Late Merethic Era.
More than 4500 years before the birth of the Last Dragonborn.
Falmeret / Skyrim.
The next day.
Feator Kaslana.
They didn’t.
But I hope it’s because the Snow Elves don’t yet know the names of their attackers.
“Still in pain?” Vaysi asked me, concern on her face.
“Not really.
Our healers are good.
Oh, while I was laid up, did you change your hairstyle?” I noticed, leaning forward slightly, much to the girl’s embarrassment.
“That…
Dragon’s fire singed my hair a little…” the elf shrugged slightly.
“Dragon?” I feigned surprise, any oddness in my expression surely chalked up to pain.
I even twitched my cheek for good measure.
“The warriors who arrived from the capital called them that,” Vaysi nodded affirmatively, walking beside me down the infirmary corridor.
“Those flying reptiles attacked the capital and the Mages Tower as well.
The attacks were repelled…
But…
At great cost, I was told.” “Not surprising,” I recalled the state of the city after just two dragons had raided it.
“Are they still in the city?” “Yes, they were waiting for you to come to.
First-stage magical exhaustion is no joke,” the girl tried to put on a stern face, but I just smirked.
“I’m serious, Feator!” “You didn’t agree to give your hero a kiss.
So I have the right to lawful vengeance,” I smirked, feeling a slight tingling in my left arm.
The elves were excellent at Regrowth, but the infirmary with mages competent in that school of magic had been hit by one of the dragons’ Screams, and the surviving healers needed help themselves.
So I was being treated by ordinary citizens, the most skilled in Regrowth.
“This is no time for frivolity, Feator,” the white-haired beauty didn’t give in, but I just shrugged my right shoulder.
“Don’t fall into fatalism and pessimism.
As practice has shown, those creatures…
Dragons, though strong, are quite killable,” I shrugged, trying not to reveal that I was currently consumed by those very Isms.
Because I have absolutely no idea how to kill dragons without the Dragonborn.
They can literally resurrect until they’re blue in the face!
To stop that, you have to kill Alduin, and without the Dragonborn…
Is that even possible?
I doubt it…
In theory, you could chain him up and not let him resurrect other dragons.
But the chains would have to be serious…
Or else go the beaten path and banish the bastard into the future.
That’s even simpler in some ways, but…
Over so many millennia, sentient beings will find a way.
Probably.
If I push them toward it…
We’ll see.
Hmm…
There really are a lot of royal ones gathered.
Look how they’re surrounding the corpses of the scaled ones…
And that one over there looks like their leader.
“First Sword,” the elf in the most expensive armor greeted me briefly.
“Glad to see you.” “Likewise,” I lied outright.
No guarantee this one wasn’t involved in the Saarthal massacre.
“And I’ll ask right away.
What are these…
Dragons?” I pointed my right hand at the corpse of the red one.
“I am General Vivitian Valdai,” the man said, somewhat stung, but quickly suppressed his displeasure.
“As for your question, First Sword…
We know little about them.
But…
Even that is somewhat troubling to the mind…
I can tell you, but the rest…” “My companion is a captain of the Knight-Paladins, as you already know.
She’ll find out anyway,” I waved my hand toward the girl standing behind my right shoulder.
“And I certainly have the necessary clearance.
I’ll keep what’s said in confidence.” “Well then…
I dare not contradict the killer of these creatures,” the man sighed, and continued in almost a whisper.
“These beings…
They…
This will be hard for you to accept, I think…
But they are the Children of Aka.
The Children of…
Auri-El.” “Wh-what…” came a choked sound from Vaysi.
I started massaging my temples to feign trying to cope with surprise.
“Children of Auri-El.
Children of Auri-El…” I said, stunned…
But it wasn’t caused by that.
It was the realization of what could actually have destroyed the Snow Elf civilization.
No-o, as cool as humans are and as much as they’re the main characters of any fantasy, the scales are too different.
During the battle, there was no time to think about it, but now…
It all fits.
The elves massacre Saarthal.
Ysgramor flees.
Dragons arrive from Akavir or Atmora.
Doesn’t really matter where from.
They get drawn into a long war with the hegemon of surface Skyrim.
Thanks to their immortality, they win the war…
And then, when everything’s ready, just as they like it, the humans arrive with Ysgramor and finish off the survivors.
The dragons are stunned by such a turn, but they appreciate the humans’ help, and behave themselves under the Nordic Blackbeard.
Otherwise, he would have rebelled against them.
