“What do you exactly mean by that?”

Just the words that the guard let out was enough to silence everyone that heard it. A chilling shudder ran across the Jarl’s back, even with all the other problems and conflicts going on the world truly wasn’t giving him a break.

Dragonsreach had often been subject to weird rumors from around the area. The Jarl had heard daily gibberish of daedra and the end of the world, though in Tamriel much of that could be true and the ruling class may have just been too ignorant to admit that.

Nevertheless, Jarl Balgruuf generally believed his own guards on incidents that happened. Trust is one of the most important things between employer and employee after all, yet he still had a hard time believing what the man was saying.

“They came from the dungeon underneath where we were being kept. They completely destroyed all of the bandits, I would say it was a massacre but they were just flinging them around like ragdolls but somehow without killing them. We couldn’t leave because our arms and legs were all bound behind us.”

Balgruuf raised an eyebrow. “And?”

“They turned around and cut us loose. I thought they were going to kill us or at least knock us out but they gave our weapons back. We got out of there since we didn’t want to find out what they would do to us if we stayed too long.

His own comrades looked at him questionably, his words not making sense even with everything crazy that had been going on. Whiterun already had enough problems, with barely enough manpower to do anything other than defend. Most of them could do without that information that a horde of sentient undead were about to storm Whiterun.

Irileth pursed her lips at this new information. The rest of them were quiet, nobody in the room knew what to do. None of the guards had proper adventuring experience and they were not about to enter a tomb just to figure this out.

“Might I suggest something, my Jarl?”

Balgruuf turned his gaze to his huscarl next to him. As a military advisor as well as his huscarl, she would be the one who could provide the best idea on how to move forwards.

“What do you propose then Irileth?” Balgruuf said, leaning closer to hear.

“Though I…do not like mercenaries the most, they are much more skilled than our guards in terms of dungeon diving. I recommend that we enlist the companions for this task, they will always go towards danger for coin and honor.”

Balgruuf tilted his head. The companions were neither a negative nor positive influence on Whiterun, freelancing adventurers that weren’t technically bound by Whiterun but had chosen to make this city their home.

They were seen as a symbol of sorts as they were some of the best fighters that existed in Whiterun, many times they had kept this city safe from a various number of threats. There was no fighter’s guild in Skyrim but the companions are a similar group.

His gaze turned thoughtful as he nodded his head slowly, seemingly agreeing with Irileth’s unconventional, yet doable, proposition.

“Yes, the companions have made it clear that they have a great thirst for adventure…even greater than their thirst for money.” The Jarl stroked his beard as he gave it a bit more thought, though he needed them to go he didn’t want it to be one-sidedly so. They needed benefits as well.

“However, prepare 300 septims for them in advance to give them some incentive. Even though it’s just to look through a dungeon we cannot ruin our reputation by forcing them to go empty handed”

“Yes my Jarl” Irileth waved off the guards, who bowed before exiting the room with the prisoners, who had been eerily quiet, in tow.

Balgruuf sighed as he leaned back onto his wooden throne.”One of these days, Irileth, Whiterun will get involved in the war.”

She nodded in response. The Dunmer’s ears perked up.

“And that is why we must remain vigilant, no matter what comes”

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You know, I’ve only been in Skyrim for less than a day and I’m already thinking that some of the residents aren’t the kindest.”

Ivan growled this through gritted teeth as he had held spellbreaker in front of his neck where Delphine had aimed to strike. Though, even if her strike had connected there was a high chance that nothing would have happened as the demonic metal was nearly impossible to cut through.

Delphine ignored his statement, bringing her Blades katana back and lunging towards him, aiming to stab at his heart.

CLANG!

This time, Ivan didn’t even bother to bring his shield up. Unlike skeletons in Skyrim, one’s in Daggerfall were barely damaged by bladed weapons at all so even if it had gone through he would have stolen the only weapon that she had.

However, that wasn’t what happened as she struggled to push the tip of the blade through. Putting her whole body force into the thrust, she tried and failed to pierce his armor. It almost looked sparkly new even after being hit, much to her shock.

Ivan gave her a lazy stare before grabbing her sword by the blade and yanking it out of her hands.

