City Of The Sky
Loading Screen… The ash lands to the east are the home of the Dark Elves, known as Morrowind…
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Dibella pulled Krest back into her arms, the blanket wrapped over them. Her clutch around him as she kissed his crown. Krest leaned his head back and looked up into her eyes. He's like a little child.
Dibella kissed the tip of his nose. "Did you sleep well?" She smiled into his face.
Krest nodded, relishing in her embrace. A coffee pot was brought out by the train butlers and placed in the bracket to the side. Drinking it warmed her insides and Krest had some too. Afterwards, they got up and fastened their armor over their clothes. Dibella had only held Krest while he slept, nothing more.
Dibella held his hand as they exited the compartment and the train slowly rolled to a halt in the mountain station. Other passengers, many rather important looking, were lugging their trunks and luggage out with them as the two of them squeezed their way through. The Elder Scroll of Dragons strapped to Dibella's back. Purple gems and rubies encased within a gold casing. They came out onto the gray paving of the flat station, the rocky mountain wall and Snow-Throat Express blocking the view.
A hole in the wall like a cave entrance, lit by torches on each side guided the way up and they both along with other passengers trailed their way through. Krest's eyes bloomed like geysers when he gazed at Dibella.
"You know after I was weakened when Nirn was made, I was Talos, or rather Shor's concubine, and the whole time through it was a nightmare. My first husband, Magnus had fled into Oblivion, and I was left, basically enslaved to this tyrant, never allowed to leave his palace, Idavoll. Every day I lived in fear. But now it makes sense why he tricked us; he was trying to weaken our power. I'm just glad that time will never happen again. No one should have to live in fear in their own home. It was because of Konahrik I was able to escape and help defeat Lorkhan initially. Konahrik attacked on that day so long ago, but I don't know what happened to him. I don't even know who he is really. He hasn't made an appearance since."
"I'm sorry you went through all that. But now that'll never happen again," said Krest.
He twiddled idly with the lily Dibella had placed in his hair as they came out onto the early morning sunrise, the landing across a peak where the ancient city resided. Hrothgar stemmed atop the crest of Skyrim's snow-tower, the biggest mountain in existence. A wayshrine nearby, the station had deposited them on an outstretched peak with an office and tram lines attached to carry them up to the largely interior-contained city, though not nearly as much as the introverted Old Fort. Snow Whales flew around, in mists and barricades of clouds, aweing the foreigners. Large golden towers and walls protecting it from the wind and elements. The mountain-huts and houses ledged along rings that ridged, contained inside, panelled in orderly fashions as consecutive neighbourhoods. Viaducts, suspension-bridges, and trams connected parts of the city that were disconnected because of the limitations of it being built on such an elevation. The palace in the back kissed the sky.
The tram-manager marched out of his little, bricked box and held his hands together, swaying forward. An aged Redguard with a thick, grey goatee, wearing a fair amount of jewelry. "Welcome everyone to our most humble and ancient city of Hrothgar. You have no idea how honored I am as your noble guide to lead you; the High King is grateful to have you here!" He boomed nobly. "I am Baurus Zahed, follow me and you may find yourself in the Cloud District!" He winked.
"Wait, he was one of the Blades who accompanied the Champion of Cyrodiil!" Dibella pointed out to Krest.
They all huddled into the booth, waiting for a tram. The cubicle had five holographic screens showing various tourist attractions. At last, an aerial tram arrived, and everyone got in, Baurus in last to close the door. It pushed off with a clunk, climbing the black rope up towards the municipal. Baurus continued his speech though Dibella didn't really pay attention, instead looking out into the ghostly infested mists, attempting to keep her thoughts off Tsun.
Dibella clasped Krest's shoulder. The boy jolted upwards. "We'll need to slip away once on top."
"Sounds good." Krest nodded, gulping slightly when she continued to stroke his shoulder.
"Way over there you can see Ekex. Our city's noble but dormant guardian." Baurus pointed toward a four-meter-tall monstrosity reinforced by cybernetic Dwemer parts, gawking at them from the High King's palace. It had the face of a Dwarven centurion, causing Dibella's guts to churn. "Now with all that out of the way, we'll give our Companions guild a few minutes to prepare, getting all rustled and bustled in their halls, Urvaskr and Heorot!"
Dibella noticed one of the Companions shadowboxing in the training grounds of one of the halls. A garden and wolf statue centered outside the canopy with targets and dummies. Airships anchored nearby. The Companion stopped when he saw Dibella looking at him, face lighting up red. As they slowed to a stop inside the pad, Krest flicked his split ends idly, eyes roaming. His gaze fell on Dibella. He's such a innocent little doll, isn't he.
