The Dragon War raged across the planes of Whiterun. The city itself was in ruins and littered with the corpses of soldiers, draugr and fallen dragons. Fire engulfed many of the smashed and broken houses and Dragonsreach had been set ablaze. The sky above was a storm of ice and fire as the dragons engaged in their final battle of wills.
Inside the walls, Jarl Balgruuf and Irileth were stood back to back against draugr that circled them.
"It's been an honor my Lord," said Irileth as she raised her sword up and pointed it at the undead.
"The honor's all mine, Irileth," smiled Balgruuf, "here at the end of it."
"Nothing could be a nobler ending, my lord," smiled Irileth.
They both smiled at each other before they battle cried and engaged the draugr around them.
Tobias had run out of steam and returned to his human form, now wielding his skyforge steel sword as he cut down skeletons and draugr that continued to mount the walls around the city. He found Asmund on the stairs to the palace along with several other mages from the College who were all shooting magic against the oncoming hordes. The Gildergleam had caught fire, much like the rest of the city, and the shield above had all but dissipated, so Asmund was now aiming the Staff at the dragons that attacked from above.
"How's it going up here?!" asked Tobias.
"Fantastic!" cried Asmund as he shot a spell from the staff and caught a dragon in the head, "You?!"
Tobias looked to the dead draugr, "well well, I guess magic does have its perks," he smiled.
They noticed another small group of draugr fast approaching and he and Tobias stood next to each other and battle cried.
On the fields outside what was left of the city, the Imperial Legion were fighting the draugr horde whose numbers were finally beginning to dwindle. General Tullius cut down a draugr just as an evil dragon landed and skidded across the ground several metres behind him. Legate Rikke was across the field on the other side, slicing draugr limbs off here and there as another dragon landed to finish off the one that had fallen. Soon enough, the General and Legate were beside each other.
"Every time I think I've seen it all, this country sneaks up and kicks me right in the-"
Rikke decapitated a draugr who was about to stab Tullius in the back, "never a dull moment where Legate Nero is involved, it seems!"
Tullius smiled, "I'll let him give the speech at the end of this!"
Rikke laughed as they continued battling the draugr horde.
Hadvar smashed draugr here and there with the Champion's Cudgel as mages and archers shot magic and arrows up at the sky to the dragons and down to the rising dead.
Inside Dragonsreach, the Housecarls were fighting draugr that had broken in. Lydia sent an axe flying into the skull of a draugr and watched it fall.
Odahviing stood, watching for any dragons coming for him; he saw that some had taken notice and were preparing to strike.
Julia looked up in fear; the noise was so loud.
"Be brave," she told herself, "be brave like Mommy and Daddy!"
Asmund saw several dragons descending towards them; he tried shooting magic from the staff and he landed several shots but one dragon still managed to swoop over and crash into the main doors of the palace.
The Housecarls turned to see it as the wood settled around it and it tilted its scaly head around.
It looked straight at Lydia who returned the stare before it raised its head, inhaling.
"Get to cover!" she cried as she jumped behind a pillar just as the dragon breathed fire across the whole room.
The wood of the pillar caught fire behind her and Lydia darted around to swing an axe upon the dragon's head. The others joined her but just as they got close, another dragon broke in the roof of the palace. It looked around and once again inhaled.
"FALL BACK!" cried Lydia and the others joined her in running up the stairs just as the dragon breathed fire down upon them
Rayya caught some flames on her back and fell down on the stairs but Lydia stopped and grabbed her arm, pulling her up, "keep moving!"
The Housecarls retreated back onto the great porch. Once inside, the others who had stayed behind to guard Julia closed the doors and got to barricading them.
Odahviing saw draugr climbing up the hill and so he wreathed them in flames but he noticed that several dragons were now descending towards him.
Lydia and the others backed up from the door which began being bashed and burned by the dragons on the other side.
"I don't think we can stay here!" said Jordis.
"It's not much better out there either!" said Iona.
Lydia helped Rayya back whilst still pointing her steel sword towards the door.
"They're gonna get through," she realised and she looked back to Julia and Odahviing.
Rayya pushed herself off of Lydia and onto the door, "you gotta get the girl out of here. You, Iona, Jordis, take the dragon and get Julia out of here! We'll hold them off!"
"What about you?!" asked Lydia as the other Housecarls joined Rayya in holding the doors shut.
"We'll be fine!" cried Rayya as the door bashed once, "GO!"
Jordis, Lydia and Iona backed up from them before Lydia turned and went back to Julia whom she picked up and went around to Odahviing and placed her up on.
