clouds.
"What a disappointment, I thought I can see some good vampire hunters versus vampires." Alduin commented as she flew closer, both now hovering above the clouds as they observe Isran asking Cacco about the whereabouts of a particular vampire that had betrayed the guild.
"Please don't tell him…" Janice repeatedly said nervously.
"Why are you so scared? It is not like you can't burn him alive in this form." Beeht told the shaking dragon under her.
"It isn't about whether I am scared to face him in battle, in fact, I could probably kill him with one hand behind my back, no, it is about the fact that I had joined the vampires to do the very thing they had set out to do. I sort of stole their entire quest from them, you know." Janice replied as she flew into a giant cumulonimbus cloud.
"I don't enjoy getting wet…" Jane said as she shivered in the coldness of the cloud.
"I thought following me everywhere I go would mean you are somewhat used to the fact that I had to swim to some locations?" Janice answered as she flew to the bottom to get a clear view of the town.
"I am not like you, freak! Cats don't like getting wet, unlike you…" Jane said as she tries to flick the moisture from her face.
"What is weird here is that you enjoy baths." Janice retorted, not caring about the sort of astonished look on Alduin's face.
"Whatever, can you just go and see if they are done? I don't like it here." Jane said.
"Good, it seems that the Dawnguard members have left Rorikstead without a problem." Alduin pointed out after a few minutes.
Landing in front of the army just slightly north of Rorikstead, Janice asked Cacco as Derkeethus dismounted, "So what did you tell them?"
"I said we have a dragon in the sky right now that could destroy Fort Dawnguard twice over without a break if they continue to interfere with official business." Cacco replied, a little fearful that Janice is staring at him as a dragon.
"Why didn't you arrest him for teaming up with the enemy?" Janice asked as she tries to shake the two remaining passengers off.
"They did what they wanted to do, they didn't cooperate with the enemy further than that and it was well within their plans to destroy Volkihar Keep. They did no wrong." Cacco replied.
"I see," Janice said. "Well, proceed with the journey."
As the army departs, Janice roared to her two passengers, "Can you get off me?"
"You behave now, or I will have to use Bend Will again." Jane said as she stroke Janice on one of her horns.
"Fine, but don't blame me if I fly into some clouds." Janice said as she took off.
"Screw you," Jane replied as Janice literally flew into the same cloud she was hiding in before, before flying into other clouds on the way to Solitude at the same pace as the army.
[Solitude, 8 p.m. Dinner has not been eaten]
"I am literally soaking wet and freezing here!" Jane shouted in anger as Beeht tries to pry her off of Janice who was being hammered by her mother's tantrum fueled fists.
"You want me to dry you?" Janice said, ignoring the punching.
"How?" Jane asked as she finally got off Janice, arms around herself to keep warm.
Blasting her mother in heated air from her breath, Janice asked, "feel better now?"
"Much better, thanks." Jane said as hugged her daughter's jaws, ignoring the fact that her hair had formed an afro and her fur were standing up.
"You might want to look at yourself, in the mean time, we should head into the castle." Janice said as she transforms, not bothering to care about the crowd of onlookers that had gathered since she landed in the square that leads up to Castle Dour.
"What do you mean?" Jane asked.
"You have an afro." Beeht replied for Janice as they head to castle.
"Great, just what I needed." Jane said sarcastically as she smoothed her hair back down.
"Tullius! What have the spies you sent reported?" Janice asked over dinner.
"They should be back at six, so I have to assume that they are either dead or got themselves captured, Your Majesty." Tullius answered his former Legate.
"Great, we have to go blind then. Can you spare men?" Janice asked.
"No, my forces are currently deployed in all major cities to protect them after that attack on Morthal." Tullius said.
"Well, that is bad, I need some more people." Janice said.
"I can go, Your Majesty." Legate Rikke stood up from beside Tullius.
"Don't you have to look over political matters?" Janice asked her former commander.
"All the Jarls are currently worried over this problem, so it stands to reason that I am needed." Rikke replied.
"Alright." Janice said. "I could do with an extra warrior."