He'd be so fun to ravish. Dibella felt a surge of power between her thighs. The image of Krest beneath her moaning as she rode him intensely, pinning his arms. Then allowing him to suckle on her chest like he was a babe. She found herself biting her lip before she shook her head clean. What? She coughed quietly, blushing brightly. Where did that thought come from? She looked over at the chasm between mountains. Gold boulders in between.
The tall, white figures of cloaked Thalmor seemed cold and distant. Krest was gazing downward, his face appearing defeated and withdrawn. His eyes like ice gems. The flower in his hair like a ray of sunshine on his otherwise glum appearance. Showers of snow kept splattering the frosted granite as Krest and Dibella exited with the throng, no doubt the latter were here for the meeting set up by Akatosh and Tsun. Blistering frost attacked her vision as snow struck over and over again. On the city greater, a smaller gateway across the settlement led downwards to a skydiving port. One could glide down using a glider here. There were more Nords here than Dibella had ever seen together, and their influence was prevalent. Mead halls, bannisters, and kegs were perilously strewn around. A group of fur-coated Nords yodeled on clifftops and bearded-bards brought alive the nordic spirit with their heart-sung melodies that matched the wind, flowing and bouncing off each other. Shout masters battled the frost with their Thu'um.
There were no slaves and the Nords here didn't seem to care what race you were either. The High King must be why.
A roof guarded them as they passed into the open, indoor marketplace with a wooden floor. They came upon the stand of a Nord who was selling fresh produce and small, freshly baked, and glazed sweetrolls. "I'm Jala Harik, need something?" She said as Dibella perused the stand. "You look like you could do with a ripe apple. Or a tomato, cabbage, or leek?" Jala smiled with wide eyes at them, opening her arms to present the selection. Dibella selected a cinnamon roll but when she tried to pay for it, Jala blocked her with her palm. "Oh no, ma'am. We don't use gold as currency here. Everything is free. The only caveat is residents are expected to work or perform some trade to earn their keep."
"What an interesting economical system." Dibella cupped her chin. "You're provided housing and food so long as you work a feasible schedule I'm assuming?"
Jala nodded. "Six hours a day, four times a week. No homeless or overworking here."
Dibella smiled and they hiked off. She took a bite and held that spot to Krest who also bit off a piece. Sweet and creamy. "Looks like some got on your cheek." Dibella got really close and licked the inkling of cinnamon off his jaw as Krest shuddered. She doted him with puckered lips and expanded pupils. "You're so pretty. You know what, come here." Her smile split into something predatory.
Dibella enveloped Krest in a warm hug against her upper chest, tucking her chin over his hair. They were in a secluded alcove near the mountain pier. Krest crumbled into her, and several tears drizzled out of his eyes as she embraced him tightly in her warmth. "It's okay. It's okay," she soothed him, patting the back of his neck gently in smooth strokes. "You've been brave for so long. You don't have to be brave anymore. I'm here to protect you now." Krest clung to her like wet cloth to water. Dibella released him but grabbed his shoulders. She planted a warm kiss on his forehead, interlocking their fingers as they left.
A statue of Talos was in the town square. She also saw an oval garden with a cherry blossom tree situated cleverly in a water pond and a short, clear stream beneath a small, arched wooden bridge. Dibella stomped up the stone-inlaid path with some Akaviri talismans and arcs on it, Krest followed up towards Dragonskeep, the palace in the back. An electricity-atronach was charging the network ports as they crossed over the street, narrowly avoiding a line of ducks quacking and waddling about the forming puddles. Lines of cultural banners strung about. Two Nords clad in furs, pelts, and axes guarded the linoleum folding. A whale-bone bridge stood between the mat and the wooden, domed palace. Slanted roof like a house but much wider. Ekex watching them with cold, soulless eyes.
Tsun was waiting there. A small child jumping around near the mighty, strong bear of a man.
"Erpie bear!" Dibella relinquished Krest's grip and held her arms wide as the toddler ran into her arms. Her son, Erp. She lifted him up in the air and twirled him around. "Thank you, Tsun." Dibella set her child down and pecked Tsun on the lips.
"Thought I might surprise you." Tsun's eyes widened when he saw the scroll on her back. "Now, come on, the big guy's waiting."
"Shouldn't you challenge us before we can cross?" Dibella grinned teasingly at him.
"I'm not foolish enough to pick a fight with you." The Nordic god smiled. "Plus, I no longer serve that fool, Shor. I serve Akatosh and belong only to you, my love."
