"Is your throat and chest still vibrating?"

"N-no."

I thought frantically, we needed to get out of here immediately. I'm positive that we can't go down the way we came. I gripped my Paarthurnax's shoulders, "Now, repeat after me-"

"What are we doing?"

"I'm going to teach you a shout that will protect you from harm and allow us to jump down."

"What?!"

"Paarthurnax! There is no other way! Wait-"

Yes. Yes!

"I just figured something out. Still, when dangers come shout: Feim-Zii-Gron. Or any if those three words."

"F-father, I learned something while I was here." He took some scrolls out of his pocket, "These scrolls, Scrolls of Divine Intervention* can teleport us out of here."

I took one and observed it, I wasn't familiar with the scroll. I turned it this way and that, maybe I had it upside down? I was never really talented at reading magical symbols and it was a wise move to make Tolfidr the leader of the Mages College in my absence.

"Hey, Neloth? Is this safe to use?"

No response.

I sighed, "We'll each hold one, and then use them if we need them. Dur-neh-viir!"

My Thu'um opened a portal for my dragon friend from the Soul Cairin. Durnehviir turned to me, his green and purple scales shining in the green lighting of Apocrypha. Surprise was in his voice when he exclaimed,

"By Bormahu qahnaarin, this is a dark place. What meaneth this?"

"I need a short flight."

"Why didn't you call Odahviing?"

"Several reasons, and I trust you as a friend."

"Hmm, Krosis, get on."

Once we all each had a scroll of Divine Intervention all three of us clambered onto Durnehviir's neck. I looked back at Serana and my son. Serana sniffled, overwhelmed with emotion at the sight of our reunion. I gave Paarthurnax a one armed embrace and asked Serana,

"What did the Scroll show you?"

She shook her head, her eyes screaming that now wasn't the time. Was that... regret in her eyes? Regretting letting me go all those years ago? No it was something else... her secret? Hopefully she'll tell me later.

"Fly!" I yelled to the driver, "I'll tell you where to go once we're in the air!"

As if on que there was an echo of a Thu'um that shook all of Apocrypha, shouting, "Strun-Bah-Dov!"

Oblivions no, I thought before yelling, "Prepare to take evasive action!"

The dragon weaved side to side in between meteors as the sky turned yellow as red and green mixed. Altraius Morax was in the air again and yelled at us in rage,

"Mey! Nid filok oii bormah qahwahlaan! Nid! Joor-Zah-Frul!"*

That dragon just used Dragonrend...

Purple auras smashed into our ride and Durnehviir let out a cry of pain. I yelled back at my son as Altraius prepared to breath fire onto us as Durnehviir struggled to stay airborne, "Use the shout I taught you!" He did as I and Serana cast wards before the world was green flame. I tried to shout Godrend in the general direction of the flames but missed.

Altraius didn't...

"Rah-Ul-Vo!" Once the Thu'um washed over all of us I screamed,

"Use the scrolls-"

Altraius' teeth and body slammed into us and all of us tumbled off of Durnehviir's neck. Time seemed to slow down, my son was the first to use his scroll. Cussing I fumbled with the scroll as it threatened to blow out of my fingers. Serana twisted and rolled in the air, colliding with me as she flew past. I kept falling and passed the portal Serana went through.

For reasons unknown I looked at Altraius Morax as Durnehviir's material form faded and rage wasn't in his eyes. No, that same look from when we first met was on his face before he let out a mighty roar. Like he knew something that I do not.

Finally, the scroll dissolved and gave my hands its power. Once I released it, the entire world changed and I landed atop Serana. I looked up at my son, who was sitting solemnly on the ruins of the old Temple of Talos in Solitude, and then back to Serana. All the pent up stress from the week dissolved and I started to laugh.

"We made it! We made it!!"

"That's touching and all," Serana groaned, "but could you get your several hundred pound arse off of me?"

"Oh, sorry," I muttered, getting off of her, and screamed, "we're alive!"

"What's with all this ruckus, huh?" A guard approached and recognized me, after a salute he said, "My liege!"

"Quickly!" I said to him, "Go to the palace and get Finnian and Sybille! My son needs attention!"

"Yes your highness! However, the Captain of the Guard was sending me and my men to go kill two vampire-like abominations on the outskirts of Solitude." Serana tensed and began muttering, the guard added, "Perhaps I can deliver word to him of your return?"

Serana ran past me and cast an invisibility spell. Something's wrong... so I said, "I will join the men, tell the Captain not to send reinforcements."

"Yes my liege!"

"Fast!"

