Author's Note: Sorry for the flashback, but Seridur was getting insistent that I tell this part of his story.
Chapter 17 - Seridur's Escape
20 First Seed, 5E 3
Seridur was passing the docks on his way back to the Palace with the Dragon Lady's gleamblossoms when he heard, "Odahviing! Dovgrahaak! Durnehviir!" in a voice he recognized as a dragon Shout from when the Greybeards had summoned and later recognized the Dragonborn.
Did that mean she'd been rescued? He'd never heard her voice, so he couldn't identify it that way - but who else in Alinor could Shout? And it was common knowledge that she rode a red dragon named Odahviing. Which meant ... "Everyone find shelter!" he yelled. "Dragons are coming!"
He got a number of bewildered stares, but when he headed for one of the stone piers and ducked under it, taking his own advice, people began to scatter. He hoped they'd all make it, but with dragons coming, that was unlikely.
The water was cold, but he had no desire to climb back out, and not long afterward, he heard huge wings and dragon Shouts. He flinched as flame licked along the water beside him, and debris either splashed, or hit the pier's surface with a crash. Screams mixed in with the other noises. Part of him wanted to see what was going on but was afraid to look. The rest of him had no desire to look at what would undoubtedly make what he'd seen in combat look tame.
He waited for what seemed days, but by the shadows he could see couldn't have been more than a couple of hours. At that point, ships slid up on both sides of the pier he was under, and he heard shouted orders and running feet as Legionnaires disembarked to begin a ground attack.
The dragons had quit shouting, and he couldn't hear their wingbeats any more, so they must be perched. When the shouts and footsteps retreated, Seridur cautiously moved out from under the pier and up enough he could look around.
It was appalling. Except for the Palace, the city was on fire, and much of it in ruins. When the Empire took revenge for one of its rulers, it did an extremely thorough job of it. Not that he could blame them, he admitted grudgingly. Thalmor weren't exactly known for treating their prisoners well, and the way he, among others, had treated the Stormcrown ...
He shuddered, and began stripping off his gilded armor. He'd be much safer in a muddied tunic, even if he kept his sword and coin purse.
An hour or so later, the dragons began roaring again, but this time he felt chill, not heat, and dared to look out again. They were putting out fires now, they and their riders helping people out of the wreckage, some of the riders treating wounds.
That puzzled him. Aiding a fallen enemy was no part of Thalmor doctrine, but it seemed routine for these ... what was it, Skyguard?
He emerged from the water, climbing back onto the shore, and a Skyguard spotted him. "You all right?" When Seridur nodded, the Skyguard grinned. "Smart man, hiding under a stone pier. Go dry off and warm up. King Imiril has surrendered to Prince Gaius and the Stormcrown, so we're into clean-up and occupation mode. Behave yourself, and we won't bother you."
"Thank you." Feeling stunned by the changes that had taken place in only a few hours, Seridur headed for his barracks. So crown Prince Imiril was King now ... which meant the old King was dead. Not too surprising, with the Empire invading. He sighed. A hot bath and clean clothes would be nice, and some sleep if he could manage it ... but then, he needed to plan an escape. If the Impies found out who he was and what he'd done to their Stormcrown, he'd be dead, and he didn't particularly like that idea.
The next morning, wearing middle-class clothes and carrying the only part of his Thalmor gear he'd kept, his glass sword, and with his heavy coin-purse hidden under his tunic and a much lighter one on his belt, he went to the merchant section of the docks. Those had been damaged, but not as badly as the military section, and he was just looking for a way out of the Isles, so he wasn't particular about either the captain or the condition of his ship. He was hardly the only one attempting to leave the islands, either; the docks were fairly crowded.
After a few hours, he'd negotiated passage to the Imperial City on a tramp trader for what he considered an outrageous fee ... almost as bad as some of the bribes he'd gotten for the Dragon Lady's time, back in the good days. If other refugees had to pay what he did, these merchant captains would be very well off with just the one trip!
But if he wanted to get out of Alinor, he didn't have a great deal of choice, so he did what he had to, and about a week later, he disembarked at the Imperial City. He had spent the trip learning northern geography, and the ship's officers had advised him on the best low-cost places to stay and buy supplies, so he took advantage of that, and by the time he was ready to buy a horse the next morning, he had some nice elven armor - definitely not the gilded style of a Thalmor soldier - and supplies for a fairly long trip, though he'd probably restock in Bruma.