"We can't stay here any longer. Odahviing, get us away from here."
The red dragon didn't take his eyes away, "the skies are not clear, vahdin. We will be attacked."
"We'll be attacked anyway. Get us out of the hold."
Lydia climbed on behind Julia and Jordis and Iona went around in front to be picked up by Odahviing's claws. Lydia cast one look back at the other Housecarls behind them who were keeping the doors shut.
Then fire erupted through the wood and she turned back, "GO!"
The red dragon spread its wings and took several steps before taking off, grabbing Jordis and Iona in his claws just before ascending over the edge of the great porch.
Jordis looked down and saw the immense fall beneath her.
Rayya and the others screamed as the dragon bashed through the door in an explosion of fire and timber.
Lydia looked back and saw fire erupt across the great porch, and from the smoke, a dragon emerged who locked eyes on them and roared before spreading its wings and taking to the sky in chase followed by two more dragons.
Odahviing swerved left to escape their pursuers as Lydia looked left to see the war taking place below.
The city had been destroyed; the houses were broken, fire engulfed the wood and Gildergleam below, and draugr were still flooding the city, though many of their forces had been depleted. On the planes outside, the Empire was fighting the draugr hordes and felling many of them. The sky above the city was still filled with dragons fighting, but Odahviing steered clear of the battle and was attempting to escape.
Unfortunately, three other dragons were on their tail.
Across Skryim, Durnehviir just passed Dawnstar and was approaching Labyrinthian.
They could see the fire in the sky from here however, and the horde of draugr on the planes below.
"How many are there?!" cried Aela.
"Somewhere between an ass load and a fuck ton," said Serana.
"We've got to get to Julia!" cried Nero.
Behind him, Serana was healing Nero's injuries to a sustainable level where he could fight.
As they flew over the ruins of the dragon priest temple, Nero spotted a red dragon leaving Dragonsreach. On top of him, Nero saw two figures.
"There they are!" cried Nero, "Durnehviir! Go after Odahviing!"
The undead dragon cascaded down the mountain and over the planes of Whiterun. Beneath him, fighting between the heroes of Skyrim and the army of the dead was ravaging the land. Dying dragons fell whilst those that still fought, Zarys' and Nero's, continued the hell in the skies above.
As they flew, souls from fallen dragons across the battle field rose up and were absorbed by Nero, healing and strengthening him again.
Nero saw three dragons following Odahviing, and so when close enough, he shouted,
"JOOR ZAH FRUL!"
Dragonrend flew and caught one dragon, sending it down.
Two more.
Nero shouted again too soon, and the shout caught another dragon, sending it down.
One more.
"Nero, don't-" cried Serana but she was too late as again Nero shouted way too quickly and blood shot from his mouth as he did so and he nearly passed out.
Dragonrend chased the evil dragon who unfortunately had caught wind of Nero's efforts and fell to avoid the shout which grasped Odahviing.
"SHIT!" cried Serana.
Aela nocked an arrow and let it sail into the evil dragon's head. It exploded upon impact and the evil dragon fell from the sky.
Souls from the fallen dragons raised up and were absorbed by Nero which healed his injuries and filled him with more energy, making him even stronger and suddenly very awake.
Odahviing began falling from the sky however and so Nero directed Durnehviir to follow them.
They cascaded over the planes and downwards towards a tower.
Odahviing dropped Jordis and Iona a moment before he landed and they tumbled along the ground just before the red dragon crashed and skidded across the ground with Lydia and Julia still atop him.
Lydia held Julia in her arms before leaping from Odahviing who crashed into the tower, destroying it.
Durnehviir dropped the twins and landed safely before Nero, Serana and Aela all leaped from him to the ground and ran forward.
Lydia on her back released her arms off Julia on her front and the girl stood up.
"JULIA!" cried Serana as she and Nero ran forward.
Julia turned to see her parents coming and she ran, "Mommy! Daddy!"
Serana and Nero cradled Julia in their arms, holding her so tightly and for so long. Julia never wanted to let go of her parents ever again. Finally, the Dragons-banes slowly released each other.
"Are you okay?" asked Serana as she placed her hands on Julia's cheeks and looking for any injuries.
"I'm fine, Mommy," assured Julia whilst Serana looked over her, "are you and Daddy okay?"
"We're alright, we're alright," said Serana before embracing her daughter once more.
The others came over to them and Odahviing went beside Durnehviir.
"Where's Rayya and the others?" asked Nero as he stood up.