[On the other side of the table]
"Could you tell me about how you courageously defeated the Thalmor ambush all by yourself when they have killed your entire platoon in Valenwood? Please?" Lydia asked as she got closer to Cacco.
"Alright, alright." Cacco said defensively as he shivered with how creepy Lydia had been ever since they met.
"What is with her?" Tullius asked.
"She has a crush on Cacco, that's all." Janice answered as she finished her stew.
[After breakfast next morning]
"Alright, this is it. Today we will wipe out the remnants of the Stormcloaks and put an end to their second rebellion!" Janice shouted to the army. "They will fight like cornered rats. They will be fierce and crafty. But they are no match for Legionnaires. You are the best and the brightest warriors in Tamriel. Professional soldiers, fearless and devastating."
"Hey! That was my speech!" Tullius shouted from where he was standing, observing the send off.
"Just protect Solitude the best you can, Tullius. I sense that Ralof had set up an ambush at all the cities, ready to strike when we strike Northwatch Keep." Janice said to the general as the army departs.
"I will need Rikke for that…" Tullius mumbled.
"You have that other Legate who was standing guard in the planning room, don't tell me you secretly loved Rikke?" Janice hinted.
"Umm, I said nothing of the sort, what makes you think I… I loved her?" Tullius stammered.
"Oh, I don't know… You just like her around with you at all times and the fact that you always eye her when there is nothing of interest going on in the area." Janice said as she transforms into a human sized dragon.
"I… I…" Tullius stammered in embarrassment as he blushed furiously.
"See you." Janice said as she took off to join the army.
[A few kilometres south of Northwatch Keep]
"Hold here, Cacco." Janice said as she went down in front of the general. "I am going in to see what they are hiding."
"Are you sure? Be careful, Your Majesty." Cacco said as Janice transforms.
"You don't have to worry about me. I am going to bring Alduin along with me, so where is she?" Janice asked.
"She is here, Your Majesty." Hadvar said as he dismounted and handed Janice something wrapped in some cloth.
"Time to wake up, sister." Janice said as she poked Alduin's exposed head.
"Good morning…" Alduin yawned before falling asleep again.
"Wake up, now!" Janice shouted softly as she tore the blankets away, almost sacring Hadvar with the sudden reaction.
"Can't I just sleep in for once?" Alduin asked as she hung on to Janice with her wings.
"Not right now, I need you to help sneak into the keep." Janice said as she transforms the dragoness.
"Fine," Beehaz groaned as she got off Janice, still wearing her glass armour set.
"Alright, you just stay here. If I am not back in an hour, charge in." Janice instructed.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Cacco and Ragnos saluted.
As Janice and Beehaz ran off towards Northwatch Keep discreetly, she did not notice a flash of green and light brown pass her and into the fort.
[Northwatch Keep]
Sneaking into the fort, Janice noticed that most of the guards were undead soldiers from the civil war, partially decayed due to how long they had been dead before being revived.
"There are more undead here than all the Nordic Ruins put together." Janice commented as she snuck around the fort to get an idea of how many guards she will be dealing with.
"I wish I have this many undead." Beehaz said in wonder.
"Right, and I wish I have this many soldiers. Now get in here before someone spots you!" Janice whispered as she beckoned Beehaz into the fort through an opened door.
"Woah, this place has changed a lot since I last been here." Janice commented in amazement.
The fort that was once orderly when the Thalmor had occupied it had changed to resemble a fort that looks like it had been abandoned for centuries. The light was dim and there were a lot of undead walking about.
"Why is he using so many undead? I thought all nords have a distaste for magic?" Janice asked aloud as her eyes glisten from Night Eye.
"I have no idea what you are saying. Where are you?" Beehaz asked as she stumbles about, trying to find Janice's tail.
"Just grab my tail and don't let go." Janice said as she placed her tail into Beehaz's hands.
"Ow… Not so tight." Janice winced as Beehaz squeezed the tail.
"Hey, one question." Beehaz said as they made their way around the building. "How are you able to sneak so well in such heavy armour?"
"I… uh… Had practiced?" Janice answered.
