Lord Commander Mark Collins sat on a rock in the middle of nowhere, gazing off into the distance. His face was burnt to a point where it was no longer recognisable yet he felt more alive than ever. He had deserted the Gunners after Quincy, they were too weak to deserve his aid and none wished to join him in the powerful state of vampiric undeath – so he left them.
Suddenly a blinding purple flash appeared before him and remained there, churning with some kind of energy, then someone spoke.
“Lord Mark Collins, I am Molag Bal – kneel” Molag Bal’s voice was horrific, like nails on a blackboard it grated against his mind as he knelt
“My master, what do you wish of me?”
“You are pathetic, being burnt by a weak Argonian – you must redeem yourself”
“How, my lord?”
“Go to a place known as Diamond City – you will find them there and you must kill them”
“Yes, my lord”
And with that, the purple energy disappeared and Collins grabbed his trusty sniper rifle and set off towards Diamond City, where he would not just kill the ones he was commanded to, but would kill the entire city as well – just as he did at Quincy.
***********
The group were halfway to Diamond City but it was starting to get dark so they had set up camp for night, and as they slept they dreamt:
***********
Hircine stood before Bjorn in the Hunting Grounds, watching as the werewolves roamed the plains for eternity.
“Do you not wish to be here?” Hircine addressed Bjorn
“Of course, my Lord” Bjorn replied, he was and always would be a follower of Hircine – even after the incident.
Hircine stood up, suddenly angry, “Then why do you deny me? Deny my gift?”
“I don’t understand”
“Jarl Balgruuf of Whiterun! He asked you if you possessed my gift and you denied me just to reside with those pathetic excuses for Werewolves!”
“In what way are they pathetic?”
“They seek a cure and they do not hunt often enough – Skjor and Aela are the only exceptions”
“Well, I am sorry for denying you my Lord”
“It’s alright – now go hunt something, watching these eternal werewolves all day is damn boring”
And with that, the dream ended, and Bjorn quietly transformed and went off to go and hunt a Radstag.
***********
San-Kai appeared in the swirling green mass that was Apocrypha, his fear of the Daedric prince had long ago subsided and he turned to face the many eyes upon him.
“What do you want Mora?”
“Serve me and find Veezara”
“We’ve done this bit already, I am not serving you and I will not betray Julianos just to find my brother – I can track him down myself”
San began to walk away from Mora and try and find an exit to the dream when the unholy creature gave it one last try.
“If you do not find him soon, he will die”
San-Kai spun around, “You’re lying”
“I’m not – look” Hermaeus Mora showed him an image, a building burning to ashes as his Argonian brother fought for his life against what looked like Imperial soldiers, and died.
“I can track him myself”
“There is not enough time –serve me!”
“Give me a day to decide”
“You can have no more time than that – I will visit you again tomorrow”
***********
“Greetings Lucy” A man with fine, regal robes and glorious golden hair stood before her.
“Who are you?”
“I am part of you; there are many names for me – Akatosh, Alkosh, Auri-El, Bormahu”
Lucy looked up, “You’re the thing speaking in my mind!”
“Yes, it is because of me you can translate Dovahzul – I am the father of Dragons – you know the prophecy?”
“Yes”
“Then you know what is to happen – you have told the others?”
“I’ve told Nigel, I didn’t get around to telling the others – should I not tell them?”
“No, no! What use is a seer if they cannot predict the future –tell them”
“Okay, any other reason why you’ve become part of me?”
“You are the Su’um do Bormahu”
“The what?”
“Breath of Akatosh – you are destined to save the world”
“What?!”
“You will not have to do anything – simply give your body over to me”
“Will I get my body back?”
Akatosh was silent, not making eye contact
Lucy tried again, “Will I get my body back?!”
Akatosh did not respond, and simply waved his hand and the dream ended.
***********
Nigel stood in his home in the Institute, the quarters where he’d spent so many happy moments of his life and the quarters where they’d been killed. Nigel’s wife stood before him, her blond hair falling just past her shoulders as she kissed him on the cheek, next to her was his daughter with short black hair still tied in a ponytail.
Nigel began to stutter, “I’m sorry, I, I”
“Quiet, it's fine” Nigel’s wife replied with a smile
“But I…”
“Don’t blame yourself – Carry on with your life – I love you”
Nigel’s daughter piped up, “Love you, daddy”
A tear fell from Nigel’s eye and his voice cracked, “I love you too, both of you”
***********
It was dawn, the sun was just breaking over the horizon and everyone was already up after a night of visits from the Gods and the Dead. They packed up their camp and quickly set off towards Diamond City. The great city was noticeable even from this distance and it would not take them long to reach what was once Fenway Park.
Lucy suddenly remembered her dream, “Guys, I never told you the rest of the prophecy”
“Oh yeah, forgot about that – what is it then?” Bjorn replied
Lucy paused, recalling it in her mind, “Mine was – Farmer, you have lost so much and will see so much – you have the Breath of Akatosh. You have a part to play!
San, yours was – Argonian, you’ll return to him once more but your true master will forgive you; you will find your brother. You have a part to play!
Bjorn, yours was – Servant of Hircine, you will not escape him but you will be approved of. You have a part to play!”
Bjorn didn’t seem too bothered by his prophecy, “I wasn’t planning on curing my lycanthropy anyway but it’s nice to know I’ll be approved of”
San, however, seemed a little more distraught, “I’ll return to Mora? Why would I ever do that?”
Lucy shrugged, “Prophecies tend to be a bit vague, but it also said you’ll be forgiven and you’ll find your brother!”
“I got a visit from Mora last night – it said if I return to him I find my brother. Maybe that’s what I have to do?” San reassured himself. “Wait, what was that about you, Lucy?”
“I have the Breath of Akatosh – apparently it’s some kind of power that lets Akatosh take over my body to save the world, seems a bit odd”
Bjorn piped up, “Sounds a lot like Martin Septim, but…”
Lucy stared at Bjorn, “But what?”
“He died”
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