Lydia stepped forward, "they stayed behind to let us escape."
Nero saw Lydia's face and looked down in silence, sparing a moment of thought for them.
"Is it over then?" asked Farkas.
They looked around to see the battle nearing its end with the majority of draugr dead.
Nero was about to answer, until he felt it. The power. The raw power that was approaching.
He stood up slowly, and turned around. Serana turned and followed his gaze. Julia looked up.
In the sky, from the ice and fire, a black and gold dragon was descending, with a rider.
"EVERYONE! GET READY! STAND TOGETHER!" cried Nero.
"Protect the child!" cried Aela.
Serana stayed with Julia right behind her, "no matter what happens, you stay with me, okay?"
"Okay, Mommy," nodded Julia.
Nero pulled his iron helmet off his head and unsheathed both his swords.
The dragon descended and landed nearby and from him, a figure leapt off and landed on the ground beside it. A figure in black and gold armor. He held no weapon but he was no less intimidating.
"Guys, that's him," said Aela as Lydia and the others looked upon him for the first time.
"Why hasn't he used the shout yet?" wondered Nero.
Then he saw Zarys staring past him and everyone else straight at Julia. Nero looked back to her and then forward at the warlord whose mouth twisted into an evil smile and he began to slowly walk forward, and Nero realised what he was doing.
Nero unsheathed both his swords and raised them up, "no matter what, do not let him near Julia!"
Serana held her daughter back as everyone else advanced towards the warlord.
Vulthuryol roared but both Durnehviir and Odahviing roared back at him and then the three dragons became engaged in a fight above them.
As Nero and his companions ran towards the warlord, Zarys inhaled deeply and, "FUS-"
Nero turned, "oh shit-!"
"RO DAH!"
Zarys' unrelenting force blasted Nero away and sent some of the others onto their backs.
The shout came at Julia and Serana who summoned a ward quick enough to block it. Nero however had not been so lucky and rolled across the ground, stopping several metres from his wife and daughter.
"Nero!" cried Serana who went to help him up.
"Daddy!" cried Julia who did the same.
Aela let loose an arrow at Zarys who moved his head and dodged it, letting it crash and explode behind him.
Lydia ran and launched herself in the air with her blade raised to stab Zarys' head.
"FEIM," spoke Zarys who became ethereal, allowing Lydia to pass through him and tumble along the ground behind him.
He then immediately followed up by shooting an ice storm at her, freezing her in place as he walked onward.
Aela ran at the warlord and jumped with her dagger out ready to strike. Zarys caught her throat and struck her hard in the face to the ground and Zarys walked onward.
The twins came at him together but with both hands Zarys threw runes on the ground in front of him that exploded when the brothers got close, sending both of them into the air and back several metres before crashing into the ground and Zarys walked onward.
Iona and Jordis came at him together; Jordis raised her sword and Iona threw her blade at him which he deflected by shooting a lightning bolt at it before firing two more at either Housecarl, catching them both in the chest and sending them onto their backs whilst he walked onward.
Serana helped Nero back up to his feet as they realised that Zarys was getting closer.
Nearby, they saw Durnehviir fall from the sky and disintegrated back to the soul cairn, leaving only Odahviing to content with Vulthuryol.
Nero ran forward, the only one left, and slid under Zarys' first strike as Serana backed up with Julia.
Nero went for Zarys' leg but scraped his armor, then his arm but scraped his bracer, then his face but Zarys' turned his head and the blade scraped across his helmet. Sparks flew from every connection Nero's blade made with Zarys' armor but the skyforge steel wasn;t strong enough to get through.
Zarys however suddenly reacted by reaching for Nero's throat with a speed that Nero just couldn't match and grabbed him before raising him up off the ground. Nero dropped his swords and grabbed Zarys' wrist in an attempt to free himself.
Nero felt Zarys tighten his grip and begin to strangle him and he desperately pulled at the fingers and hand. Zarys smiled as Nero screamed in anger and pain. His Thu'um shook the ground violently and Zarys struck him hard in the face to the ground, knocking him temporarily unconscious.
Finally, Zarys turned his attention to Julia and Serana who summoned sparks to her hands.
"You will not touch her," said Serana.
Zarys smiled and began slowly walking forward.
Serana fired her strongest magical sparks at him to which he raised a ward with both hands and continued to close the gap.
Julia clutched at Serana's legs and stayed behind her as Serana poured all the magicka she had into this shot.
Zarys' ward began to crack but he was still edging closer.
5 metres.
4..
3…
Serana screamed as she shot the last of her magicka into him and Zarys threw his hands forward and his ward exploded about a metre away from them both. They both stumbled a bit, but Zarys was ready and followed up with an elbow towards Serana's face. Serana quickly brought her arms up to block and felt the immense power of the warlord in front of her. She pushed the arm away before, in one move, she sent a jab up to his face which Zarys caught with one hand whilst simultaneously she quickly grabbed her elven dagger and sent it forth to stab his heart. Zarys however was even faster and dodged the attack before grabbing Serana's wrist with his free hand. Serana tried to jerk her arm free fruitlessly just before Zarys grabbed the dagger, yanked it out of her hand, and shoved it in her stomach.
Serana gasped and grabbed the dagger and the wrist of the warlord who held it in place.
Julia gasped and began breathing rapidly as she watched.
Nero regained himself and pushed himself up to get eyes on Zarys, and then he saw…
Zarys forced the dagger deeper and Serana nearly screamed until he grabbed her throat and slowly lifted her up.
"SERANA!" cried Nero.
"MOMMY!" Julia cried.
Zarys smiled before he pulled the dagger out and threw Serana towards Nero.
She crashed onto the ground and tumbled along next to Nero who pushed himself over to her and cradled her in his arms.
"You're alright, you're okay," began Nero as he rapidly tried to heal her bleeding wound.
Julia stared in disbelief as tears ran down her face. Slowly, the giant warlord turned around and faced her with an evil smile. She was breathing rapidly and slowly backed away.
"MOMMY! DADDY!"
Nero looked up from Serana to see Zarys approach his daughter.
Zarys reached down and Julia screamed as he wrapped his hands around her neck and turned her to face her parents, tears and snot covering her face in pure terror.
Nero looked horrified before he got back to his feet and summoned ice and fire to both his hands.
"GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER NOW!" demanded Nero, the words from his mouth shaking the ground and sky.
"I will release your daughter," smiled Zarys, "if you speak the words."
Nero's eyes went wide; Zarys wanted him to do it.
Suddenly, Odahviing crashed into the ground and Vulthuryol landed and plunged his teeth into Odahviing's neck ready to kill him. Zarys looked from him back to Nero.
"Say the words and I will let your daughter live."
Nero breathed heavily as he looked from Zarys to Julia and back to him.
"I assume you have a preference," added Zarys, "either I kill your daughter along with all of you, or I allow her at least to live. The choice is yours."
Nero was unable to move, "what do I do?" the thought screamed at him a million times at once.
"Daddy!" cried Julia.
Serana looked up from herself to the situation, and then up at Nero.
"Ah yes, you lack its understanding. Here."
Zarys closed his eyes and raised his head and Nero was about to use the opening until fire-like lights erupted from the warlord's body and wreathed Nero as he absorbed them, and he screamed. The meaning of the shout felt like poison inside him. It felt like it was ripping him apart from the inside. It was like Dragonrend but so much worse.
Nero fell to his knees from the pain in his very being at comprehending the shout. Hatred. Pure hatred.
"Now," said Zarys, his eyes open once again and his hand ready to deliver the final blow, "say the words."
Nero slowly pushed himself back up to his feet to face Zarys.
Zarys impatiently shrugged at his silence, "as you wish," and he made to stab Julia.
"NO-!"
"THEN SAY IT!" yelled Zarys.
Nero closed his eyes in the pain of the decision.
"SAY IT!"
"Daddy!"
"SAY IT!
"DADDY!
Zarys screamed as he moved to shove the dagger into Julia's neck and suddenly,
"AL BRON SIL."
The shout pulsated from Nero and echoed across the ground, and everything went bright for a moment.
Nero panted slowly, opening his eyes to see Zarys still holding Julia, but he was wide eyed and looking around. Then, it hit him. The sickness of the shout. Its' evil. Its' hatred. Its' pure disdain.
Nero fell to the ground, feeling like something inside of him had been ripped out.
As he slowly came back to his senses he got back to his feet.
Lydia helped Jordis and Iona back to their feet when all of a sudden the three felt strange.
Lydia saw her arm decaying and she turned back to Nero.
"My Thane?" said Lydia as she slowly turned to ashes.
Nero watched in horror at the sight of it. She was gone. Lydia was now a pile of ash on the ground.
Zarys watched avidly and slowly smiled.
"Nero?" said Jordis as she and Iona both slowly disintegrated, falling into a pile of ash on the ground.