“Sorry to say, lady, but you wouldn’t even last a minute against a daedra. Also, you really need to change your pompous and all-knowing attitude, it’ll give you wrinkles you know?”

Now weaponless, Delphine looked furiously around the room for anything else she could use but found nothing.

“Do it then you bastard! Kill me since that’s your goal!”

What in the world type of meds is this person on?

He shook his head, it was bad enough that the leader of the blades was so weak but she was quick to pass judgment as well. Now he knew why he hated her through his playthrough, she was just an unpleasant person in general.

“Woman, I’m pretty sure you were the one that tried to attack me. All I did was follow you down here, I didn’t even draw my weapon!”

It took a good while, but after a few minutes the Breton woman was finally calmed down by Ivan. She huffed before bending down and picking her sword up, sheathing it back onto the sheath on the wall.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“So? What do you want from me?”

Ivan sighed. This woman was so infuriating, and not in the good kind of way. No, this was the first time he actually just wanted to bash someone's skull in, but that would be a bad decision in the long run.

“Something is going to happen, something big. Much bigger than anything you can imagine, even in legends. I’m here on behalf of a greater power, you blades must protect the empire itself and against whatever threat you deem fit.”

Delphine scoffed, “I don’t know how much Skooma you took but there is no way you are here on behalf of a god or something. Do you realize how ridicu-”

Click

Ivan’s helmet let out a small click before he took it off, exposing his skeletal face to the flabbergasted Delphine. His eyes, now a scarlet red, floated in the middle of his eye sockets as he stared her down.

“Wha-”

“I’m serious Delphine, the world could end soon. I have been summoned here by the former Underking of the third era to take his place. It is up to you whether to believe me or not but out of respect to the Underking, who had an inexplicable fondness for the Blades, I must warn you.”

Delphine stared at him. The unnerving stare of an unblinking monster still staring back at her no matter how much she wished it to be a dream or a figment of her imagination.

“Can you put your helmet back on? It’s getting unnerving but I think I get the idea now. Unless you’re an unthinkably strong undead that has some ultimate plan or you really are carrying out the will of the Underking.”

As Ivan put his helmet back on, she reached towards one of the bookshelves and took a dusty book off the shelf. Glancing suspiciously towards him, she opened the book and flipped through the contents.

“I am not completely versed in the story of the Underking, but I know he prevented many-a disasters from befalling the blades of old. However, from rumors it seemed that he had passed away peacefully. So, are you an ally to the Blades?”

Ivan tilted his head a bit.

“I am neither an ally nor an enemy, I choose who to help. If I believe it is beneficial to me, then I will help them. I am not the old Underking, but I will fill in his role to protect all of Tamriel from going under.”

“Then!? You’re saying you won’t become our ally and yet you will protect Tamriel? How will you do that if you will not fight?”

Delphine looked like she was about to explode, quite literally. Though it was justified in a way, since he had just declined any possibility of his assistance.

“Believe what you want. I will participate in some battles and ignore others that are meant for someone else.”

What I want to say is the dragonborn’s fight, but I really don’t need her to know that.

He reached one hand down towards spellbreaker and dusted it off, though there wasn’t dust on it in the first place but he felt it to be the right movement.

“That is all I needed to tell you. Prepare yourselves, I will be heading back to my compatriots now.”

Walking past the slightly fuming Delphine he made it back up the stairs and navigated his way through the hallways and back to his table. By now, the crowd had gotten even wilder as dozens of people had made their way into the tavern for free drinks.

He respectfully pushed through the crowd and made his way back to the table, where everyone else had finished their drinks.

Not even batting an eye, he took the ale in one hand and chugged the entire thing. The sweet, slightly fruity alcohol went down smoothly as he downed it which drew claps from the people who had been watching wordlessly.

“WHOAHH!”

“I knew soldiers could drink! Ha, that was awesome!”

It really wasn’t a small mug. He set it down before addressing his soldiers.

“We must make our way to High Hrothgar. This was just a temporary stop, that is our true destination.”

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unknown P.O.V

I cannot feel my subordinates anymore, cannot sense them anywhere in this land! Have they all passed on!?

