Author's Note: I don't read reviews so if you have any questions or notice a mistake, PM me.

Enjoy.

xXx

The journey from Castle Volkihar to Whiterun took less than half a day for the Dragonborn and Vampire while riding on the back of a Dragon. From horseback, such a journey would have taken at least two weeks if they were lucky. The mountainous region of Skyrim makes travelling on horseback difficult enough already, but the dangers of the land can make a trip even more treacherous with such dangers including the Forsworn, Stormcloak Remnants or even just the Skyrim wildlife.

Once he can make Whiterun out in the distance, Jon nearly cries out in joy. Jon's rush to arrive in Whiterun is not just because he wants to hurry back to Westeros, but also because of Serana's arms which are tightly wrapped around him from behind. With Serana's fear of flying, she must hold onto the closest thing she can get her hands on so she doesn't fall and that thing happens to be Jon. Usually, any man would love nothing more than to have a beautiful woman like Serana holding them tightly, but most beautiful women aren't Vampires who possess physical strength which surpasses that of the most hardiest of Nords. If not for him wearing the Nightingale armour which is blessed by the Daedric Prince of Night and Darkness, Nocturnal, Jon is sure that Serana's arms would have crushed his ribs by now. However, Jon can hear the armour start to groan from under Serana's strength so he would prefer to land as fast as possible.

Once they're close to Whiterun, Jon guides Odahviing to the Western Watchtower where they can land safely and then make the rest of the distance on foot. While Dragon attacks have become scarce after Jon defeated Alduin, there is still the occasional Dragon who continues to follow Alduin ideology, even in death. However, once a Dragon attacks a Hold, Jon is always called upon by that Hold's Jarl to deal with the Dragon, either it be through careful negotiation or by one-sided slaughter. Still, the Dragon attacks keep the commonfolk afraid of them and no matter how hard he tries, Jon can't change their minds.

So to avoid the people of Whiterun from going into a panic, Jon has Odahviing land by the Western Watchtower which is still in shambles after the first Dragon attack. Once the Dragon lands, Jon jumps off Odahviing's back with Serana quickly following after him.

Once the Dragonborn and Vampire are back on solid ground, Odahviing turns his head to Jon. "Call me when you need me, Dovahkiin. I shall go on a hunt while I await your return" said the Dragon, having gotten hungry after riding from Solitude to Castle Volkihar and then to Whiterun.

Jon nods before he turns and points towards the mountainous region in the distance. "Just southwest of here, there is a Giant's Camp called Secunda's Kiss. If you're lucky, you might find a Mammoth to feast on."

Not once has Serana ever see a Dragon make a facial expression before, but if she doesn't know any better, it nearly looks like Odahviing is smirking. Whatever Jon said to the Dragon must have been good, because Odahviing snarls something back to Jon before taking flight. Both Jon and herself watch as Odahviing flies towards the nearby mountains, making her curious as to why the Dragon is heading there of all places, but she doesn't ask.

Once he can no longer see the Dragon, Jon turns back around towards Whiterun which is a fifteen minute walk from the Western Watchtower. Jon waves an arm towards Whiterun's direction while smiling at Serana. "Well, should we get on our way my lady?" he asked the Vampire.

Serana responds by walking past Jon after throwing him a glare, making the Dragonborn rub the back of his head, awkwardly. Jon can guess that Serana isn't happy with him for making her fly on a Dragon, especially when he knows that she's afraid of flying so high in the sky. She's an immortal Vampire, but not even she would survive a fall from high in the sky.

"Just so you know, I'm not getting back on Odahviing or any Dragon for that matter" told an annoyed Serana who gives Jon no debate on the matter. She walks ahead of the Dragonborn and makes her way to Whiterun.

Jon nods in acceptance, even though Serana can't see it. As much as Jon wants to hurry with gathering the rest of the party, he can't force Serana to ride on Odahviing if she doesn't want to. So, Jon spends the fifteen minute walk to Whiterun by apologizing to Serana who is smirking in amusement over having the powerful Dragonborn plead for forgiveness.

After the short trip, both Dragonborn and Vampire walk through the gates of Whiterun where Jon then greets the smith and owner of Warmaiden's, Adrianne Avenicci. It was actually Adrianne who got Jon interested in smithing and had trained him in the art after he arrived in Whiterun from Riverwood so he could warn the Jarl about the Dragon attack at Helgen. She also helped Jon by teaching him some common knowledge of Tamriel, such as the Empire, Stormcloaks, Aldmeri Dominion, etc. Although, Jon does wish that Adrianne could have told him about the existance of other races before he visited the Jarl, seeing as how he did a lot of staring at Jarl Balgruuf's Housecarl, Irileth. It was the first time Jon had ever seen a Dark Elf before and he shan't forget it, especially after Irileth punched him in the face after he stared at her for too long.

After greeting Adrianne and her husband, Ulberth War-Bear, Jon and Serana travel through the Plains District and enter the Wind District where Jorrvaskr can be found. Both Dragonborn and Vampire step around the Gildergreen tree and walk up the steps towards Jorrvaskr before they both stop by the closed entrance.