But after some time, the dragons get cocky, the human uprising begins…
The dragons and Alduin get it right in their scaly asses…
So that’s it…
Well, well.
Realization hit me.
Just straight-up realization.
“I understand it’s hard for you to accept…” the general said cautiously after a few seconds, and seeing no vehement rejection on my face, continued: “But I have an order for you…
Personally from His Majesty.” “Majesty?” I blinked, returning to reality.
“Indeed,” the senior officer nodded, pulling a scroll from his pouch.
But he didn’t bother with pomp and simply showed the royal seal, which even the Mages Tower couldn’t forge.
“Given the importance of the situation, we’ll dispense with the official declaration.
His Majesty is forming a unit of the most skilled warriors and mages for the preemptive elimination of dragons.” Well, well.
That was quick, though!
Looks like the attack on the capital made the bigwigs there run around like they were greased, instead of deliberating for a couple of months.
“So, before they attack the cities…
Makes sense,” I nodded understandingly, still frowning from the realization of the possible chain of historical events in Skyrim.
“And in case of an attack, they will also be deployed,” the general added.
“His Majesty wishes to see you, the First Sword of Auri-El, in this unit.
He also understands that you will have to fight against the children of the one whose First Sword you are, however…
The dragons have shown us their evil nature.
And even the divine father can have wayward children…
For whom he did not intercede when you killed them.” “Hmm…” I made a thoughtful sound, touching my chin.
It does make sense.
Akatosh clearly doesn’t care that elves and dragons are hacking at each other, otherwise he would have signaled somehow.
So, natural selection.
Harsh, but…
If the scaled ones had their daddy on their side, the other races would be completely and utterly screwed, or enslaved.
So I won’t blame Auri-El for what’s happening, that would be stupid.
“Alright, I agree,” I sighed, shaking my head and my disheveled hair.
“Since his blessing didn’t disappear when I fought those…
Dragons, it means He’s not against the destruction of his wayward children.” “Excellent!” My answer pleased the general greatly, who probably didn’t want to deliver my refusal to his monarch.
Well, what can I do?
I don’t give a damn about those who gave the orders for the Saarthal massacre, but that doesn’t mean I should ignore the rest of the people.
I know a bunch of Snow Elves, both Knight-Paladins and ordinary civilians.
And they definitely don’t deserve any genocide.
It’s like exterminating all Germans after World War II.
But they didn’t do that, which says a lot about how unhinged Ysgramor and his guys were.
No, they’re definitely not our friends.
Neither are the dragons or the other elven races…
So, it’s time to get moving and go defend the Snow Elves.
I can’t take on dragons alone, and considering I’ve already killed two…
I can’t negotiate with them, they’ll find me and, you know…
Kill me.
And given Alduin’s ability to devour souls…
It’s not even certain I’d have one left.
“I’m glad you didn’t leave me…” I smiled when Vaysi also decided to agree to a similar proposal from the general, who had moved away.
“Don’t be silly!” she lifted her neat little nose.
“A Knight-Paladin’s duty is to protect the faithful of Auri-El, and that’s exactly what I’m doing.” “Whatever you say, whatever you say,” I shook my head with a knowing smile, making Vaysi blush even more.
“You know…” a certain thought dawned on me.
“Before the war starts, the great war…
Vaysiniel, will you become my future wife?” I chose that specific term, as the elves didn’t have the concept of ‘girlfriend’ in the 21st-century sense.
“Y-you…” she stared at me, stunned, this precious thing.
“What are you saying…” “Va-ay-si, you’re not stupid.
That’s what I’m saying,” I didn’t look away, continuing to embarrass the elf with my intense attention.
“You’re not going to play hard to get, like half the aristocrats, are you?” “Now…
This really isn’t the time…
There’s a threat here…” this adorable thing desperately tried to find an excuse to stall, but with every second it was obvious she wasn’t getting anywhere.
It was all visible on her face, which showed every single one of her emotions.
“So, what will your positive answer be?” I continued quite brazenly, taking a step forward.
“Frivolous fool…” she whispered, finally resigned to her embarrassment…
And that was definitely consent!
“Yes!” I exclaimed, feigning somewhat exaggerated joy, stepping even closer.
It didn’t come to full-on hugs, otherwise my, now definitely my precious one, would burn up completely from shame.
But we did create a certain romantic atmosphere for a few seconds, standing practically face to face.
“Everything will be fine, Vaysi,” I encouraged her.
“We, as true children of Auri-El, will go to heaven, and they…
They’ll just die.”