Dibella's grin devolved into a slight frown. "Can we talk somewhere?"
"Sure, but after we see Akatosh and the High King." Tsun marshalled onto the cetacean carapace, Dibella and Krest on his tail. The abyssal chasm below hollowed Dibella's gut. Nothing but endless clouds and fog.
The massive vertical doors shut behind them. The palace was a rectangular feast-hall. Massive stone tables built into the floor with a grand hearth in the center. Oblique windowpanes at the back with the High King's Perch, overlooking it all.
"Modeled after the Hall of Valor in Sovngarde." Tsun stroked his beard.
The High King of Skyrim… is a Dragon?
An old, greying but somehow friendly looking drake was seated in the back with a crown placed between its horns. Scales aged, with a darkened belly.
The place was well kept, a counter with a barman in the corner, a few tables on an elevated level, sofas in the nooks of the second floor, and set of steps. Next to her on the couches was a cloaked figure, rocking back and forth, who happened to be reading a storybook to some young children and a youth whose front was also concealed by a covering garment. Dibella noticed the story was titled, 'The Bad Man'. She glimpsed a few more books lying on a stand next to the reader.
"Lars, Braith, behave!" Warned their teacher as Krest smoothed the skirt of his stalhrim.
She blinked and lightly jogged over to where he was, by Tsun, Akatosh, and the Dragon-Jarl. "Idrasa is probably resting," Dibella explained the elf's absence, quietly telling Krest. She noticed two other Nords as well; one was a burly, bald Companion, eyeballing her lustfully, the other an old man with a grey beard in furry monk robes, smoking a pipe.
"Drem Yol Lok, greetings wunduniik. I am Paarthurnax," announced the kind, aged dragon in his humming, smooth tongue. His eyes carried trace marks. "I am High-King Paarthurnax Bormahukul, this is my steward and fellow monk, Arngeir Greybeard." He gestured to the old man. Then, eying the middle-aged Nord, "and this is my kendov, guard and member of the Companions, Stenvar Hongeir."
Akatosh swayed his arm cyclically. "Tsun, Dibella, Krest, and this little one is Erp."
Dibella stroked Erp's head.
The Dragon's great eyelids swooped down, relaxing. "A pleasure to meet my Father's associates at last. I have been made aware of the unfortunate passing, dinok oblaan, of the Laat Dovahkiin. The one known as Saadia Iman. Hopefully, the Elder Scroll can provide us with another means to destroy Talos, the Betrayer, gruth. Shor, the enemy of all dov. Though, there is but one solution I myself have produced."
"What's that?" Tsun's nose twitched as he obscured his teeth. Dibella handed the Elder Scroll to Akatosh who handled it with great care while Erp clung to her leg.
"Chronomancy, tiid. Use the Elder Scroll to travel through time to the mythic age and kill Lorkhan, once and for all. Praan," clicked Jarl Paarthurnax. "Before he ever has the ability to commit his foul deeds."
"Do not be foolish, my son." Akatosh waved the idea off. The time-god slumped forward. "We shall come up with something in the next week. But, for now everyone get some rest. We have a huge conference ahead of us tomorrow." With that, everyone disbanded for the evening.
Krest, she noticed, was staring at the ground, clearly lost in his thoughts.
Stenvar accosted Dibella and kneeled before her on one knee. "Your Grace." He brushed the top of her hand with his lips. "May I show you and Lord Tsun to your chambers?"
Dibella's lips quirked upward, and she nodded, being led off aside Stenvar and Tsun. Erp in tow. Krest breathed, going off somewhere alone.
"Mommy," said Erp. "I'm going to stay down here and play with Paarthurnax."
Arngeir, who smelled greatly of nirnroot, spoke up, "I'll take care of the little one." The Greybeard clapped his hand as Erp skipped off to play.
When they got to their room, Dibella and Tsun showered together and made love to each other. Afterwards, she grabbed a cushion from the plush-chair and lied down on the bed with a naked Tsun next to her.
The sleeping quarters were on the higher levels of the palace and composed of wide corridors with doors to the individuals living spaces - housing one or two each. They were mostly made of a surprisingly familiar and homely wood, along with the customary Dwemer metal reinforcements. The room had one bed, a plush bean-bag chair in the corner along with some gilded gates that lead to the bathroom and some drawers and chests for storing belongings.
"So, the peace council is tomorrow," Dibella kissed Tsun on the cheek.
"Mmhmm," Tsun moaned into her neck,
I'll tell him about Krest tomorrow, she decided.
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A/N: Please review.