Jon turns to Serana with a worried expression. "Are you alright?" he asked in concern for the Vampire. After all, she is about to literally walk into a Werewolves den, something which has never ended well for a Vampire before.

Serana closes her eyes and takes a deep breath to calm her nerves. Once she has calmed herself down, the Vampire looks back at Jon and offers a small smile in reassurance.

Smiling back, Jon pushes open the doors to Jorrvaskr and is none surprised when he finds a pair of Companions fighting with each other in the centre of the mead hall, nor is he surprised to find the rest of the Companions either cheering them on or making bets on who will win. It actually reminds him of the first time he entered Jorrvaskr all those years ago.

Jon recognizes the two fighters as Torvar and Ria with both throwing punch after punch at one another. Jon will bet one of the two gold pouches which are tied to his waist that the fight was started by Torvar who likely did or said something which pissed off Ria. After watching the two brawl for a moment, Jon can tell that Ria will very likely be the victor after he notices that Torvar is clearly drunk as shown by his rosy cheeks and sluggish punches. Jon is proven right when Torvar overthrows a punch which gives Ria the perfect opportunity to grab Torvar's outstretched arm and use it to flip him over her shoulder. She's quick to pin the drunken man to the floor and only releases him once he admits defeat.

Once Ria is victorious, the mead hall is filled with laughter and cheers from the other Companions. Even Torvar laughs at his own defeat and accepts Ria's offered hand to pull him up.

"Let it be known that the Companions don't hold grudges for long" remarked Jon to a perplexed Serana.

"Harbinger! What a surprise to see you back so soon" said Aela who walks over towards Jon and Serana. She looks at Serana for a moment and when she does, her eyes change into that of a wolf's before they return back to normal. Serana herself narrows her eyes at Serana and slightly bares her fangs at the Werewolf.

Jon turns to Aela. "Apologies for the sudden visit, but I'm actually in need of your help."

Aela's smile drops as she looks at Jon in a serious manner. "What is it that ale's you, Harbinger?"

"I must return home to Westeros. My family are in danger of a threat that I am not even certain of so I must return to keep them safe from their enemies. I am gathering a party to assist me on my endeavour."

"And you have come to ask me for help?" asked Aela with Jon nodding in agreement. Aela laughs out loud and pats Jon on his shoulder, roughly. "Of course I will help, Harbinger."

Jon smiles, happily. "Thank you, Aela. This means a lot."

Aela waves off Jon's appreciation. "Jon, you are ma Shield-Brother who destroyed the Silver Hand and avenged the deaths of Kodlak and Skjor. Of course I'm going to help you."

"What's this I hear about someone going to Westeros?" asked Farkas who walks over to the group. "What's going on?" he asked, looking at Aela with a curious expression.

Aela turns to her fellow Companion with an excited grin on her face. "Our Shield-Brother here has just asked me to come along with him to his homeland of Westeros so to help him protect his family from an unknown threat."

Farkas looks at Aela and then to Jon before he grins. "Sounds fun. Count me in" Jon must have looked surprised because Farkas laughs. "Don't look so surprised! I always do enjoy a good adventure and by the sounds of it, this adventure is going to be very exciting."

Jon is more than surprised by Farkas's offer to come along with them, but appreciates it nonetheless. Like Aela, he is a very skilled and experienced warrior who is known to be the physically strongest of all the Companions. There's few who Jon would completely trust to watch his back in a fight, but Farkas and Aela are two of those who he trusts completely. However, Jon wants to make sure that Aela and Farkas understand the severity of their decision. "I can't thank you both enough, but I want to make it clear that if you agree to this, I can't promise you when we will actually be able to return, nor if we'll actually leave with our lives."

Aela only smirks in response "Do you think a little unknown danger is enough to scare us?"

Farkas nods and drops his hands to his sides. "We should get ready for the trip. I should also say my farewells to Vilkas" said Farkas who walks towards the stairs which leads down to the living quarters for the Companions.

"Where will we find the ship which will take us to Westeros?" asked Aela, wanting to know where they can meet Jon when they're all ready.

"Windhelm. The ship that we will use has a Dragon figurehead and is named the Dragon Slayer. By the time you get there, Sofie and Lucia should have already arrived" answered Jon.

"The girls are coming along as well?" asked Aela before she grins. "Looks like I'll be spending the journey training the upcoming Companions" laughed the Werewolf before she follows Farkas down to the living quarters.

With their business settled, Jon and Serana leave Jorrvaskr and walk down the steps until they're right beside the Gildergreen tree.

"So now we're bringing along two of the dogs?" asked an unamused Serana.

Jon sighs over Serana's unhappy tone. "You know Farkas isn't a Werewolf any longer." After curing Kodlak of his lycanthropy so he may pass on to Sovngarde, Farkas and Vilkas both agreed to cure themselves of their own lycantropy so they can follow Kodlak to Sonvgarde upon their own deaths. Aela is actually the only member of the Circle who refuses to cure herself of lycanthropy as she seeskikou the curse as an actual blessing.

