Nero came out from Jorrvaskr, clad in studded armor with iron gauntlets and boots, holding an iron helmet. He had two skyforge steel swords strapped to his back along with a banded iron shield. He didn't have time to wait for most of his Housecarls to return with a set of dragonbone armor, having just sent them back to Dragons-bane Manor to retrieve the powerful armor and weapons from his armories.
Lydia had asked if it would be necessary to take anything out from his vault, but Nero declined that, reasoning that it would be too risky for those items to come out lest they should fall into the wrong hands. This was a bad situation, but some of those relics would have made things worse. Amongst them was the Elder Scroll, and that would prove no use here.
His Housecarls would be back soon enough with weapons and armor for Nero's friends to protect Whiterun with. Meanwhile, the cities defenses were being organised by Captain Hadvar who had sent word to General Tullius with hopes that Tullius would send reinforcements, if not arrive with an army in tow. For now, Hadvar and the other legionnaires were making do with the men and supplies that they had.
The dragons that followed Nero were perched on the tops of houses and the walls of Whiterun, keeping watch, whilst several circled above the city scanning the surrounding land and sky for any invaders.
The people of Whiterun and those who had journeyed there for the festival had been evacuated and were en route west. Queen Elisif was leading them to Solitude where they might seek refuge. Hrongar, Balgruuf's brother, also accompanied them to protect Balgruuf's children, on his brother's wishes.
Meanwhile, everyone who was willing to fight stayed at Whiterun. There were a great many who were willing to defend the daughter of the Dragonborn. Nero reflected that the world had finally begun to remember the debts it owed.
Julia would be staying in Dragonsreach with Nero's Housecarls and some of the Jarl's men, to keep her safe. But she wasn't taking the news well from her mother.
"I want to go with you and Daddy," she insisted.
Serana grabbed Julia's shoulders, "I know, but you'll be safer here. We can't protect you whilst also fighting the bad guys."
"I could fight too!" argued Julia.
"This isn't training, Julia," said Serana, "me and your father need you to stay here with Lydia and the others. They're going to protect you. Everyone is."
Julia threw her arms around her mother, "promise you'll be careful."
Serana smiled, "I promise."
After a long embrace, Julia released her mother and turned to Nero who had joined them beside the Gildergreen.
"Listen to your mother, Julia. She knows best."
Julia then threw her arms around her father and held him tightly, "you promise too, Daddy."
Nero rested a hand on Julia's head and held her close, "I promise my little dragon."
After another long moment, Julia finally released her father, just as Lydia came over.
"Now go with Lydia and stay with her. Until me and your mother are back, you do whatever she tells you, alright?" instructed Nero.
Julia nodded, and walked over to Lydia who took her hand. Lydia gave Nero a knowing nod to say "I will protect her no matter what" which Nero returned before she turned back and ascended the steps to Dragonsreach with Julia.
Nero and Serana watched their daughter go and give them one last look before she disappeared from sight above the steps.
Nero turned to Serana, "are you ready?"
Serana nodded, and then the pair of them set off for the foot of the city.
Farkas was sat on a rock, sharpening Wuuthrad whilst Vilkas regarded Ysgramor's Shield and Dawnbreaker and Aela felt Auriel's Bow in her hands and Auriel's Shield was slung over her back but she looked up as Nero and Serana approached.
"You could've said you brought these earlier when we were fighting you know," said Aela.
"I meant for them to be a surprise," admitted Nero, "I was going to bring them out after the speech but I forgot about them when all the craziness began."
Nero saw that Farkas was sharpening Wuuthrad though and inquired, "Farkas, you don't like your gift?"
"Oh the hammer is nice, but since my brother's got Ysgramor's shield, I should have his axe. Ysgramor would want me to use it defending my harbinger's daughter. And the hammer's a bit too heavy for me."
Nero looked down at the Champion's Cudgel he'd brought and saw that it was rather hefty, and decided to relent, "well, if you're sure."
Then Nero put his iron helmet on, took a few steps forward and shouted, "DURNEHVIIR"
Within a moment, the undead dragon appeared before him.
"Ah, Qahnaarin, it has been some time."
"It has, Durnehviir. Listen, do you know of the island north of Skyrim?"
Durnehviir tilted his head, thinking.
"It may have gone by the name of Wyrmstooth."
The undead dragon made a motion as if to say he just found the answer, "ah yes. That island... it was not the territory of mortals
"Could you take me and my Companions there?"
Durnehviir looked between him and the others before back at Nero, "I can, although I can only carry three on my back. Two would have to be carried by my claws."
Nero turned back to the others and thought about who should go where.