Zarys delighted in the scene before him as Nero stood, horrified at what was happening.
Across the fields, Hadvar was about to swing his hammer when he too was blown away as a puff of ashes.
"General!" cried Rikke who tried to run to him but decayed into dust just before Tullius.
The General looked down at what was left of her before casting his eyes across the planes to see hundreds of men falling into ashes.
Gunmar smashed a draugr off of Sorine and leant her a hand, "on your feet, lass."
Sorine smiled until she watched him become a pile of dust.
"What in all the Divines?" she asked.
Asmund was bashed aside by a hulking draugr and was about to receive a killing blow when suddenly a long blade pierced through the draugr's chest and Tobias pushed him aside. He initially offered his hand to help Asmund up but saw instead a pile of ash where Asmund had fallen.
"Asmund?" asked Tobias in confusion.
Down some ways in the city, Irileth clutched at her side whilst on her back to which Balgruuf went to help her up.
"Come on Irileth," he said as she took his hand, "this is no place to die."
He began to pull her up when suddenly she fell back as his arm decayed into nothingness and a pile of ash fell to the floor.
"My Jarl?" she said.
Nero and the Companions were all dazed and horrified.
"What is happening?" asked Aela in a very worried voice.
Serana stood up and was looking around watching in horror like Nero, until suddenly she gripped her stomach.
"N… Nero?"
Nero turned to her and saw her body beginning to decay. She tried initially to stay balanced before falling straight onto him as her legs slowly began to give out. Nero held her up, "you're alright, you're alright-"
She fully collapsed onto the ground and Nero, horrified, cradled her in his arms.
"I don't-I don't understand, what," Serana watched as her body slowly began to turn to dust, "I can't go, I can't-please, Nero, help me."
"You're okay! You're not going anywhere; I've got you, I promise!"
No matter how hard he held onto her, Nero watched as she slowly disintegrated in his arms, turning into a pile of ashes on the ground.
"Mommy?!" cried Julia.
Zarys laughed, delighting in all the pain, and he let go of Julia who rushed down and fell to the ground in front of Nero.
Nero was in complete and utter shock, holding the ashes of his wife in his hands.
Across the Hold, ashes flew in the air, the ashes of all the nords within the Hold. The Imperial Legion became decimated with very few soldiers left whom the remaining draugr continued to fight, and kill.
"It's done," smiled Zarys, "at last."
Nero looked up at Julia, unable to speak.
"Well done, Nero," said the warlord, "and, surprisingly, the shout has worked on neither yourself, your daughter nor your wolf friends. I expect your unique bloods to be the reason. How fortunate."
"Where did Mommy go?!" cried Julia.
"Well, I gave you my word, I wouldn't kill your daughter. And I shall honor it. But the final example to the world will be your death, Dovahkiin."
Nero looked up at Zarys as he raised his hand to blast a firestorm.
"Don't worry, I will take good care of your daughter. Possessing a child with dragonblood will be useful, and her heirs even moreso," smiled Zarys evilly.
Slowly, around them, draugr began to emerge and surround them.
Nero grabbed Julia and stood up ready to defend her along with the other companions when suddenly electric sparks smashed the warlord and shot him across the field. Nero looked up to the shooter and saw a dark elf on a dragon, and not just any dark elf and not just any dragon.
Brelyna screamed as she fired the magic whilst riding Paarthurnax towards them and when Paarthurnax landed she jumped off and rushed to Nero and Julia.
"Get yourselves out of here!" she cried, "I'll hold him off!"
Vulthuryol dropped Odahviing and looked at Paarthurnax with a furious rage, "gruth," he spat.
Nero grabbed hold of Julia across his chest and backed up as the last Blade approached the warlord. The Companions reluctantly followed him away from them.
"You should've killed me!" screamed Brelyna as she shot her strongest magic at Zarys who finally brought up a ward to block her.
As she fired she turned back, "GO! GET OUT OF HERE WHILE YOU STILL CAN!"
"Paarthurnax?" said Nero.
"Bo niin, Odahviing! Get them to safety!" cried Paarthurnax who then turned to Nero, "remember this, Dovahkiin. Where there is the will to become better, there is always a way. Now go."
Nero picked up Julia just as Odahviing moved around over to them and lowered his head. Nero, Julia and Aela climbed up onto him and the brothers got round in front of him. Then the dragon spread his wings and took to the sky to escape, grabbing Farkas and Vilkas in the process.
Brelyna kept up her attack as the warlord slowly came closer.