I looked at my son and felt like his eyes were boring into me. I went to him and hugged him, promising, "Come dinner, you will tell me everything that demon said and I'll explain everything I can. No questions avoided."

"No," Paarthurnax droned... like he knew something I didn't, "no you won't."

I sighed, and said standing up, "I love you son."

I started chasing after Serana and the guard said some 'long the live king' nonsense as he departed. I ran full tilt towards the gate and saw it creak just enough for the invisible Serana to get through. Yelling I said, "Open the gate!"

"Going to hunt the abominations, High King?" A guard called down, "They're just down the road! Open the gates!"

I smelled the smoke before I saw it. I saw glimpses through the brush of an old cabin in flames and could hear Serana throw a knife at one of Solitude's Imperial scouts. Soldiers shouted, "Another one!"

I burst through the brush and eyed Serana who stabbed another soldier in the back. The two guards next to me breathed sighs of relief. "High King! You've come!"

"I'm sorry..."

"For wha-"

I snapped his neck as Serana imapled the other on a spear of ice.

"Alma! Ajax!"

"Serana," I growled, "you didn't tell me you were with others!"

She didn't acknowledge hearing me and screamed, "Alma!? Ajax?!"

A young voice said hatefully from the brush, "It's HIM. I can smell it!"

A young woman with black hair strode towards me with murderous desire. Her hands were elongated and boasted long, sharp nails that could make hagravens jealous. She spat hatefully,

"Why did you leave?!"

"Alma!" Serana barked.

"Tell me!"

"Alma! It's MY sin, not his."

Her face twitched, softened even and her claws retracted.

"What?"

"Where's Ajax?"

As if in response, half of a guard flew out of the cabin. His body smashed through the wall, and was followed by a roar. I drew the Bloodskal Blade and went towards the hole, yelling, "Cover me!"

"NO!" Serana screamed frantically, "NO!"

I barreled through the smoke and stopped dead in my tracks. The beast before me had the wings of a bat but the legs and shoulders of a were-beast. Something stirred inside me and I turned and looked at the girl. She's at least fifteen. I looked at Serana. She came back after fifteen years. I glanced back at the beast and Meridia's words replayed in my mind:

"Can two be one especially when one disagrees with the other? A new thing shall horrify the earth and it will be because of you, Talion. And though your son will not slay you; he WILL make you fall before him."

The beast snarled at me with the head of a werewolf but fangs of a vampire. I dropped my sword in shock of the realization. This is it...

This was Serana's secret. The prophecy wasn't talking about Paarthurnax, it was saying that now I would die.

And I realized too late...

I blinked and the beast's jaws were tearing into my shoulder and neck. I screamed and saw auras coming from me going to my son in all colors of the auroral borealis. Once the auras stopped the beast recoiled, returning to human form but my vision began to blur. The bite burned of fire but the pain slowly went away. Sleep pulled at my weary eyes as I barely heard Serana keen for me. I thought I saw white...

Clouds...

Kodlak, Lydia and others. They were calling me.

Then I coughed blood, I was on the back of a horse like a corpse. I heard,

"Alma? Did the potions work?"

"Yes! Yes they d-"

I faded and was amongst shadows...

Gallus and others called unto me.

Pain caused me to gasp and guards ran to me like chickens with their heads cut off. I looked up at the sun and saw a flaming dragon flap closer and turn into a man, his hand outstretched as I heard.

"Give me a potion! The High King is wounded!"

The vision faded and I was asleep. I woke up on a medical bed. I glanced to my left and saw the gray sky and the Sea of Ghosts. With colossal effort I turned my head to the right and coughed blood. Finian sat up and exclaimed, "He's awake! Thank the Divines!" He got up and went out the door, "Master Paarthurnax?"

I heard my son's voice and water spill. I tried to sit up but couldn't from the pain.

"Thank you Finian, you have a nice rest."

He closed and locked the door, I smiled as he approached. Glad that he was out of that hellish place. He still had the mask on, he walked in his royal robes and he stood at the head of the bed looking into my face. There was a smirk in his voice when he coldly droned,

"Goodbye, Father."

Before I could wrap my head around his words, tentacles coiled over my mouth from my son's sleeve. I watched in horror as another tentacle was raised over my head and plunged into my brow. I tried to shout, scream, or move all in vain!

My son tilted his head slowly, as if wanting to get a better look at the life fading from my eyes. This continued for what felt like an eternity but before darkness overcame me a knife hit the tentacle in my brow. My son yelped, freeing me and lightning followed him. Then there was a green ball of light and it caused my son to fall and I went unconscious.

A/N: