Chapter 86: Katie's Message

As Katie felt the power travel out from her, fixing what she could, and restoring nearly every life lost since the end of the war, she could feel that she was growing weak too. Finally, as the last two hundred people were restored to life, Katie felt her own life fading, and her old body dissolving. In that moment, all of her perceptions changed. She caught, for a moment, another glimpse of the ledge between life and death, but soon, it fell away from her, and she found herself rising once again, beyond the plummeting mortals, towards the nine figures who stood above them. Katie had seen them before, and in a way, she was pleased to see them again, even in spite of all that had happened. She had a few things that she needed to say to them, and fortunately, it was Akatosh who began that conversation.

"Katie of Hammerfell; there can be no question that you have accomplished more than any of those who we granted our blessings to. More, indeed, than any of those who we once chose to serve as heroes. Before your accomplishments, even Talos himself has expressed envy, and your power is formidable, even now that the daedric powers have faded, and the power of life is no longer in your hands."

When Akatosh said that, Katie looked down at her spear, which had somehow survived the death of her body. Sure enough, its glow was much smaller, and it only had a few gems in its spearhead. The inscription on its handle was gone, and Katie could tell that its power would be far smaller than it had been when she'd fought Liberion. Still, she knew that she would be quite capable of fighting on even terms with any of the divines who surrounded her, if only she could manifest in a physical form again. She still wasn't sure whether her powers gave her that ability. Still, Akatosh continued.

"You have done all that mortal man can do to earn the favor of the gods. Therefore, for all these reasons and more, we invite you to join us. Take your place beside us, and let us be known as the ten, or the eight and two. I assume that I don't need to explain to you the honor of this position. In this world, there is nothing higher to attain."

For a moment, and only a moment, Katie really thought about it. However, in the end, she knew that she still had to ask her questions.

"Which of you is the real god; the one whose power over the others is supreme?"

At once, the eyes of eight of the divines turned toward Akatosh, who bowed his head, looking ashamed of the attention.

"I'm the oldest among us." Akatosh replied, "However, my power isn't supreme over the others. On balance, my power is greater than theirs, but each of them exceeds me in some area. You're the same, death-slayer."

However, that told Katie all that she needed to hear. Her eyes narrowed, and she held her spear to one side, looking around at those strange beings, who were worshipped by some below, but who she'd always felt uncomfortable worshipping. At last, she realized why.

"I thought I could appeal to one of you for mercy, and a chance to live my own life, but I see I was wrong." Katie said, looking them over, "You're all too weak to give me what I really want."

Three of the divines looked angry when they heard those words, three looked sad. Two more looked merely curious, and as for Akatosh, his look was hard to decypher.

"You can't restore the dead to life." Katie observed sadly, "That doesn't lie within your power. You can't change the past or make new worlds, or even alter a person's fate. None of that falls within your jurisdiction. When I said you were too weak, that was what I meant. It was all I meant."

Some of the divines were starting to calm down by that point, but Akatosh cut right to the heart of the matter a moment later.

"You haven't answered my question. Will you accept our offer? Remember, there is much to be gained from becoming a divine; power, influence, worship and the fame that comes with it..."

However, those words actually made Katie angry, and in a moment, she shouted, "Don't you people get it?! I never wanted any of that! All I've ever wanted was just one little inn on the outskirts of a small town, where people can stop by to have a good meal and a drink, and rent a room when they get tired; a place that I can manage and live in, and never have to worry about some dragon or metamorph tearing it apart! Ebonarm thought the daedra were the enemies, and some of them definitely were, but if you've been leading people to think that power and glory are the goals that are most worth pursuing, then you're enemies too!"

When she said that, eight of the divines took a step back, raising their hands, as though to prepare for battle. Only Akatosh seemed unthreatened by her words.

"Besides." Katie continued a moment later, "I don't know how you got your powers, but if you got them the way I did; from studying the truth and pursuing it, no matter what, then I feel sorry for you all. You've stopped improving, just when you were so close. You should have continued to seek the truth more diligently, and accepted it when you found it."

However, it was Julianos who spoke up then, looking legitimately confused when he spoke.

"What are you saying, death-slayer?" he asked, "That there are greater heights, even for us to climb? That we've failed to see them, because we were too preoccupied with the mortals?"

However, just as Julianos' last sentence ended, he let out a gasp of shock, along with many of the others, because Katie was beginning to slowly rise further up. She was two yards higher than them, when she replied.

"It's not mortals you've been preoccupied with; it's comparing yourselves to others. You've spent eons watching the mortal world, and enjoying the sight of how high you were above them, but you never asked yourself what was above you."

"Tell me." Julianos exclaimed, staring at her in wonder, as she continued to rise.

