Finnian jumped when I shoved the double wooden doors open forcefully. The wood elf composed himself and steadied the shaking of his Alchemy table. My voice boomed as I strode towards him, my face was nonthreatening but my stride and voice was so tense that I basically boomed,

"Finnian, where's my son?"

"M-my liege," he hastily got up and bowed with his right fist clasped to his chest, "your son is in the other room. The talks have subsided, I assume?"

"They ended early."

"May I ask why mi'lord?"

"Ask Noraveh," I said unhumorously, "that wine bearer you are just so fond of, Divines here." I tossed him an Amulet of Mara, "That might help."

He caught the amulet with a face as red as an apple.

"M-my liege, I don't think she's fond of me."

"Just wear it for a month and you'll be married to someone soon." I stopped outside my son's door. "Your a good man, probably better than me."

From Finnian's stuttering I could see he was even more embarrassed, and flattered,

"Preposterous mi'lord! There is a reason you are High King and not I."

I smiled from the man's innocence and commanded, "Just take a compliment and enjoy your evening you silly milk drinker."

Before he could say anything I opened the door and sighed quietly as my son was reading. His black storybook-hero locks contrasted his pale skin, no doubt the result of his time inside. I entered tentatively and greeted,

"Hello son."

He turned to me and focused his mother's grey eyes on me and smiled.

"Father," he frowned as a question lit in his eyes, the seven-year old was bright, "did you... shout? A moment ago?"

I ignored his question.

"Come, if you are to become High King I must show you the world in which we live."

He obeyed and got up from his seat.

"Need I pack?"

"I wish to spend the night at sea so just pack your scrolls, Dragonbane, a fishing rod and maybe a dagger."

"So it's like a sleepover?"

"A what?" I asked drily.

"The boys in the market invited me to a sleepover. It's when a friend stays the night and do fun things."

"When were you in the market?"

He glanced at me as he packed and gave me a mischievous grin.

"Hadn't Finnian told you that I was getting restless? He was mumbling it the whole way back as he dragged me home the other day."

"Observant," I smiled proudly, "but as much as I hope you have fun, I intend for you to get some hairs on your chest on this trip. Now hurry, if you beat me to the stable I might make you High King early."

"Ha-ha, Dad," my son said and then challenged, "I'll meet you at the docks atop Frostheart."

"My horse? Anyone could steal that mellow beast. Take your mother's, now that's a challenge."

Before he said more, I went to my quarters and prepared my trusty Bloodskal Sword. Strapping the sheath onto my back, under my black-over-red two tone royal cape, I made sure the handle was easily within reach. The handle poked out over my shoulder as I grabbed one of my dozen Dragon Priest masks and bagged it with the Jagged Crown in a small sack.

A few moments later, I was in the royal stable leaning on a wooden support beam as I waited for my son. What the priest had warned me of rolled in my mind like a family of trolls trying to sleep on one human bed. My son? A seven year old that's as harmless as a fly?

No, he's not harmless. Not a threat but definitely able to cause harm if he has the right scrolls. Once he hits puberty his magika should surface and with his experience in scrolls he should be able to master magic easier than I did.

There was a stirring and I saw Finnian giving my boy potions and pestering him like a mother hen. Once he let my son come to me I knew by the questioning look in Finnian's eyes that he had heard about what happened. I gave him a knowing glare back and went to my horse.

"I would've beat you here if Finnian didn't meet me en route." My son groaned.

"Hmph," I smirked, "hardly. Now, attention soldier."

He went rigid as I looked over his gear; ignoring something he mumbled about not being one of my soldiers. The sheathed Dragonsbane was vertical on his back, the sheath under the large bag of gear that Finnian no doubt gave him. I saw his leather armor and his dagger by his hip and I unfastened it and moved it up to his left shoulder in a chest mount.

"If someone, or something was to corner you or jump atop you it's better to have your backup blade closer to your chest. It's a better place to keep the blade if you get into a struggle. Quicker access as well."

"Practice what you preach father," he quipped with a smart smile, "where's yours?"

"In my hand already."

I tensed the muscles in my hand and bound a conjured sword from a bluish-purple orb of magic and cut the air lazily in flare.

"How do you dispel it?" My son asked in awe.

I unceremoniously tossed the sword behind me and it dissipated in the air. I took my son's shoulder and guided him towards my horse.

"Like so, now it looks like the dyers have dyed your leather armor in a nice shade of black."

"Yeah," he said numbly as he mounted the back of Frostheart, "its not like I had a choice."

"What do you mean?" I asked mounting in front of him, "You mean they didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" He muttered, confused. I shook the reins and continued towards the street.

"You could have had whatever color you wanted-," he perked up and I added, "as long as it was black."