Serana sniffs. "That may be true, but he still smells like a dog."

Jon chuckles as they head out to leave Whiterun. Once they exit through the main gates, Jon and Serana walk down to the stables where they can see a carriage and its driver waiting for a customer. Seeing as Serana refuses to ride on the back of a Dragon again, she will now be taking the carriage to travel.

Once they're only a few feet away from the carriage, Jon and Serana turn to each other so they can discuss their next steps. "So then, who else is to join our merry band?" asked Serana with a teasing smile.

Jon doesn't need to think on it, having already decided on who would make great assets for the group, although Farkas joining up with them was a surprise, but not an unwelcome one. "I'll be heading off to Raven Rock so to convince Teldryn to come along."

"You mean Teldryn Sero? The sellsword?" Serana asked for confirmation, having heard of the sellsword once or twice from Jon. Apparently, the Dunmer had helped Jon a lot during the incident with Miraak, although for a cost. If there's anything Serana has learned in her long life, sellswords are only loyal to those who pay them the most coin. "And what's to stop him from stabbing us in the back after our enemies offer him a bigger bag of gold than even you can?"

"After what we went through with Miraak, I know I can trust Teldryn. True, he works for gold and will likely be expecting to be paid, but if there's anything I have learned after working with him, it's that I can always count on him whenever I'm in trouble." said Jon, defending his friend. Teldryn could have left his service at any time during their quest to deal with Miraak, but the Dunmer never left his side, even with the constant danger of Draugr, Dragon Priests and even Dragons. "Teldryn is a skilled swordsman and mage who can prove to be a benefit to the group."

Serana can see Jon is determined to have the Dark Elf join them so she accepts his decision, although reluctantly. "Fine, but dare I ask, how do you think the people of Westeros will react when they see a Dark Elf for the first time?" she asked, having been told by Jon that Westeros doesn't have any other races, much to the Vampire's surprise. She's sure that a few ships travel back and forth from Tamriel to Westeros, but guesses that none of the ships had any crew members with a Non-Men race, like Argonians, Altmer or Dunmer.

"Lynching comes to mind" answered Jon with complete honesty. While he only had eight years of education before he fled Westeros, Jon still remembers many of his lessons, such as how the Faith of the Seven is the main religion in the south of Westeros. Jon also remembers learning about the history of the Faith, specifically how the Andals sailed to Westeros from Essos, conquered the First Men and slaughtered the Children of the Forest, because they view magic as an abomination before the Seven. Jon already knows that if Teldryn's appearance was to be revealed, the followers of the Faith would very likely kill him, especially if they discovered that he can use magic. "No need to fret about that, since Teldryn never takes his armour off. By the Nines, I haven't even seen his face either, even after weeks of travelling with him.

"I guess that's fine" replied Serana. "As long as he keeps his appearance hidden, then I guess I don't have a problem with him coming along. I'll be keeping my eye on him, though."

Jon can't show how grateful he is to the Vampire. "Thank you, Serana."

"Yea, yea" muttered Serana who waves off the Dragonborn's gratitude. "Anyway, is there anyone you want me to go after?"

"Actually, there is. We will need someone who specializes in magic so I want you to head to the College of Winterhold" answered Jon who Serana notices isn't looking her in the eye.

Suspicious, Serana narrows her gaze on Jon. "And who is it that you want me to invite from the College?"

"... J'zargo."

"No."

"Serana-"

"I do not want that arrogant ball of fur with us when we head for Westeros. I especially don't want to be stuck on a ship with him for who knows how long" said Serana who folds her arms in protest. The absolute last person Serana wants to bring along on their adventure is J'zargo of all people. She will admit that the Khajiit is an exceptional mage, especially in the field of Destruction magic, but he is also so confident in himself that it's on the verge of arrogance. "Teldryn is one thing, but do you actually expect J'zargo of all people to hide his face? Forget that, how am I to convince him to join up with us in the first place?"

"To answer both of your questions, you'll give him this" answered Jon who takes something from his hip before offering it to Serana. The Vampire looks down at the item in Jon's hand and her eyes widen in surprise.

"You're actually going to give that to J'zargo?" Serena asked in disbelief. It'll definitely convince the mage to join them, but the item is far too valuable to give away, especially to someone like J'zargo.

"To borrow. Even then, I doubt J'zargo will throw away the opportunity to have this beauty to use and study" answered Jon in a knowing manner. "On the morrow, we'll meet back up by the ship in Windhelm, even if either of our charges refuse to join us."

Serana agrees and takes the offered item before pocketing it. With their plan set, the pair stand there in awkward silence as they both feel a hollow feeling in the pit of their stomachs. Just as they're reunited, they're to be separated again, even if it's only for a day.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow" said Jon, disliking the idea of being away from the Vampire.

Having familiar feelings, Serana tries to improve the mood "I guess so. Try not to get into trouble while I'm gone."

Jon chuckles. "I can't promise that. You know that trouble always seems to find me"

Giggling, Serana hops onto the back of the carriage and tells the driver where she wants to go before handing him the correct amount of gold. Upon noticing Jon's troubled expression, she has an idea on what is troubling her friend. "Don't worry, Jon. We'll save your family, no matter what" she said and is happy to see Jon's brooding expression switch to a gentle smile.

"I know. Thank you, Serana."

Smiling back, Serana gives her driver the order and soon, the carriage heads off towards the direction of Winterhold. Jon remains standing where he is, watching as the carriage fades in the distance. Once he can no longer see the carriage, Jon heads towards the Western Watchtower.

If he goes now, Odahviing will have him by Raven Rock just as it turns night.

( Solstheim - Raven Rock )

After having Odahviing drop him off at a distance, Jon makes his way towards Raven Rock. Once he reaches the outskirts of the mining settlement, Jon raises his Nightingale Hood so as to keep his identity a secret from the populace. The last thing he needs is for everyone to realize he is back on the island, since all he's hoping for is to have a quick talk with Teldryn and leave for Windhelm in the morning. Once he raises his hood, shadows begin covering Jon's face until it forms a solid mask that hides his face, leaving only his eyes uncovered.

The reason why Jon wants to keep his identity a secret is because the commonfolk of Raven Rock tend to show him far too much appreciation for his past actions. While he did help a few people with certain tasks, everyone mostly respects him for his role in reopening Raven Rock's Ebony Mine.

Everyone believed that the Ebony Mine had dried up long ago, but that had been a lie made up by the East Empire Company who had founded Raven Rock years ago. The truth was that the miners had accidentally found an old tomb inside the mine and woke up the Draugr that slept within. The Draugr then slaughtered all the miners so the East Empire Company sealed up the mine and soon abandoned Raven Rock altogether. The East Empire Company then turned over the settlement to the Dunmer, believing that there to be nothing else of value in the settlement.

So it must had came to a shock to them when the Ebony Mine reopened after so long and everyone in Raven Rock know to give their thanks to the Dragonborn, due to him having cleared out the Draugr and any other threats that were lingering in the tomb. Once all the threats were eliminated by Jon, the miners were quick to return to work and soon, Raven Rock found itself with an abundance of Ebony Ore to sell. Even better, they didn't have to share any profits to the East Empire Company who gave away the mining settlement to the Dunmer.

Ever since the Ebony Mine reopened, the conditions in Raven Rock had improved drastically with the economy rising higher than it ever had before with more Dunmer and Nords moving to the island in search for work in the mine. With the increase of wealth, merchants and traders are now known to do business with the residents of Solstheim a lot more often which only attracts more people to the island.

Since Jon played such a large role in reopening the Ebony Mine, many of the commonfolk often give him their appreciation through compliments, gifts and even the odd marriage proposals which Jon rejects as kindly as he can. Honestly, Jon can't blame the commonfolk of Raven Rock for being so appreciative, especially after the East Empire Company abandoned them without a second thought, but the hero worship can get a bit unsettling at times. He gets that enough in Skyrim.

With nobody none the wiser of his identity, Jon walks through the bustling street of Raven Rock and makes his way towards the tavern that was given the delightful name, Retching Netch. Once through the doors, Jon has a look around the tavern and quickly finds his friend who is sitting in the corner on his own, as usual.

"Is that the Hero of Tamriel gracing the commonfolk with his presence. Tell me, should I give a bow in respect to your glory or will I skip to kissing your boots instead?" asked Teldryn while giving a mocking bow to the Dragonborn, having recognized Jon's unique grey eyes which turn dark when in a certain lighting. That and he knows that only the Dragonborn would have such strange, but obviously set of powerful armour and weaponry on his person.

Knowing that Teldryn is only jesting, Jon chuckles and takes a seat in the chair across from the Dunmer. "Keep your voice down. I would prefer if I didn't get mobbed again" remarked Jon, reminding the sellsword on what happened the last time Jon paid Raven Rock a visit without hiding his face.

Teldryn chuckles from underneath his Chitin Helmet. "Ah, the wonders of being the saviour of the world. I don't envy you" stated the Dunmer as he leans back against his chair. "Anyway, what can this lonesome sellsword do for you?"

"I have a job for you" answered Jon, looking at the Dunmer with a very serious expression, not that Teldryn can see through Jon's mask. "Do you remember the time I told you how I'm not actually from Tamriel?"

Teldryn thinks for a moment before he nods his head. "I do. You said that you come from somewhere in the east. Someplace called Westeros if I recall correctly. You know, it's ironic if you think about it."

"My spy over there has warned me that my family may be in danger. I must return and I'm bringing along a party to help me with any dangers that might come our way. I'm hoping to have you join me to Westeros" explained Jon.

Teldryn begins thinking, leaving the pair in silence as he weighs in on the pros and cons of accepting Jon's job proposal "One thousand Septims, upfront."