After several minutes, Durnehviir was flying with Nero, Serana and Aela on his back, whilst Vilkas and Farkas were carried by Durnehviir's claws and Vilkas was less than enjoying it.
"You alright down there guys?!" asked Nero loudly.
"Do I have to answer!?" cried back Vilkas who held his mouth trying not to vomit.
Durnehviir cascaded through the skies, northward, towards Labyrinthian.
As he did so, Serana cast one look back at Whiterun where her daughter was staying safe with the people she trusted to protect her. Then she reluctantly turned her head back forward and held on tightly to Nero who was at the front.
"She'll be okay, Serana," said Aela, "everyone in that city is going to protect her."
Serana nodded, "I know... but being a mom, I'll always worry."
Nero wanted to chime in to that, but he tried to stay focused.
Find Zarys. Kill him. End this.
They flew over Labyrinthian towards Dawnstar and the sea beyond that as the sun slowly descended to the horizon.
Julia watched on the bridge to Dragonsreach as one dragon flew way into the distance and Lydia stood beside her.
"I hope they're careful," she said, to which Lydia put a hand on her shoulder.
"Oh come on, this is your mom and dad we're talking about, they're gonna be fine."
Julia looked up to Lydia and smiled, before both of them went into the palace.
The light was slowly leaving the sky as legionnaires got into their positions surrounding the city along with Whiterun guards and several of Nero's allies who had decided to stay and fight.
Hadvar rode at the front, watching the ranks and scanning the plains surrounding the city. One would think that an army of dragons and draugr would be easy to spot, but he preferred to stay safe nonetheless.
Soon enough, the Housecarls had arrived with several wagons of weapons and armor which they had handed out selectively to whom they believed would best fit the weapon and armor.
Gunmar peered at the Champion's Cudgel before picking it up, "is anyone using this?"
Jordis, who was distributing Nero's armor and weapons to different people, looked back at it.
"That's a gift to Farkas," she explained.
"Did he want it?"
"I don't know, he left it here."
"... is anyone else using it?"
"Take it, but bring it back when Farkas returns."
Gunmar smiled and walked off with the big hammer.
Asmund came over and looked at several staves that had been brought by the Housecarls and he almost immediately recognised one of them.
"Is this the Staff of Magnus?!"
Iona turned to him and nodded.
Asmund took it and regarded it, "woah. I've heard so many stories about this thing. I have an idea."
He turned to move but then noticed a shield sitting at the foot of the wagon and he picked it up, "what's this?"
"It's called Spellbreaker, it blocks spells," explained Iona, "take that too."
Asmud smiled and took the shield as well before making his way back up the city.
Jarl Balrguuf came walking through Dragonsreach, clad in his steel-plate armor with Irileth beside him.
"We have about fifty men en route from Fort Greymoor my lord," said Irileth.
"Less than half of what I'd hoped for," said Balgruuf, ""any word from General Tullius yet?"
"Not yet. Our couriers may still be en route to Solitude, but they ride fast.
"Where is Nero's daughter?"
"She is on the great porch, guarded by Nero's red dragon and his Housecarls."
"Good. And my children?"
"Your brother Hrongar accompanies them to Solitude," explained Irileth.
He walked through the doors to his palace and looked out.
"And here we were celebrating peace, on these very steps, over an hour ago."
A gentle breeze blew over the city and caught the banners of Whiterun high.
"My lord, is this really all necessary?" asked Irileth.
Balgruuf turned to her, stunned, and when she noticed his expression she elaborated.
"I mean, we're going to so much trouble to protect one child."
Balgruuf regarded her words for a moment before he answered her question.
"Ten years ago, Nero Dragons-bane came to this very palace to ask for reinforcements for Riverwood against the dragons. He didn't have to do that. He was a free man. He could've gone anywhere, done anything. He chose to come here, to help, in any way he could. Not too long after that, he came to me again to ask if he could trap a dragon in my palace. I admit, I thought he was crazy, but we did it, didn't we?"
Irileth nodded, recalling what happened all that time ago.
"When we did, he rode off on that same red dragon to slay the World-Eater and save Skyrim. And he did."
"I remember," answered Irileth.
Balgruuf nodded, "and since then, he has saved us time and again, not just from dragons, but from vampires and thalmor and even another dragonborn if his stories are to be believed."
"My Jarl, I don't believe I see your point."
"And he has never asked to be thanked. All he asks us now is to protect his daughter. Do you not believe that we owe that much to him?"
Irileth didn't answer, seeing Balgruuf's point now.
"I would assemble all my power to protect any one of my subjects. So when the Dragonborn, the Thane of this city and the hero to many people in Skyrim asks me to protect his child, I will."
"I understand, my lord."
Balgruuf turned back to the city, "you're a good soldier, Irileth. Thank you for being by my side all these years."