"There is something you are not telling me, is there?" Beehaz said as she got closer to Janice, her hands tightening on her sister's furry tail.
"Okay, I have modified the armour to produce less noise when moving. You happy now?" Janice replied as she kill an undead that was too close for comfort.
"I see. That wasn't so hard now, was it?" Beehaz asked.
"Quiet, we are heading into their lair now." Janice said as she opened a trapdoor that she knew wasn't there when she rescued Thorald, who went on to join the Stormcloaks that had already been defeated long ago; so Janice really does not know where he is since the Stormcloaks are now just a group of bandits.
Entering the underground cavern, Janice could see that it had a similar build to the one in Helgen, except it is much larger, so large in fact that it seems to encapsulate the entire spit of land that Northwatch Keep sits upon. Going down the long walkway to the walls of the large pit that looks about one kilometre deep, She saw a huge row of cages containing werewolves, wild ones.
"What are they doing with this many werewolves?" Beehaz asked, letting go of Janice's tail as the lighting got better.
"I think you just killed my tail with that death grip of yours." Janice said painfully as she rubbed her limp tail, trying to get blood moving again.
"Sorry," Beehaz apologised.
"I think they are going to turn people into werewolves, judging by how that one is licking her wounds." Janice pointed with a free hand while checking her tail for any signs of life. "It is still moving, great!" Janice announced excitedly.
"Is your tail really that important?" Beehaz asked as they sneak along the walkway to the lower floors.
"I like my tail, it is useful for tripping over people." Janice replied as they went down to where the dragons were held.
"That is a lot of dragons." Janice commented as she saw huge cages with two dragons squeezed inside each. "What makes them willing to join these losers?"
"After my apparent 'death', they have no leaders, so they are willing to do anything for food, including joining the mortals." Beehaz replied.
"I still don't get it, didn't Paarthurnax pledge to gather them because he is the 'eldest' now?" Janice asked.
"Well, would you prefer to sit with him all day on the mountain in meditation or to kill stuff?" Beehaz shot a question back as Janice look at the dragons' living conditions.
"I would probably meditate a few times with my brother, but I will go on an adventure if I have to." Janice replied. "They certainly take good care of the dragons. They have straw bedding and a constant supply of food."
"Good, it probably wouldn't be good for their lives if they have been mistreated." Beehaz said as she made her way to the stairs. "Ready to go down further?"
"You bet," Janice said as she left the legendary class dragons alone, not that they knew that Janice was ever there.
"Dragons, dragons, dragons, more dragons… How many floors of dragons does he have?!" Beehaz exclaimed softly as the two snuck down the flight of stairs.
"Oh look, we have finally reach the living quarters for the army." Janice pointed out after several more flights of stairs leading to dragon cages.
"Most of them are empty." Beehaz observed as they went into the rooms.
"Look, one of them have a journal, let's see what they wrote." Janice said as she picked up the journal on a bed.
"'Today is the day where we will free Skyrim from Imperial control! Today, we will do what Ulfric has failed to and that is to conquer all of Skyrim from the Imperials. The Reach will have to be sacrificed to the Forsworn though. Anyway, all shall know the terror of the Stormfists!'" Janice read the day's entry. "So, they call themselves the Stormfists? That explains the strange banners."
"Right, we should get going, we only have half an hour left." Beehaz said urgently.
Going down the flight of stairs, they noticed that the corridors are filled with more and more guards, both undead and living this time. "We must be getting close to Ralof's quarters." Janice whispered as they exit the stairs at the bottommost level.
Carefully sneaking and weaving around the crowd towards where there were a huge group of guards in front of a door, Janice took out her daggers and proceeded to slaying all of them quickly and quietly, not giving the guards anytime to react. Opening the door, she saw Serana strapped to a torture rack wearing prisoner clothes. She was bloody and looking rather sacred, that was when a vampire lord's voice sounded from a darkened corner of the room.
"So this is the power you vampires in your fancy castle possessed. I feel more powerful than ever before!" The vampire lord shouted.
"Shit," Janice whispered to Beehaz. "So this was his plan. By kidnapping Serana, he turns himself into a vampire lord to become more powerful."