My son gave me a flat but priceless look of disapproval as we passed the gate. The woman was still there, now silently sobbing, clinging to the white robe like a lifeline. My son's gaze followed the woman as we passed.

"Why is she crying?"

I gave him a pained glance, but continued on the road.

"Someone cruel had taken something dear to her."

"Did you kill the thief?"

"I'm trying to."

"What does that mean?"

I sighed and acted like I didn't hear his question as the horse clomped down the stone streets of Solitude. The closer we got to the docks the number of seagulls increased as did the force of the cool sea wind. It was quiet between my son and I until he asked,

"Father, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"You won't avoid my answer?"

I didn't give him any promises by saying, "What's the question?"

"Why did you name me Paarthurnax?"

I smiled and answered, "Paarthurnax was a teacher I greatly respected."

"Really? Was he an orc?"

I chuckled as a cool breeze blew my hair back from my eyes.

"No, he was actually one of the Dōv; he taught me how to harness my Thu'um."

"He was a dragon?!"

I laughed, "Yes."

"Did he eat cows?"

"Hmmm, I don't know actually."

"Oh," then he changed the subject, "I heard werewolves never sleep, nor do vampires, is that true?"

"Not sleeping is unhealthy for them." I started, "Beastblood for example, makes you restless and increase your multitasking skills ten-fold, but the human side still needs sleep. If you don't sleep you will begin to see and hear things, supposedly the voice of Hircine, and slowly go insane. That's how wild werebeasts are, they embraced the restless nature of the Beastblood to the point that they are mindless, led about by natural instincts or whatever they think is the will of their patron, the Daedra Hircine."

"Wow! What book did you read that from?"

I ignored his question, I learned that from personal experience in the Companions. I would go weeks without sleep and hear voices telling me to feed on everything. If it wasn't for the Beastblood I would have never been able to maintain the psychotic pace of life I was living. Hell, I proposed to Serana while a lycan.

"Okay," Paarthurnax said, "what about vampires?"

I slept with a vampire, my conscience reminded me.

"I've heard stories of alchemists that inhaled a bit of vampire dust on accident. Then over a course of time they kept studying and studying until thirst drove them into the sun but by then their transformation was complete. Wild vampires are much more cunning naturally and lycans are impulsive. It's like two sides of the coin of night. Lycans are sociopaths whereas vampires represent psychopaths."

"What if Finnian accidentally turned into a vampire?"

Arriving at the dock I stopped the horse and tied it to a beam of the pier and helped Paarthurnax down.

"I'd probably help him leave Solitude. Say something like I fired him or he resigned. Or..." I added, "I'd have Sybille Stentor help him adjust to his new life."

"Sybille? Mother's Court Wizard? How can she help?"

She's a vampire, I thought.

"She just can."

"Okay..."

Paarthurnax and I strode down the dock and an admiral saluted me with a fist to his chest.

"Mi'lord!"

"Is she sea ready? I want you to put some hairs on the prince's chest."

"Yes, my liege."

"Let us embark then."

I got next to the pilot of the ship and kept my eyes on the glitter of the ocean but my mind was everywhere. I relived my sins, relived the events of today. I closed my eyes and sighed, breathing in the salty air, someone cruel had taken something dear to her I had said. Just like Ulfric did Elisif you monster, my conscience chastised.

"Dad!" A voice said but I didn't hear him still lost in the sea and the sea of my thoughts.

The admiral's hand rested on my shoulder and I glanced at him. He spoke in a hushed tone,

"Mi'lord, there is a fleet of marauders on the horizon."

I glanced over his shoulder at five ships coming our way. My face and voice was flat when I muttered,

"Good, raise the flag of no parley." The admiral's eyes bulged from his head and I called, "Son! Bring my bag!"

My water and sea foam covered son hastily gave me my burlap sack. How much time had passed? I gave it no thought as I pulled on my mail coif on my armor. Then I advanced towards the bow of the ship while I slipped on my shrouded mask before putting the Jagged Crown atop it.

"Son," I summoned a white light with crystal prisms around it into my hand before he came to me and I applied Ebonyflesh to him, I did it again for myself and leaned towards Paarthurnax. The quick magika use caused me to huff,

"Do you have that Daedric Fireball scroll with you?"

"Is this Ebonyflesh!"

"Boy," I growled in all gravity, "concentrate."

"Umm, yeah!" He began digging it out.

"Good, you keep that and give me a mass paralysis scroll."

He obeyed as the crew behind us began to get combat ready.

"Now boy, I want you to use that scroll."

His eyes widened and he peered past me towards the ships.

"B-but those are people."

"Yes son," I consoled, "cruel people who take away precious things."

"Just like the thief that made that woman cry?"

I was silent a moment before admitting,

"Yes, like him. Now fire your blast."