"It's been an honor, my lord. Besides, where would you be without me?" smiled Irileth.
Balgruuf looked at her and smiled back.
On the Great Porch of Dragonsreach stood Julia, the Housecarls and Odahviing who wore a look of half disgust and annoyance.
"Ni daar golt," he said, "I find it hard to believe that I find myself in this place again."
"What's so wrong with this place?" asked Lydia, until she noticed the ceiling decor and remembered what Nero had told her about this room.
"Ohhh this is where Nero imprisoned you ten years ago, right," she concluded.
Lydia wasn't sure if Odahviing had actually rolled his eyes there but she could well believe that he had.
Julia sat silently, thinking about her parents and hoping to the gods' that they would be okay.
Odahviing stared out at the plains from the porch whilst the Housecarls all faced the doors.
"It will start soon," thought Lydia who stood at the head of them, ready for whatever would come through the door.
Asmund stood on the steps up to Dragonsreach and held the Staff of Magnus in one hand and a book in the other, reading the words over a couple of times before dropping the book and holding the staff in both hands.
"Okay," he said before taking a few breaths.
He began to speak in a strange language whilst holding the staff which began to shake as he spoke and rogressively got louder. The green orb lit up, and on a last word, Asmund struck the bottom of the staff to the floor, and suddenly a strange green transparent sphere began expanding from the orb outwards, covering the whole city. Balgruuf and Irileth who were on the steps saw it, and slowly more and more people saw it as the sphere got larger and larger, covering the Cloud District, Wind District and eventually moving past the Plains District, going past the soldiers who stood stop the walls of the city and those who were positioned outside of it, finally coming to a stop on the plains.
Odahviing saw it from the great porch and Julia and the others came to see it.
Asmund smiled. It had worked.
"What is this?" asked Balgruuf.
Asmund turned up to the Jarl, "it's a shield. A barrier of magic."
Balgruuf smiled, "I love the friends you make, Nero," he said absently.
The soldiers and the dragons stood, ready for whatever would come at them now. As the Sun slowly descended from the sky, the whole city was ready for war.
~ The Throat of the World ~
Zarys sat on the empty skeleton of one of the traitorous dragons. His sword was embedded in the skeleton of the dragon whilst his helmet rested upon the tip.
Vulthuryol was speaking to all the other dragons of their faction who now dominated the mountain. He was a good public speaker, and he was getting the other dragons ready for the fight that would be ahead.
Meanwhile, Zarys was regarding the broken word wall, the wall that was meant to hold the first word ever spoken. He was aware that a somewhat common belief among nords was that here, at the peak of the mountain, was where the divines had first 'blessed' the world with men. He had never bought into such nonsense, but he wondered if the legend had something to do with the word of power that must have been inscribed up here, whatever it was. There was speculation as to what this word could be. Did it create life? Hence the myth of men beginning here?
Some words of power were more powerful than others, and if this word wall housed such a word, it would be more powerful than any others, perhaps even more powerful than-
"Father!"
Zarys turned to see one of his children, Proxa, arriving on her dragon.
She landed and dismounted before walking over to him and bowing.
"Father, we were unsuccessful in obtaining the child. My siblings have assembled the draugr army from Saarthal and they are marching to the city as we speak."
"Good. Create a mist to cover the city in as you move the troops. I will join from the sky."
Zarys put his helmet on and pulled his sword out of the dragon skeleton before he looked up, "Vulthuryol! It is time."
The black and god dragon came down off the very oeak of the mountain and landed next to Zarys for him to mount up.
"To war," he said and then all the dragons took off, into the sky.
Author's Notes
Did anyone see the video of the Whiterun guard speaking to us about the 10th Anniversary? I gotta say, I nearly did tear up a little bit. If you haven't yet, go check it out!
Anyway, things are beginning to really kick off in Skyrim. Julia is in Whiterun surrounded by the city guard, legionnaires and most of Nero's allies and his dragon faction. Meanwhile, Nero himself along with Serana and the Circle have flown to Wyrmstooth Island to try and find Zarys. Although we know he's not there but with Vulthuryol and the evil dragon faction who are now joining the army of draugr to attack Whiterun! AGH! What's going to happen from here?!
By the way, did anyone notice Nero's armor? He's wearing the old signiature look of the dragonborn in the game trailer! The studded armor with iron boots, gauntlets and helmet! He is sticking to his usual two swords style but he's brought a shield with him this time, who knows, he might need it.
By the by the way, did anyone notice what I changed the logo to? :)
Thank you for reading! I'm glad I was able to get another chapter out this soon as opposed to my usual month wait. I'm really enjoying this and I hope I can get another chapter out soon!