"Somebody help me!" Serana screamed in agony as Ralof levitated up to her.
"No!" Janice shouted as she stood up and fired an Incinerate fireball at Ralof.
"Arghh! You crazy bitch! How did you get in here?" Ralof shouted as he winced in pain from the painful spell.
"Take this!" Janice screamed as she fired more spells.
Dodging the other spells, Ralof use Vampiric Grip on Janice, effectively immobilizing her. "The mighty Dragonborn! Caught by my magic, not so mighty now, eh?" Ralof said humiliatingly.
"Unhand my sister, Ralof!" Beehaz said as she shot Ralof using the bow Janice had lent her.
"Sister? How can a Khajiit have an Argonian sister?" Ralof asked as he swung Janice's body around him, using her to block the arrows. "And what kind of sister would shoot arrows into her own sister's body?"
"They are related by soul, fiend!" Jane voice's sounded before everything slowed down.
Jane had quickly used Slow Time before jumping down from the ceiling where she was hiding, sword in hand. She slashed down on Ralof's hands that was holding Janice in a telekinetic grip, freeing her. Quickly collecting Janice's slowly falling body, she rushed to Beehaz and pushed her into a corner of the room together with Janice before the effects ended.
"Ow! You will pay for that!" Ralof exclaimed as he used Vampiric Grip on Jane.
"Mother! What are you doing here?" Janice asked as she picked herself up.
"Oh… This Khajiit is your mother, eh? Let's see how she likes to be tortured like I was!" Ralof said menacingly as he uses his free hand to punch Jane in the stomach, causing her to vomit her breakfast.
"Mom!" Janice cried out, charging her Lightning Storm spell.
"Oh no you don't," Ralof said as he threw a rock into Janice's face, causing her to lose concentration.
"Too late, idiot." Beehaz said as she loose an arrow straight into Ralof's rather huge head.
Releasing a Vampiric Drain spell, Ralof managed to hit both Janice and Beehaz, sucking their health. "You need to do better than an arrow." Ralof spat.
Not waiting for a reply, Ralof use another Vampiric Grip on Janice, trapping both Khajiits by himself. A bandit manages to pin Beehaz down before she manages to react. "Janice! No, this can't be happening…" Serana cried as Ralof placed Jane and ordered the bandit to place Beehaz into two separate cages.
Janice was strung to a torture rack, after having her armour removed and place in a chest. For some reason, the armour had burnt the hands of the bandit who picked it up and placed it in the chest after Ralof's personal mage removed them telekinetically.
"How does your armour burn the hands of the man?" Ralof asked, now back to his human form.
"I dare you to put it on." Janice spat, not wanting to give Ralof the real reason.
"And what might that do? Burn me alive? Or maybe disintegrate me into nothingness?" Ralof questioned as he brought out a whip.
"Don't you dare use it on me! If my father finds out you are going to be in a lot of trouble!" Janice warned.
"I am sure that your father is an outright coward. Time for me to punish you like the animal you are!" Ralof said as he begun whipping Janice.
"What sorcery is this?! Why aren't you getting bruised?" Ralof exclaimed after a few minutes of whipping, Janice crying out in pain even though no visible marks were seen.
"As she said, you are going to be in trouble for doing that!" Beehaz shouted.
"Shut up! Hey you there! Put the armour on, I want to see what happens." Ralof instructed a grunt.
Putting Janice's armour on, the grunt immediately screamed in agony, not even having enough time to put the helmet on. The armour had immediately started to constrict the grunt. After a few minutes, the grunt relaxed, thinking the worse was over, though he couldn't move since the armour had immobilized him. Then, the armour ignited in flames so hot that the entire room was lit up. The screams of the grunt stopped almost immediately as the fire started. After a few seconds, the armour collapsed to the ground, some ash pouring out of it.
"An untouchable, unwearable armour that does harm to anyone except you? Who are you?" Ralof asked.
"The daughter of a divine?" Janice said as she pants. Using her acute senses, she could hear the soldiers tearing through the fort upstairs, bringing a slight smile to her face.