A very steep price for a sellsword, but with the unknown dangers that might befall them, Jon can't complain about the price. Jon takes one of the two heavy pouches that's tied to his waist and drops it onto the table. Teldryn takes the bag of gold and weighs it in his hand before pocketing it. "You got yourself a sellsword. So who else is coming along on this journey across the seas?"

"Aela and Farkas, both of whom are Companions."

Teldryn looks at Jon in interest. "Companions? I hear they have some of the best warriors in all of Skyrim. I'll be looking forward to testing my skill against them" remarked Teldryn who is looking forward to test himself against a Companion. Being the so-called, best swordsman in Morrowind, Teldryn would like to compare himself against some of Skyrim's greatest warriors. "Anyone else?"

Teldryn doesn't miss how the Dragonborn looks away, seemingly thinking for a split second before answering. "A friend of mine is coming as well. Serana is her name, but I should warn you that she is a Vampire."

Jon finds it difficult to know what Teldryn is thinking about, due to the Dunmer's face being covered with his Chitin Helmet. "This Serana, is she the same Serana I remember you fawning over during our travels?" asked the Dunmer with a knowing tone.

Having not expected such a question, Jon coughs into his fist and tries to fight back the heat that is rushing to his cheeks. "I never fawned over her" denied Jon, but Teldryn laughs in response. "You haven't asked about Serana's... condition" Jon pointed out, trying to steer the conversation to the main point.

Teldryn shrugs his shoulders in response. "You're talking to a Dunmer who use to live in Windhelm. I'm the last person who would discriminate, just because someone is different. As long as she doesn't go sucking my blood in the middle of the night, then I've got nothing against her."

While he's thankful that Teldryn is so understanding, Jon doesn't like to be reminded how the other races use to be treated in Skyrim, especially by those Stormcloak loyalists.

With how similar Skyrim is to the North, some would have expected Jon to join up with the Stormcloaks, especially after he nearly got executed by the Empire, just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, Jon ended up joining the Empire instead and for a few reasons.

The first reason is because he detests how the Stormcloaks treat the other races, specifically the Dunmer and Argonians. As a Bastard from Westeros, Jon understood what it was like to be treated differently for circumstances out of his control. Where's the Empire is accepting of all races, the Stormcloaks appeal only to their fellow Nords. Jon can respect that, seeing as how the North mostly keeps to itself as well, but unlike the Stormcloaks, the Northmen don't treat the Southerners with disdain or disgust, just because they have different customs or follow the New Gods. In fact, Jon remembers from his studies in Winterfell how House Manderly, one of the Stark's most loyal and powerful vassals follow the Faith of the Seven and are accepted by the rest of the North with open arms.

The second reason Jon joined the Empire is because unlike Lord Stark, Ulfric Stormcloak didn't know anything about honour, especially after he used the Thu'um to kill the High King of Skyrim, Torygg, in a duel. After joining the Empire and then the Thieves Guild, Jon has learned that honour while important, does not mean it should cost you your life. However, in a one-on-one duel which he initiated, Ulfric should have kept to the rules of the duel, at least out of respect. Instead, he dishonored himself greatly by killing the High King with the Unrelenting Force Shout. The Stormcloaks and even Ulfric himself claimed that he only used the Shout to knock Torygg to the floor before he finished him off with his sword, but Jon knows that isn't the truth. Jon is aware that Ulfric used the Thu'um to blow the High King to pieces and he knows that to be the truth after speaking with the deceased High King himself in Sovngarde. After speaking with Torygg in Sovngarde, Jon learned from the man himself on how Ulfric murdered him in cold blood.

The third and biggest reason why Jon didn't join the Stormcloaks was because unlike Ulfric, Jon could see the repercussions that would occur if Skyrim was to separate itself from the Empire. Everyone knew that the Aldmeri Dominion wanted nothing more than to invade the Empire, even after the signing of the White-Gold Concordat, but after the Battle of the Red Ring during the Great War, the Dominion realized that the Empire could hit back hard when pushed around enough. An invasion on the Empire would likely end with the Dominion's victory, but they would also lose a vast amount of their soldiers in the process. The two sides were locked in a stalemate, until Ulfric started the Civil War, weakening the Empire enough that the Aldmeri Dominion saw the perfect opportunity to strike, now that the Empire is too busy trying to quell the Stormcloak Rebellion.

As the Empire wasted resources and lost men to the Civil War, the Aldmeri Dominion gathered its armies in preparation for another Great War. By the time the Empire defeated the Stormcloaks and realized what was happening, the Aldmeri Dominion were ready to finish what they started during the Great War. Everyone understood that another war would have been the end of the Empire and the start of the Aldmeri Dominion's rule over Tamriel.

At least, it was suppose to be until Jon destroyed the Dominion's armies with a legion of Dragons who had all sworn fealty to him after he defeated Alduin, although they did so mostly out of fear for the power of his Thu'um. After fighting in the Civil War and defeating Alduin, the last thing Jon wanted was for another war to break out, especially one which would have eventually ended with the Empire's defeat and thousands more dead. Having no desire to live under a Altmer supremacist government, Jon decided to end the Second Great War before it could even begin.