I turned from him and held the Bloodskal blade in my hand and stood at the dragon figurehead of the ship. I rode the waves as my magika slowly recovered and I breathed the sea air deeply in anticipation. I glanced at my son whose lip was quivering, after looking at me he swallowed a lump in his throat and the scroll dissolved into green flames in his hands. I smiled as Paarthurnax let out a war cry and a green fireball flew overhead and blew up an entire ship. Embers even landed on the ship adjacent and started fires there.

"Now," I called out, being shrouded in the Ebony Mail's Darkness like smoke, "everyone into the cabin until the storm is over!"

There was rustling behind me and quick footsteps but after the cabin door clapped shut then only the sea breeze was left. I breathed deeply one last time as a small fireball passed me and then I howled out my hatred, self-loathing and rage in the form of my storm shout, my Thu'um shaking the air.

"Strun-Bah-Qooooo!"

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

In seconds I was standing in a thick blanket of rain and lightning struck.

Their ships, which were riding the calm day's wind towards us, were veered off course. One was able to get closer to us, but the others got turned around in whirlpools the violent wind had made. The Daedric Fire my son had started continued to burn one of the ships as the ship closest to me tried to throw grapples and hook on.

I swung my blade and a red arc of magic cut their grapples. An enemy mage attempted to launch another fireball before lightning bolts struck him dead. Our ships scraped past one another and I instinctively shielded my face from the water and splinters that followed. Experienced in fighting alone or heavily outnumbered I took a quick glance around at my surroundings and noted the burning sinking ship and another shoddily made ship was snapped in half from the wind pressure on the mast. At this moment the ship we broadsided tossed grapples onto my ship and got into position to board.

An orc let out a guttural war cry and charged me. Wielding two axes I slashed another red arc at him with my two handed sword that disoriented him and some of his friends behind him before I impaled him on my sword. Pulling my sword back out of him to let him wallow in his blood I slashed another arc, and then quickly tensed my right hand summoning electricity. Shooting an arc of chain-lightning, I burnt holes in two people's chests. Next a bearded Nord raised his sword to strike me but a wave smashed over us and I easily side-stepped his attack. Slashing his hands off from overhead I kicked him overboard as a hail of lightning struck a distant archer above me in the enemy crow tower and one soldier in front of me.

The final two enemies on my decks shared nervous glances with one another as my faceless form lifted my head. I was Darkness, just like a wraith from another world. One enemy fled, and a blonde Nord with a full set of Nordic armor from Solstheim tried a double-handed slash attack with a broadsword. I took a deep breath and a green ball of light came into my right hand. Once I cast my spell her attack stopped dead in its tracks, in fact her entire body was stock still.

The sun began to shine as the rain began slowly fading as I popped my neck. The woman's eyes glanced around hopelessly as her body was frozen by my paralysis spell. Waves rocked the ship and she toppled onto the deck before me. I slid her helmet off with my greaves and curb stomped her head, pulverizing it with a watery sound.

Her Breton partner was trying to unhook the grapples and I laughed before paralyzing him and resting my head on the hilt of my blade in his back.

Grapples clicked to the ship behind me. The crew's archers and mages were killed by lightning so they all prepared to board. I left my blade in the Breton's back and froze two of their vanguard stiff with my ice form shout:

"Liz-Slen-Nus!"

I unrolled the mass paralysis scroll and green burned through my hands before I froze everyone in their places. Ignoring the protest of my muscles, I retrieved my sword and walked casually through them to finish dolling out my wrath. I gut one, stabbed another in the throat casually, walked by and blasted two more away with a blast of chain lightning, and I snapped the neck of one more before the spell ended. Only one collapsed Redguard, and the two frozen pirates were left. The Redguard woman begged before I slashed the back of her legs.

Free from paralysis, the others collapsed and wallowed in their blood as they died. Some screamed and others gurgled but all slowly died. I impaled the frozen Nord and decapitated the other frozen high elf, the ice shattered when I did. The only one left alive was the Redguard which I walked towards, the protective poison effect of my armor swallowed half of her body in shadow as she looked at me fearfully.

"You-you are a monster!" She spat, hate in her eyes as darkness crept up her body.

"I know," I cooed as she gurgled from my sword going slowly into her chest, "you don't send saints to kill other monsters. You send bigger ones."

Once the life faded from her eyes I just closed my eyes and rested my head on the hilt of my sword. The cabin door behind me was tentatively pushed open as my crew, my son, and the fowl of the sea came to see the bags of flesh and bones I had emptied of life.

In the distance burned two ships, another sunk and before me, the remains of two crews. All dead before the hour turned. I shivered and leaned on my sword heavily once my adrenaline rush subsided. The Redguard's probably right... I am a monster, just a product of this world in which we live.