The ride there gave him plenty of time to think about his future, which inevitably led him to thoughts of the Dragon Lady ... usually called Ysmir in Skyrim, he learned. He found himself missing her, and not just for the time in bed. Once he'd won that bet and been named her manager, he'd spent quite a bit of time with her, and rapidly come to actually like her, despite her communication difficulties.
He'd learned she lived at a place called Lakeview Manor, in Skyhold Hold, of which she was Jarl. It amused him how easy it was to learn things about her ... she was clearly well-liked, and there was widespread happiness that she was pregnant, "by the blessing of Akatosh". The capital of her Hold was Helgen, where she'd first encountered Alduin World-Eater, and which she'd had rebuilt.
The more he learned, the more he regretted his actions during the first month and a half of her captivity. Sure, he'd been under orders, but helping to take revenge on the greatest enemy of the Thalmor hadn't exactly been oppressive duty, brutal though it had been. Now he wanted to find her and apologize for himself and his troopers. Not for the Justiciars, though; he'd had no authority over them.
But for his greatest mistake as her manager? Yes, he definitely owed her an apology for that one, and it was totally his fault, for not thinking to ask how she felt about female lovers. She'd explained to him later that dragons never did that sort of thing, found even the thought revolting, and he'd paid for the Justiciar's injuries, plus a penalty; even blunted, the Dragon Lady's claws did damage, and her fangs did more.
In Bruma, he replenished his supplies, and was advised to trade in his Cyrodiil horse for a Skyrim one before heading over Pale Pass. He did so, looking a bit dubious at the stocky, shaggy beast he got, but as he ascended the Pass, he began to appreciate it. It was more stolid than he was used to, but also more sure-footed. And that proved just as important on the trip up.
He debated whether to use his own name or a false one once he got into Skyrim. Once he'd gotten off the ship, no one seemed to know who Seridur was - hardly surprising, since he'd been a mere sergeant in charge of a single squad. So that seemed safe enough, at least at first ... but Derisur if his own name got a negative reaction the first time he used it.
He was challenged at the Skyrim border, by a Legionnaire and a Skyguard, with a dragon lazing on a sunny rock not far away. "Welcome to Skyrim," the Skyguard said. "One of the refugees from the Isles, huh?"
Seridur nodded. "Yes ... Seridur, formerly of the Thalmor military."
The Skyguard grinned. "Sergeant of Dovahkiin's guard? We can't be that lucky!"
Seridur frowned, getting ready to turn his horse and run, though that wouldn't do much good if the dragon pursued. "Ah ... yes. I was ... hoping to see her, make some apologies."
The dragon rose and stretched, approaching. "Zu'u Nahyolqo - in Common, I am Fury Fire Lightning. You will see her soon, as she wishes it as well. He raised his head and Called. "Dovahkiin ko Helgen. Mu meyz voth Seridur."
The reply sounded happy. "Geh! Zu'u bo. Kogaan ko hi ahrk mok!"
The dragon snorted at Seridur. "Leave your horse with Sargon, then mount me. Harimund and I will fly you to Helgen to meet Dovahkiin."
"Ah ... " Seridur had been dubious about riding what looked like a shaggy draft horse, but the idea of riding a dragon was frightening. "What were you saying?"
"I told her to meet us at Helgen, that we were coming with you. She agreed, and sent blessings to us and you." The dragon crouched, extending his folded wing. "Watch how Harimund mounts, then do the same."
Seridur did as he was told, trying not to show his reluctance. As soon as he was settled behind Harimund, the dragon took off. Seridur managed not to cry out, but he did clutch Harimund's waist.
Once they were airborne, it wasn't so bad, and it was fascinating to see the land from above, like an incredibly detailed map. And flying was fast - the distance they covered in a few minutes would have taken days on horseback, even longer on foot.
There was a red dragon perched on the roof of a shop when the one he was riding landed in a plaza in front of a large pavilion. Seridur dismounted, not very gracefully, and the dragon took off again. Another Skyguard approached him and bowed. "Seridur? I'm Captain Hadvar. The Jarl is waiting for you." He gestured to the far end of the pavilion, where a small Khajiit was sitting on a very large throne.
He approached slowly. The Dragon Lady was hard to recognize, fully clad in a brocade robe and wearing a crown, but he bowed when he got close enough to see her face. "It's good to see you again, Majesty. I hope you're well."