After Jon laid waist to a large portion of the Dominion's armies, the Emperor of the Tamrielic Empire, Titus Mede II ripped up the White-Gold Concordat, now that the Aldmeri Dominion no longer have the power necessary to intimidate the Empire anymore. With the abolishment of the White-Gold Concordat, the ban on the worship of Talos was advocated, much to the joy of a lot of Nords. As well as that, every Thalmor Embassy in all the territories of the Empire were all shut down with the Thalmor all forced to return to their homeland in defeat. With the return of Talos worship and the eviction of the Thalmor, many Nords of Skyrim were more than happy to return to the Empire, now that the Emperor was no longer licking the bottom of the Aldmeri Dominion's boots. The only ones not happy are the Stormcloak Remnants who stubbornly continue to follow Ulfric's dream of an independent Skyrim, even though the former Jarl of Windhelm is dead.

Peace may have come to Skyrim, but the Stormcloak Remnants continue to cause trouble so the Empire focuses on hunting down the rest of the Stormcloak Remnants with General Tullius leading the hunt himself.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Jon offers his gratitude to the Dunmer. "Thank you, Teldryn. This really means a lot to me."

"And this heavy bag of coin means a lot to me" remarked Teldryn who holds up the heavy bag of gold which Jon is paying him with. The two laugh with each other for a moment with a few bar patrons looking over at him in either curiosity or annoyance. "So then, when do we leave for Westeros?"

"On the morrow so I expect you up by dawn. We are to ride for Windhelm in the morning" said Jon who stands up and pats Teldryn on the shoulder before walking past him.

Teldryn nods in acceptance before he realizes something that Jon had said. "Hey, what do you mean by riding for Windhelm?" asked the Dunmer who turns on his chair so he can look at Jon's retreating back.

Jon stops and looks at Teldryn from over his left shoulder. "We can't afford to waste time by sailing to Windhelm. Instead, we shall fly there by Dragon so be sure to wear heavy furs." Jon makes his way out of the Wretching Netch and heads towards his manor which was gifted to him after he discovered that the previous residents were assassins who planned to kill the First Councilor, Lleril Morvayn. With his help, the assassins were killed, much to the gratitude of the First Councilor and House Redoran.

As Jon leaves, Teldryn is left by himself to think about how he is going to be riding atop a Dragon in the morning.

"Fuck."

( College of Winterhold - Hall of Attainment )

"No."

From the entrance to J'zargo's room, Serana glares at the Khajiit in annoyance, not that J'zargo can see it, due to him sitting with his back turned to her. "J'zargo-" started Serana, but J'zargo interrupts the Vampire before she can continue.

"J'zargo will not follow Jon to his homeland. We may be friends, but J'zargo has no interest in the land of Westeros. Besides, J'zargo is far too busy with his research" stated the Khajiit mage who is currently reading off a scroll by the small wooden table in the corner of his room.

Serana's fingers twitch as she nearly relishes in the thought of bashing in the skull of the arrogant Khajiit with her mace. Instead, she suppresses her vampiric bloodlust and takes the item that Jon gave her to convince J'zargo to change his mind. "That is a shame, but you made your decision and Jon will respect that. Too bad, because Jon was willing to let you borrow this old thing if you agreed to come along with us. Looks like I'll have to give it back to Jon, seeing as you won't be sailing to Westeros with us" said Serana in fake disappointment.

"What are you talki-" J'zargo turns around, but the mage suddenly finds his voice caught in his throat once he sees what Serana is holding in her hand. Carefully, the Khajiit pushes himself off the chair so he can face the Vampire and get a better look at the item in her possession. "Is that... a Dragon Priest Mask?" By the colour of the mask, J'zargo can tell that the Dragon Priest Mask in Serana's grasp must be the mask of Morokei.

Honestly, J'zargo doesn't need to ask to know that Serana is holding an actual Dragon Priest Mask, but he can excuse a split second of stupidity on his part because of his excitement over the possibility of getting his hands on a Dragon Priest Mask, even if it's just to borrow it. After all, Dragon Priest Masks are one of the most sought after artifacts in all of Tamriel. Many mages and researchers have been trying to get their hands on any of the thirteen Dragon Priest Masks, due to the extraordinary abilities each mask provides the wearer, as well as the history behind said masks. With so many masks, many would expect that at least one would be offered to a magical organization for research purposes, but they have all remained in the sole possession of the person who found them.

Jon Snow.

J'zargo will admit to no one, but himself that he is actually pretty jealous of his friend and former classmate. There is few people J'zargo will admit who can match him in the use of magic, but Jon Snow is one of those people, but that isn't the main reason he's jealous of the Dragonborn. The main reason J'zargo is jealous of Jon is because he knows that the Dragonborn is in possession of many unique magical artifacts and J'zargo doesn't just mean the Dragon Priest Masks. Artifacts such as the Gauldur Amulet, Wuuthrad and if the rumors are true, he even has artifacts which were blessed by the Daedric Princes themselves. Over the years, Jon has collected a priceless collection of powerful and ancient artifacts which J'zargo wishes to have, even just to study them.