A single black dragon, donned with fierce black scales and red eyes had just appeared out of thin air in Skyrim. A beast that had lay dormant and forgotten for centuries, with myths and legends being written of them for just as long was no longer fictional.

With each powerful flap of its wings, trees threatened to become uprooted, birds were thrown around in the wind, all the balance of the earth had been forgotten.

“Odahviing!”

Silence.

That damned..very well, it seems that I have much work to do. Damned mortals, I should’ve sent you all to Oblivion when I had the chance!

Flying over the snowy mountains of Skyrim, He eyed the many settlements that had been built on and around the mountains. The dragon scoffed at their buildings, wooden and stone structures that looked like they would soon fall apart at the slight gust of a wind from his wings.

How have they gotten worse at building over time? Our cults had much more elaborate structures made out of precious metals, towering over their towns and cities! How far have they fallen?

Flying in circles, he saw mortals that scurried around in cities like ants. Oh, how he wished he could blow them away. The ones that had taken their rule away from them, those cursed mortals.

Hmm? What is this?

Suddenly, the dragon turned from his initial flight path. He had planned on flying around, confused at Skyrim which had changed much from what he remembered moments ago.

Shuddering slightly at the familiar feeling of a dragon temple, one that was somehow still active and giving out divine power, though the source was quite small they could still make out the ruined temple in the distance.

Oh, how men have desecrated our world! It seems I must enslave them once more, for everything they have done to us that would be a mercy!

As they drew closer to the temple, it was apparent that the place had been looted and desecrated, with doors that were wide open and the unmaintained walls and floors cracking and breaking over time from the negligence of their followers.

Landing on the ground of the place, they found that the situation was worse than they had initially thought. Everything was ruined, Skeevers and other vermin were running rampant everywhere!

Even if these mortals do not care for us, why would they leave such a beautiful architectural piece to rot!? I cannot understand mortals at all…it seems I must take this into my own hands.

Though they could be classified as monsters, dictators and calamities dragon’s were more or less perfectionists. They wished for everything to be clean and perfect, just like how they were.

The dragon stepped around the pillars only to find that if they had continued further, the whole building would likely collapse.

I really didn’t want to do this, but it seems I have no other choice.

This dragon wasn’t exactly bound by the laws of Nirn, as in, they weren’t considered mortal like most dragons. This one would more or less be classified as a god.

They muttered a few words, surrounding themselves in a golden, fiery glow. It trailed from the dragon's feet all the way to its head, covering its entirety. The golden glow shrunk, and shrunk, and shrunk again.

The glow dissipated as the dragon was barely 1/10 of their initial size before a hand, a human hand, swiped through the glow and dissipated it all.

Ugh, I hate this form already. It makes me feel weak but I suppose it is necessary for restoring this place, it shouldn’t take that long after all.

In the place where the dragon had stood, a short, slender woman had taken its place. She had pale, almost grayish skin that harkened back to her previous form whilst long, silky black hair flowed down her back and behind her shoulders.

She was clad in a dark, pristine armor that glimmered in the light. Almost like dragon scales that had been morphed into one piece, which was true for her chestplate, and boots. She had draped a black, woolen cloak with white cuffs. The chestplate left her midriff and a bit of her chest exposed but she didn’t seem too bothered about it.

If you haven’t guessed so far this was Alduin, the world eater that was going to attempt to enslave humans and raise hes dragon army back up one more time.

That said, they were going to do that once they had restored this place back to its former glory because dragons are so extra.

I was wrestling with the possibility of having Alduin be in their human form since from what I’ve read, dragons are said to be interchangeable in gender or have no gender at all.

Their form (maybe I should just say he and get over it) is based on how Rimuru (That Time I got Reincarnated As a Slime) was depicted. Looks feminine, acts masculine (wouldn't this just be a tomboy?). Dragons don’t need to breed at all anyways so… I’m just gonna call Alduin a she cuz…well that’ll be important later.

Besides the point, Alduin won’t be the main big baddie if that’s what you’re asking but she will stick around… for one reason or another.

Anyways, see you guys next time!

W.O.V