"This is for the Blades!" cried Brelyna as she shot an ice spike which exploded on the ward.
"This is for Esbern!" she cried as she shot another which also exploded.
Zarys was several feet away now.
"This is for me," she said as she stopped her magic, "and the people of Skyrim."
Zarys quickly advanced just as Brelyna dropped a pair of runes on the ground in front of her that Zarys just barely saw before stepping too close and setting them off.
The explosion erupted right in front of them and Zarys was sent back onto his back.
Odahviing carried Nero and Julia away just as Paarthurnax faced Vulthuryol.
"Un grah kiin, Paarthurnax," said the black and gold dragon, "hin sosaal los het, gruth."
Paarthurnax stood up proudly, "all you have achieved, Vulthuryol. One day, it will be undone."
Both dragons roared at each other before they engaged in a fight on the ground, sending claws and teeth at each other. Paarthurnax, who was already wounded from his fight at the mountain, caught more hits than he gave, finally receiving a swipe of Vulthuryol's claws to his eye and he reeled back in pain. Vulthuryol smiled before, in a move faster than most dragons, he sunk his teeth into Paarthurnax's neck and pulled it, killing the dragon.
"Gruth," spat Vulthuryol once more before Paarthurnax began to burn up.
Zarys smiled as he watched the old dragon die, "your retribution could not have come soon enough," he spat at the burning carcass while Vulthuryol the victor stood proudly as he absorbed Paarthurnax's soul.
Zarys looked around, "where is the Dragonborn and his companions?"
"There!" exclaimed Vulthuryol, "the red one, Odahviing, they are escaping!"
Vulthuryol moved to spread his wings but Zarys but a hand on his hide, "no, my friend. Let him run. What can he possibly could he now? What can any of them do? They will be found soon enough. Perhaps better to let him live in with the guilt and pain of his failure before he dies, just as we have."
Vulthuryol moved his jaw into a smile just as they saw dragons beginning to assemble on the city.
"Go, my friend. They deserve a victory speech," smiled Zarys.
"Will you join me?"
"I will walk. I wish to see the ashes of all the nords we have defeated here today, and the eyes of their friends and comrades. I wish to see my victory."
Vulthuryol nodded before taking to the sky as Zarys slowly walked towards the city, kicking up the ashes as he did so.
The armies of Nero had been defeated; the draugr were now killing whoever was still fighting on the ground or taking prisoner where they could. General Tullius instructed what remained of his men to lay down their arms; there was no point in fighting now.
The dragons who fought for Vulthuryol were greater in number and had defeated much of Nero's. The remaining were now either submitting or flying away for their lives.
Zarys walked up the hill, smiling at the sights of the heartbroken 'heroes' left standing. He saw also the corpses of his fallen children. They've died for a noble cause, he thought.
"A small price to pay for salvation," he thought in passing.
He walked up the steps to Dragonsreach atop which Vulthuryol had landed and begun giving a victory speech to the dragons.
South of there, towards the mountains covering the border of Skyrim, Odahviing continued to fly away.
"Nero, we have to go back!" cried Aela.
"We can't," said Nero plainly, "we can't ever go back."
"Daddy," said Julia, "where did Mommy go? Where has she gone?"
Nero didn't answer. He just kept looking forward, away from Skyrim.
They flew on, disappearing into the wind.
Back in Whiterun, Zarys made it to the top of the hill where he stopped at the top of the stairs looking out.
Zarys took off his helmet and dropped it to the floor, revealing his pale bald head and three long ceremonial scars that ran symmetrically over the top of his head starting from the top of his forehead and either eyebrow and ending just before the top of his neck. He also had three running from the bottom of his mouth and down his throat.
Zarys also began slowly taking off pieces of his chest armor. As he did so, he listened to the words of Vulthuryol, his friend. He spoke of their victory, how the allies of the Dragonborn have been decimated and the Dragonborn himself has been broken.
They would now turn their attention to the rest of Skyrim which would fall into line if they wished to live. When Skyrim is conquered, they will then move outward to the rest of the world, to Cyrodiil and Hammerfell, and the Empire and Dominion will fall under the power of the grand dragon empire.
The dragons roared up to the sky and Zarys smiled as he removed the last of his chest armor, revealing his battle-worn body with scars and marks along his chest and muscles. Across it also were ceremonial scars that ran across his war-torn body. Once at the top, he slowly turned around and sat on the stairs, exhaling a breath of relief as he did so.
Zarys looked out across the Hold as the dragons roared in victory to the sky. And he smiled.