But now, Jon is practically handing him a Dragon Priest Mask! Just so he can join him on his trip to his homeland?

"M-Maybe J'zargo spoke to soon. After all, J'zargo and Jon are good friends, no? J'zargo couldn't bare the thought of letting down a friend in need" said J'zargo who quickly changes his tune.

Serana deadpans at the near drooling Khajiit. J'zargo may sound like a changed man, but the Vampire notices how throughout J'zargo's heartfelt confession, he has never once looked away from the Dragon Priest Mask in her hand. She even waves the mask around and amusingly watches as J'zargo's gaze follows after the mask, acting like the mask will suddenly disappear if he takes his eyes off it for even a second. "So you will be joining is to Westeros after all?" she asked, knowingly.

"Of course! If Jon needs my help, then it is J'zargo's duty to come along" agreed the Khajiit. Just as J'zargo is about to snatch the mask out of Serana's hands, she pulls it out of reach.

"Ah, ah, ah. You don't get this until we're on the ship so you better start packing. We leave on the morrow" she said before walking away, leaving J'zargo in his quarters.

Once Serana leaves the Hall of Attainment, J'zargo begins packing his belongings into a chest, including his scrolls, books, potions, etc. "Who knows, maybe I'll find something of interest in Westeros" thought the Khajiit, even if it's just wishful thinking. From his time travelling with Jon, J'zargo has learned that the lands of Westeros don't have magic anymore. Apparently, their magic all died out when the Dragons became extinct a century and a half ago.

"Everyone in Tamriel all thought the Dragons died out as well and look how that ended up" J'zargo thought to himself while carefully packing some Soul Gems into his chest. "Still, maybe I'll find something of interest there for me."

( Windhelm - Lake Yorgrim )

Teldryn has decided that he hates flying.

Ever since they left Raven Rock, the Dunmer has been holding onto the Dragon for dear life and he curses Jon for how calm he is when on a flying Dragon's back. Every time the Dragon flies higher and lower, Teldryn bounces off the Dragon's rock-solid scales and winces, knowing that he's arse and crotch are going to be hurting for a while. Even worse, the heavy furs that the sellsword is wearing are doing absolutely nothing to protect him against the biting winds which are blowing into his face.

"Why would anyone in their right mind want to ride atop a Dragon?!" wondered Teldryn who stares at Jon's back, noting how easy Jon has taken to flying. "Jon being Dragonborn probably makes him feel at home when flying."

Teldryn nearly cries in relief when he sees Windhelm in the distance. The City of Kings may be home to a lot of racist Nords, but at the moment, the sight of it and the relief of finally getting off the flying Dragon makes the ancient city look as beautiful as the realm of Moonshadow itself.

Jon has Odahviing drop them down by Lake Yorgrim so they can walk to Windhelm without fear of the populace catching sight of the large Dragon. Once they jump off the Dragon's back, Odahviing takes flight into the sky and flies into the clouds so to remain unseen.

Jon knows that Odahviing will follow them when they head off to Westeros and will remain hidden until called for. Most would think that spotting a large flying Dragon in the sky wouldn't be difficult, but Jon has learned that Dragons can be sneaky when they want to be. How else could Paarthurnax manage to sneak into Dragonsreach undetected and speak with the captured Dragon, Numinex who was imprisoned within the Keep.

"Well then, let's be on our way" said Jon, looking at Teldryn who is silently groaning.

"Fine. The faster we get on the ship, the better" groaned Teldryn while trying to ignore the pains from his crotch and arse. At least now that he's on the ground, the Dunmer isn't getting frostbite from the cold. It's still freezing, but compared to the cold winds hitting him in the face while flying, the cold weather of Eastmarch doesn't seem so bad.

After twenty minutes of walking, the Dragonborn and Dark Elf eventually walk through the gates of Windhelm.

"Let's be done with this place and head for the ship" said Teldryn who immediately makes his way towards the docks. Having lived in the Grey Quarter of Windhelm for a few years, Teldryn doesn't exactly have the best of memories of the city. Nords are spiteful to his kind and the Dunmer are all bitter of their treatment. Altogether, it means the city isn't a nice place to live in, no matter what race you are.

Jon can't say he has the best memories of Windhelm either. Jon's first visit ended with him having to discover the identity of a serial killer within the walls of the city. His second visit was when he took part in the Siege of Windhelm which ended with the defeat of the Stormcloaks and the execution of Ulfric Stormcloak by General Tulius's hand. Honestly, the only good memory Jon has of Windhelm is when he found and adopted Sofie.

Not wanting to stay in Windhelm for much longer, especially with a few Stormcloak supporters glaring at him at a safe distance, Jon moves to follow the Dark Elf to the docks. For a moment, Jon blinks and he finds himself back at the Siege of Windhelm. All around him, Stormcloaks and Imperials are fighting one another, laying waste to the city. The once white snow covering the ground is now red with the blood of Nords and Imperials.