Yssha rose and stepped down from the throne dais, smiling and extending her hands. "I am doing very well, my friend. I am delighted to see that you escaped the destruction."
She had a very nice voice, he decided, and a pleasant undertone that sounded like a tiny purr. He took her offered hands. "I'm afraid I lost the gleamblossoms for your tisane, though."
She chuckle-purred, and the men standing beside the throne laughed. "It is all right. Come, let me introduce you." The larger man, an armored Nord, was Argis the Bulwark, her housecarl. Seridur gulped as the introduced the other, an Imperial in Daedric armor, as her husband, Marcurio.
It surprised him when Marcurio, instead of looking upset, offered a brief smile. "I understand I owe you thanks for stopping my wife's torture. I could wish you'd found a different method, but yours did work." He paused. "She killed Ungarion and Nerissa, by the way."
"Good!" Seridur was surprised again at his own vehemence. "Slowly, I hope."
"As slowly as can be done with a Shout, yes," Yssha replied. "Why? I had the impression you liked, or at least respected, them."
"Hated their guts would be more like it," Seridur said. "I couldn't let it show, of course, or I'd've become one of their victims instead of their squad's commander. I'm truly sorry I had to help with the torture. I hope you can forgive me, some eon, even if it's long after I'm dead. They did more and worse to you than they were able to with anyone else. Truth be told, I'm surprised you didn't go insane."
Is he being truthful, zeymah? Yssha sent. If so, then I owe him the truth in return, and the forgiveness he asks.
He is, briinah, came the reply.
Yssha blinked, then took hold of Seridur's shoulders and pulled him down so she could lick his nose. "Talos tells me you are being honest, so yes, I forgive you. And I owe you some truth in turn."
"Huh? He talks to you?" Seridur asked, as he straightened.
"Indeed - he was also Dragonborn, so we are brother and sister, despite being born over six centuries apart and of different physical races." She paused. "You may find this difficult to believe, but all dragons are, since Akatosh is Father of all our souls, siblings."
"You mean you were avenged by family, not just your subjects?"
"Yes ... and protected by those within me, as well."
Seridur frowned. "I don't understand - dragons within you? That's not possible."
Argis laughed. "Not the dragons themselves, no - but dragons absorb the souls of other dragons they kill, and it's a chain thing. So Ysmir has the souls of hundreds, maybe thousands, of dragons, within her."
"Three of whom are always awake," Yssha added. "The great majority are asleep most of the time, but wake when needed." She smiled. "So during the torture, I was being protected from the pain and mental damage by my internal family."
Seridur shook his head. "I still don't understand, but I'm glad, and you're clearly sane and happy. Also pregnant, if the rumors I heard on the way here are true."
"Quite true," Yssha said with a smile. "But I fear my hospitality is lacking ... please, come inside. You have been traveling, so some wine, and perhaps a meal, would be welcome."
"I'd enjoy that, yes. I ... hadn't expected such hospitality, Majesty."
That got a chuckle-purr. "Here, that would be 'My Jarl' or 'Your Grace' if we were being formal. But I would prefer it if you would use one of my names, all things considered."
Even Marcurio chuckled at that, as they entered the Palace. "Yeah. Maybe even Yssha, given the circumstances."
Yssha led them to the family dining room, had a servant take their orders, then smiled. "That would be appropriate, yes. He is not Family, but he did me a very great service, and I hope he will take on a certain task for me." She turned to Seridur. "Only if you are willing, of course. After your help earlier, I certainly have no desire to coerce you."
After their drinks were brought, and Seridur had sipped at some excellent wine, he studied Yssha briefly. "And what is it you wish of me?"
"To supervise the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the place I plan to live when my son is old and well-trained enough that I may abdicate my Jarldom and leave it to him. You will have as much help as you wish, and much as I hate to admit it after my upbringing, I actually liked the way you had my suite decorated." She grinned. "I love luxury, and my taste in colors has often been criticized. Skuldafn will keep you busy for some time. And if you can re-establish the connection to Mzulft, that would be an added bonus. At present, the only access is by dragon."
Seridur smiled. "I only have to please you, beautiful one? And you like my taste in decor?"
"Yes, and yes."
"I am at your service, my Lady Yssha." He gave her a seated bow. And Marcurio hid a grimace. Yssha's taste in interior decoration didn't match his, at all!