"The what?" Ralof asked, not noticing a slight distortion behind him.
Silently coming through the portal, Talos grabbed the man before he could react, eyes wide in surprise. "She said 'the daughter of a divine', deaf bandit!" Talos repeated.
"Talos?! I always knew you have became a god! Please have mercy!" Ralof screamed in terror.
"Stendarr's the one with mercy, not me. Also, he approves of what is going to happen to you next." Talos replied as another portal opened, this one shining incredibly brightly that could only herald the arrival of someone important.
"Get me out of here!" Serana cried in fear, not liking what was happening.
"Father! You came!" Janice exclaimed as Akatosh stepped out.
"Yes, but you really need to take better care of yourself in the future, not that I already know that you will need me a bunch more times…" Akatosh said as he frees Janice, as well as Beehaz and Jane with his magic.
"Like when?" Beehaz asked as she helped Janice up, still pained from the whipping, though without showing any signs of it.
"That is for me to know and for you to discover." Akatosh replied before teleporting Talos, Ralof and himself away.
As Ralof disappeared, he said with a warning, "you are too late, the Stormfists have already overtaken the other cities by now! Hahaha!"
"What is Akatosh going to do to Ralof?" Jane asked as Janice puts on her armour.
"I am not sure, ask Beehaz." Janice replied as she frees Serana.
"Most likely putting him in a dimension that makes time move way slower than here and torture him or if he is really uncaring, he can send him off into other universes. I hope he gets sent to the universe where a homicidal computer tries to kill you as a mute female test subject or maybe where he gets afflicted by an undead curse and have to fight his way through incredibly difficult bosses using vague directions to reclaim his mortality (Note 1). Sending him off to that other universe where humans lord over a bunch of superpowered creatures is too forgiving (Note 2)." Beehaz answered.
"How do you know of this?" Janice asked before Jane or Serana could express shock. "And what is a 'computer'?"
"I have… An uncomfortable first hand experience…" Beehaz shuddered. "And a computer is a device that uses some weird magic to do something, I don't know. It's guts are mostly green and smells like oil and over-fried fish and chemicals."
"Whatever, I am just glad that he also killed all the bandits that was in this room with that portal of his." Janice said.
"Heh, portal, funny." Beehaz giggled.
"What are you going on about?" Janice asked.
"Nothing, should we get out now?" Beehaz asked as she regained her composure
"Sure, just protect me, alright? I am still feeling sore and I have to make sure Serana doesn't get hurt." Janice said as she hual the Daughter of Coldharbour's arms around her shoulders and held onto Serana's legs.
"Okay," Jane said passively, not bothering to care what was happening anymore.
"Janice… Thanks for rescuing me…" Serana said tiredly, having lost a lot of energy while struggling through the events just now.
"Have a good rest, everything will be explained when we get out of here." Janice said softly as she ran after Jane and Beehaz who were slicing their way through the multitude of enemies, going towards an emergency dwemer inspired lift that was installed in a corridor they had passed on the way to Ralof's torture chamber.
"How did they figure out how to build a lift?" Beehaz asked as they ascended.
"Well, it isn't that hard to figure out, first-" Janice started.
"I was just asking as a figure of speech, there isn't a need to explain it." Beehaz immediately said, covering Janice's mouth.
As the slow moving lift ascended, the lack of walls that usually surrounds the shaft gave Janice a good view of what was happening in the hole. The army had discovered the opened hatch and is now killing everything in sight, werewolves and bandits alike. The dragons were roaring loudly to help, but the cult stroke them down quickly as they are trapped within the cages. Since the lift is currently going through the levels where the dragons were held, Janice had to hope that what happened in Helgen does not repeat itself. Fortunately, the dragons were a little too far away from the lift to be absorbed.
"Fresh air!" Janice announced as they exited the lift at the surface.
"Janice? I thought something terrible happened to you!" Derkeethus said as he turned around, not aware that he was standing so close to the emergency lift.
"Well, something did, otherwise I would have exited a while ago." Janice said as she placed Serana on a pile of straw stacked up in the yard. "Why weren't you down there fighting?" Janice asked.