Jon blinks and finds himself back with no sign of blood in the snow, although he knows better. Having enough of his depressing memories, Jon follows after Teldryn to the docks.

The Dragonborn and Dunmer walk along the dock and quickly find their ship, seeing as it is the biggest one on the dock. Said ship is a large galley ship which has the figurehead of a roaring Dragon that has a sword going through its skull and out the bottom of its jaw. Written on the side of the ship are the words, Dragon Slayer.

Teldryn whistles in appreciation. "That's a nice ship. Must've cost you a pretty Septim" he stated to Jon.

"It didn't cost me a single coin. The ship was a gift from all the Jarls of Skyrim so they could thank me for all I've done. They even included a crew so I wouldn't have to hire one myself" Jon answered, having been grateful for the gift, although he didn't know exactly what he would do with the ship at the time. He thought of just selling the ship since he couldn't see himself sailing anywhere, but he's now thankful that he didn't. The ship's first voyage will now take him back to Westeros.

Teldryn chuckles and playfully slaps Jon on the back. "It pays to be the Dragonborn" laughed the Dunmer who goes ahead to get himself situated on the ship.

"Papa!"

Jon takes his eyes off the ship and smiles at the sight of Sofie and Lucia who are running towards him. Dropping to his knees, Jon spreads his arms out wide and pulls his daughters into a hug. "Hello girls. Did you miss me?'

"Of course they did. They wouldn't stop asking for you throughout the entire trip" told Jordis who walks up to the small family, having been left behind after the girls ran off at the sight of Jon .

Jon bids his thanks to his Housecarl. "Thank you for getting the girls here safely, Jordis."

The Houscarl smiles and salutes by placing her right fist in front of her heart. "I was only performing my duty as your Housecarl, my Thane."

"You still have my thanks anyway."

Jordis nods. "I took the liberty to placing your chests onboard the ship" she said, referring to the large galley ship.

Before Jon can offer his thanks once again, he hears arguing from behind him.

"J'zargo, if you don't get out of my face, I will do something I won't regret" growled Serana as she walks over to Jon and his family, having just arrived in Windhelm. Following close behind him is J'zargo who is now adorning the Dragon Priest Mask. Now that J'zargo has Morokei's mask on and his tail tucked into his Expert Robes of Destruction, nobody would expect him to be a Khajiit.

"I would like to see you try. J'zargo was powerful before, but with this mask, J'zargo truly feels invincible!"

"Well I am happy to know that the power isn't getting to his head" drawled Jon, making Sofie and Lucia giggle.

Serana quickly spots Jon and speed walks towards him. "Are we ready to go now? The faster we get to King's Landing, the faster I can get some space from him. Serana narrows her eyes at J'zargo who puffs out his chest, proudly

"That depends, has Aela and Farkas arrived?" asked Jon, trying and failing to hide his amusement over how easily J'zargo gets under Serana's skin.

Jordis nods, having been in Windhelm for the past hour. "They said that they wanted to check out the ship."

"Then we're all ready to go. Let's get a move on" said Jon, waving an arm towards the galley. As everyone begins filing up into the Dragon Slayer, Jon turns to the Jordis who is to remain in Skyrim and watch over Proudspire Manor. "Stay safe, Jordis."

"And you too, my Thane. Try to stay out of trouble."

"You know I can't promise that" Jon laughed before walking up the gangway onto the ship. Jon finds the old, but hardy captain of the ship waiting for him on deck. "Set sail, captain. It's time that I return home."

"The captain nods and turns around to the crew who are stationed all across the galley. "Set sail!" he bellowed to the crew who quickly go about their business to get the ship moving out to sea.

Soon, Jon finds himself alone on the bow of the galley, watching as the ship sails through waves while Windhelm fades away in the distance. While Jon doesn't know what to expect when he arrives in King's Landing, he remains determined to protect his father and siblings from whomever threatens their lives.

For the enemies who surround the Wolves on all sides, none see the Black Dragon which flies overhead and sprays down fire on them all.

xXx

Jon's Skill Levels:

One-Handed (100) - You know what's better than a sword?

Two-Handed (100) - An even bigger sword!

Archery (40) - Load, point and shoot the crossbow. It isn't that hard.

Block (30) - Why use a shield when you can just use another sword?

Light Armour (100) - The winner is always the one who moves the fastest.

Heavy Armour (85) - Heavy, but safe.

Smithing (100) - Eorlund Grey-Mane would be proud.

Sneak (100) - By the time you see me, you'll already be dead.

Lockpicking (60) - Won't be opening any steel doors anytime soon.

Pickpocket (40) - Does it count if I pickpocket a corpse?

Speech (90) - Why fight when we can just talk?

Alchemy (75) - Potions and Poisons for any circumstance.

Enchanting (50) - Probably better to just pay for the enchantment.

Alteration (100) - Reality is my plaything!

Restoration (80) - Can heal all but the most fatal of injuries.

Destruction (75) - BOOM!

Conjuration (35) - Does Westeros really need anymore zombies?

Illusion (60) - Want to see a magic trick?

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