"Someone who'd leave a bitter taste in your mouth." Katie said sadly, "You'd have no reason to brag about your accomplishments, or mine, if you knew the kind of measuring stick that hovers right over your heads. There are times that I've focused too much on accomplishing the big victories, and I've forgotten about ordinary people, the kind of help they need. The very source of all truth hovers over you, and it's more humbling that anything in all the worlds I've seen. It can take you to a higher place, if you stop focusing on who you're better than. Still, you can't even approach it until you're ready to admit that none of you are perfect yet, and if you were ready to admit that, you'd have already realized that you can't all be 'gods.'"

Then, the light that shone down from overhead had concealed Katie from even their sight, and none of the divines knew what else to think about her from that point on.

Jeleen had been working hard at the forge for many weeks. Soldiers from Whiterun, Dragonstar and Elinhir had been passing through Karohad in their way to secure this or that against the dragons, then against the warring factions and vicious animals, which had, for a while, been active in and around Skyrim. There'd been some fighting more recently, until eventually, everyone just seemed to have passed out, and woken up again some time later, realizing how foolishly they'd been acting. At that point, most of the soldiers had packed up and gone home, but not before buying replacements or repairs on some of their weapons and armor, or purchasing some new piece that they thought would help them on the journey back.

Jeleen had gotten quite a bit of business during those days; much more than he usually did, and some part of him was grateful for it. Still, what he really appreciated was the very fact that there were soldiers from Whiterun at all. Bit by bit, they'd brought him news of his daughter, and some of it was encouraging, while some was clearly just a tall tale, like the stories of his daughter slaying a dragon and training hard to fight more of them. Even the thought of Katie having been appointed the thane was a bit hard for Jeleen to accept, since he knew how much she disliked the thought of taking up a position of leadership. Still, he was inclined to believe that that might be true, if only because it explained how she'd been able to get so many soldiers to aid them.

That night, however, Jeleen had been working extra hard as the last of the soldiers left town for some new post or station, or perhaps for their homes. In addition to his regular work, he'd been cleaning the rooms of his wife, and boiling a small pot of water for her, mixing in some herbs when it got hot enough. At last, the water had changed color, to a sort of light reddish-brown, and Jeleen had poured it out into cups, taking them outside, to where his wife Sinia was seated.

Sinia was sitting on a small bench, which Jeleen had built while she was injured, and which she'd been using less often over the last couple of days, than she had been during her recovery. In fact, he could barely believe that she was fully recovered, even considering how long it had taken. There was something very different about her; a sort of quiet serenity, and a tendency to just not worry about what was going to happen next, unless some part of it had happened already. At times, it even made her seem cold; especially when the subject of Katie came up. Sinia would just say that she didn't know what was going on in Katie's life anymore, and until their daughter returned to give them news, it would be premature to act as if she did.

"The sunset is beautiful tonight." Jeleen said to his wife as he sat down, handing her a cup of the hot beverage. However, Sinia shook her head in response to that.

"I'm sorry. It just reminds me too much of fire."

"I can only imagine the pain you went through." admitted Jeleen. However, once again, his wife felt that she had to speak.

"It wasn't the physical pain that hurt the most. The fire reminds me of Katie, and the night that she left. She obviously became at least somewhat successful in Skyrim, but what happened after that? I wish I had some way to find out. My worst thoughts about Katie are when I wonder if she might be dead; killed by some monster, or caught on a battlefield somewhere and torn to pieces by trained warriors. Skyrim's been a war zone for months, Jeleen. Do you really think someone like Katie could survive right in the middle of all that?"

Jeleen just looked at her for a few seconds, wishing that he could give his wife some good news, but in the end, he shook his head.

"The truth is, I've been thinking for the last couple of days that our daughter was on the brink of death. I suspect you've been feeling something similar."

Sinia paused for a moment, but at last, she nodded. However, just then, they heard a voice; beautiful and clear like a running stream, and with a strong echo, which seemed to imprint itself on their ears from the moment that they heard it. It wasn't like any voice they'd ever heard before, and yet, it was more familiar than the voices of their next door neighbors.

"Do I get a vote?"

At once, as both of them looked up, a gust of wind began to pick up around them, and they saw who was descending towards them through the air itself; their very own daughter, but not like they'd ever seen her before.

Katie was even bigger than she'd been when she'd left home, in every sense of the word. She was both taller and thicker, and even her shoulders looked broader. On top of all that, she had a wisened look on her face, as though she'd been through something truly incredible; something that most people could never even imagine. In fact, it was the look on her face that most made them hesitate to approach her. She'd clearly noticed their hesitation, however, because in a moment, she laughed, still in that strange, echoing voice, and said "Would you two get over here please? I'm not going to stab you."