"My mother insisted for me to stay outside. At least these soldiers kept me safe." Derkeethus said as he motioned to some guards behind him.
"So where is she then?" Janice asked as she dug around her invisible bag for her spellbook, trying to find the spell she had learnt that heals the undead.
"She went in shouting something along the lines of killing anybody that dared to touch her daughter-in-law…" Derkeethus mumbled lamely, sounding rather weak for a man.
"Stop acting like you are a woman! Aren't you a man?" Jane shouted at Derkeethus as Janice and Beehaz tend to Serana.
"Well, I don't feel like a man when I can't make my decisions myself." Derkeethus said in a sad tone.
"Well, cheer up, at least you are allowed to manage your own empire with a lovely wife who couldn't care much about the current state affairs and would prefer to fight the problems head on. You are an Emperor now, and you should act like such. Now stand proudly and go help your wife." Jane encouraged the green lizard man.
"You are right, I should feel proud that I had married such a strong woman. Afterall, how many could claim they married the most powerful Dragonborn that had ever existed?" Derkeethus said with pride.
"That is the spirit, now go help her." Jane said.
"What can I help with?" Derkeethus asked Janice who was still healing Serana for injuries.
"Help Beehaz clean the blood." Janice said, not taking her eyes off Serana.
"But there isn't any blood left." Derkeethus observed.
"Exactly, I don't need your help." Janice said as she finished the healing process.
"What happened?" Serana said weakly as she regained consciousness, right before Derkeethus could rebut that remark.
"Rest, Serana, you got injured badly when Ralof tortured you." Janice said as she pushed Serana down to lay on the straw bed.
"Mind telling me what Akatosh and that other man called 'Talos' was doing there? And how are you 'the daughter of a divine'?" Serana questioned weakly.
"They were saving us, Ralof was dragged into Aetherius where he will be punished for trying to torture me." Janice explained. "As for the whole 'daughter of a divine' thing, why do you think Akatosh was there?"
"To save someone he love?" Serana guessed as Derkeethus walked away, not having any interest in what had happened to his wife since he will probably hear about it again till bedtime.
"Close enough, me and Beehaz here are sisters in soul. She is Alduin and I am, or was, Haasotkul, the White Dragon of Good Morals and generally everything that is not bad, well you get the point. Anyway, Akatosh came to help me after the three of us got captured, my biological (Note 3) mother included." Janice explained.
"Wow, to be a god, how does that feel?" Serana asked.
"Pretty good, other than the fact that some people have now taken to worshipping the very ground you walk on, not that I mind since I already had a following when I was just 'Dragonborn'." Janice said. "Hey, so now your home had been destroyed, what are you going to do?"
"Huh? The castle? It is still standing, just littered with dead bodies…" Serana said.
"Good, I don't want to need to bring you with me back to Cyrodiil." Janice said.
"Please don't make me go back, it was already boring there, with the rest gone, it will even be more boring." Serana pleaded.
"Well, should I?" Janice asked Beehaz as well as her mother who had came over.
"It is your palace, not mine." Jane said.
"I think it is better for you to come with me to the Imperial City. But you will have to find your own house, I don't expect the Elder Council to be receptive to an outsider like you, unlike my parents." Janice said.
"That is fine. Before I was kidnapped, I found my father's huge stash of gold that he had wanted to give me as inheritance before... you know." Serana said as she sat up slowly.
"Good then, why not I get one of these soldiers to help you to the castle? You don't look like you can walk." Janice said in concern for the vampire.
"It is fine, you done a better job at healing me than I let on, I will be fine." Serana said as she tries to stand up.
"Suit yourself, see you." Janice said as Serana walks off.
"Janice, I forgot to say that Dibella wants you to go to her temple in Markarth." Beehaz said as Jane went over to Derkeethus.
"Great, she wants me to model for her, probably going to her Sybil a list of things that needs 'fixing'." Janice groaned.
"Well, you did turn her into a Khajiit." Beehaz said.
"When will she learn?" Janice mumbled out loud.
"Learn what?" Beehaz asked.
"That beauty is skin deep. True beauty lies within the soul, not what is on the outside." Janice said.
"So, does that make me an ugly witch inside then?" Beehaz huffed.
"No, no, I hope not. You are beautiful in a certain way that might seem ugly to most people." Janice said defensively.
"Good, I thought I had to rip your throat out for that." Beehaz said.
"You aren't doing that." Janice said before transforming Beehaz into a wooden carving of Alduin about the size of her palm.
"Get me out of here!" Alduin's voice screamed from within the carving.
"Not till dinner, just keep quiet, okay?" Janice said to the carving as she picked it up and put it inside her bag.
"Your Majesty! I come with grave news!" An Imperial Courier on a horse yelled as he stopped in front of Janice who had made her way to the front entrance.
"What is it?" Janice asked.
"The major cities managed to repel the ambush like you had predicted that will happen, but the smaller ones, other than Falkreath, had fallen to the enemy." The courier relayed what was told to him.
"I see, well, I just have to send more men from Cyrodiil to take back the cities." Janice said. "The blood of the innocents should never be spilled."
"I will report back to General Tullius at once, Your Majesty!" The courier saluted before galloping off.
"So, Dawnstar, Morthal and Winterhold got taken?" Derkeethus asked as he joined Janice, the group of assigned guards following him.
"Yes, I thought the mages in Winterhold would have helped, but evidently they did not." Janice said.
"That's sad then. Where is Beehaz anyway?" Derkeethus asked.
"Here," Janice said as she fished the statuette out.
"Good detail in the carving." Derkeethus said as he observe the carving of Alduin.
"Well, we will be going to Markarth after this, I need to do something in the Temple of Dibella before we head back." Janice said.
"Is this something to do with the 'Khajiit Dibella' thing?" Derkeethus asked.
"Yes," Janice said. "You can go back with the rest if you don't want to come with me on this short detour."
"I will stay with you." Derkeethus said as the army resurfaces, looking rather tired after killing the remnants of the Stormfist that Ralof had build.
A/N: That's it for this chapter, stay tuned for the special, rather short, alternate scene! I am using materials from chapter 9, so re-read that chapter if you forgot some details. I am going to leave this here in case you don't plan to read the alternate scene: consider favouriting and following this story if you like it! Please review if you would like to comment on whatever is happening in the story and whether you like it or not! All constructive feedback will be taken into consideration!
1. Portal and Dark Souls respectively.
2. Pokémon
3. 'Biological' might be too advance a word for TES, but I don't know what the people will call their real parents, or at least their flesh and blood parents.
Alternate scene: I am what?!
"He can die from injuries, the pain inflicted here goes directly to the soul. If the soul can't take it, it dies. Also another thing, why do you craft your husband's bow from the remains of your kin?" Akatosh asked me.
"What do you mean 'my kin'?" I shot back in slight surprise.
"I guess it is time," Akatosh said as he finished his enchantment on Derkeethus' bow. "I should explain that soul of yours."
"What are you getting on about?" I asked the god.
"Come here Alduin." Akatosh beckoned to the mini black dragon. As she got closer, Akatosh levitated her to the top of my head.
Now I kind of get what Shadowmere was talking about, I thought as I balanced the black dragon on my head. "How sweet, two sisters back together at last." A form said that I immediately identify as Dibella stepped out from a portal.
"Sisters? What are you going on about?" I asked the goddess.
"You shouldn't delay any longer," A muscular sounding voice (A/N: I imagine it sound like Thor since I never heard Stendarr talking, I only played Oblivion and Skyrim to tell the real truth. I am gathering the other things written as lore from the UESP) sounded as a muscular figure with a lion's mane stepped out from another portal. From the portraits of the divines I found on some of the walls in the palace, this new person look like Stendarr.
"Right! If there are no more interruptions, I can get started!" Akatosh snapped in anger, nearly knocking the nordic man-god standing near his jaws over again.
"As you know, your dragonsoul is unique since no other dragon had the same look as Alduin, not even Paarthurnax, Alduin's closest brother." Akatosh continued after calming down. "The fact is, and I don't know how to break it gently enough, your soul was of the dragon I had created as a pair millions of years ago. You and Alduin were twin sisters, one white, the other black, like how good and evil balanced each other out. Yin and Yang as one of my other counterparts in another universe so put it, in fact, that very god had his own black and white dragon (A/N: a reference to Zekrom and Reshiram from Pokemon, only going to be one though, so don't worry, this is not crossover time) Though, I see that something is wrong with your form, your eyes were used to be pure white with red pupils, now they are… of a vampire?! Why?" Akatosh exclaimed as I felt a tiny impact on my head as both of my and my apparent sister's lower jaw fell in shock.
"So, who is my real mother then?" I asked. "And I want to live forever, and since vampirism grants immortality, I went ahead and became a vampire, the strongest kind of vampire."
"Mother? Umm… I never thought you would ask this question… Uh…" Akatosh stammered nervously.
"What is it that you are hiding?" I asked curiously.
"Come on, she deserve to know where she came from." Talos encouraged the god.
"Hmm… Do you remember Meridia?" Akatosh asked me as a strange distortion formed beside him.
"Of course I do, I helped her kill the undead in her temple under Mount Kilkreath. She gave me her neat Daedric artifact and told me to kill the undead with it. I had a lot of fun using it." I replied.
"Good to see you are alive and well then, as well as having fun with the little toy I gave you, my daughter." Meridia said as she stepped from the portal.
"Meridia?! How did you come into Aetherius? I thought Daedric Princes can't come into Aetherius?" I asked in surprise.
"I was a Magna Ge (Note 1), though I was cast into Oblivion after I consorted with the daedra during the formation of Mundus and became a Daedric Prince instead. So, I do have access to Aetherius, just not permanently." Meridia explained.
"So why did you call me your daughter then?" I asked, not getting what a 'Magna Ge' was.
"Akatosh wanted to create some dragons to populate Nirn, so he came to me before the Magna Ge fled to Aetherius. I said I will help him and you were born as an egg. Before I could see you hatch though, we were driven to flee from Lorkhan's treachery." Meridia explained as she stroked my scaly snout.
"Anything else?" I asked rather dizzily.
"You hatched at the same time as that abomination hatched." Meridia said rather angrily, eyes staring furiously above my head; I assumed she was staring at Alduin, but I will never know.
"Abomination? Why?" I asked cautiously, not wanting to anger my supposed parents.
"He went on to create her through some magic, and he imbued it with all the bad that he possessed, leaving him pure, but the hatchling pure evil." Meridia explained.
"I am not that evil! You should have seen what Miraak was up to!" Alduin shouted.
"Says the dragon who wanted to enslave every single living soul." Meridia rebutted.
"This reunion is not like it should be…" Talos said sadly.
"Well, on the bright side, they are arguing like a family now." Dibella said.
"You call that arguing?" Talos said as he dodged Meridia's balls of fire that was unsuccessfully trying to hit Alduin.
"Well, now they are having a fight!" Dibella tried to sound correct.
"Right," Talos sighed as he blocked another stray ball of fire.
"Would you both calm down?!" Father and I exclaimed.
"So what if Alduin is evil? At least I know that I can defeat her if it comes to that." I said.
"You… are right." Meridia said as she stopped.
"So, mother… father… Is there anything else you want to say?" I asked Akatosh and Meridia.
"Just use Dawnbreaker to your heart's content, I don't mind if you don't want to do it in my name anymore, really." Meridia said as she disappeared.
"Just go, I have matters to tend to." Akatosh said as he opened a portal behind me and my apparent sister. "Go on then."
I nudged Derkeethu's limp body into the portal before entering it with Alduin together. I blacked out for the second time today.
A/N: So that is it for the alternate scene, note that this has nothing to do with the storyline, so you don't have to remember anything that happened here. It was also one of the reason why I had not actually extend what Meridia and Akatosh could have said to Janice since this scene isn't important. Oh well, see you in the next chapter! Bye!
1. She was believed to be one of the Magna Ge before she became a Daedric Prince, but for the sake of this little alternate scene, I will make her originate from her supposed Magna Ge background.