Then at once, Jeleen and Sinia had grabbed their daughter from both sides, wrapping their arms around her in a great, big, family hug. It lasted for a few minutes, but in the end, they backed off, looking up at Katie with tears in their eyes. At last, Sinia gasped out, "I'm sorry I ever doubted you. I knew you'd survive."

However, both of their expressions were destined to change a moment later, when Katie replied, "Well, actually..."

Soon, they were just staring at her in confusion, not sure what she was trying to say, but she apparently wanted to do her best to make things easier on them.

"I kind of did die. We all did, at some point. That doesn't make any of us undead, though. We've still got many years ahead of us, but we've got to use them well. We can't waste them, or it might be too late for us, the way it almost was for me."

"Katie..." Sinia said a moment later, not sure what to make of her daughter's words, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, mom." Katie replied, finally making some sense, "In fact, I feel better than fine. The dragons are gone, the war is over, the daedra have all settled down, and you're not in any danger anymore."

"Daedra?!" Sinia almost shrieked, "B-but I thought the daedra were taken care of during the Oblivion Crisis, hundreds of years ago. The sacrifice of Martin Septim led to the statue of Akatosh, which protects our world from..."

"...Which fuels the barrier around our world, and under most circumstances, keeps high-level daedra out." Katie added once her mother had begun to trail off, "Yes, that's true, but one of them found a way to circumvent the barrier anyway, and another one broke through it. It was a real mess. There was a lot to sort out. Don't worry, though. It's over now. Anyway, it's great to see you both again, and I've got some news for you. Good news first, then bad."

Both Jeleen and Sinia could see that Katie was very different than she'd once been, and that although she was trying to act casual, there was something truly serious going on; something that she needed to inform them of.

"First, you should know that the world is changing now." Katie explained, "I don't think empires or political powers will substantially change, but people are thinking more about their choices, and behaving more responsibly as a result. It's not because of anything you've done. Things are just going to be different in the future. That's all. It'll be easier for people to discover the truth from now on. In fact, on the whole, I'd say that your fates will be happier than... happier than they might otherwise have been. Also, I'll be doing my best to protect you, even when I'm not around. That doesn't mean you won't ever be in danger again, but it won't be the same kind of danger that it once was. Just try with all your might to learn the truth about everything, to accept it, and to cherish it. If you do that, maybe we'll be closer than ever. That way, you'll have your happy ending, and so will I."

There was silence for several seconds as Jeleen thought about what she'd just said, but soon, he asked "The bad news?"

"The bad news is that it may be a while before you see me again, if ever." Katie said with a sigh, "I'm already endangering you by coming to meet with you, but I heard what you were saying, mom. I couldn't just leave things like that. You have a right to know that I'm alive, and that from now on, I always will be."

"I don't get it, honey." Jeleen said, shaking his head a moment later, "Are you on the run from someone? Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"At this point, no." Katie replied, "But you are; you and every other creature in Nirn. You've been lied to for a long time, and it will take you quite some time to adjust to learning the truth. However, there is one chance for us to be reunited. Just follow the truth to where it resides in its purest form. You'll find me there as well."

"But what truth?" Jeleen asked, sounding lost and afraid, "I don't understand. Where do I start? What do I do?"

"That's a little harder to explain," Katie admitted sadly, "but not impossible. See, it's not really about what you do. Oh, there are things that you have to do, but... Well, I can't tell you everything. Just knowing the truth isn't enough. You've got to embrace it, and you might be less likely to do that if you didn't put effort into finding it."

"But can't you at least give us a clue?"

Katie looked sad at that point, but soon, she replied, "Yes. I think I can."

In a moment, Katie had walked up to her father, and begun to whisper something into his ear. Then, she went over to Sinia and did the same to her.

At last, a moment later, Katie had given both of her parents a big hug, and as she backed away from them, they could see quite plainly that there were tears in her eyes. The parting was as sad for her as for them, though at least that time, they were parting by their own will. Sinia seemed to be experiencing a new kind of sadness at that point, and Jeleen felt the same thing in his own heart. In a way, it was sad to realize that without them even being present, their daughter had grown up.

Finally, Katie began to rise into the air once again, speaking the words "See you again soon." Then, when she was about three yards in the air, she vanished in a flash of light, leaving her parents standing together in awe once again. However, Jeleen, at least, had a firm sense of determination in his heart. He was going to follow her advise, and he would never give up.

Gergio Loran was sweating hard, as his opponent began to move in for the attack. Bernard was one of the strongest warriors he'd ever seen, and a true challenge in a fight. He was tall, strong and powerful, but not quite as much of any of those things as the opponent who Gergio most remembered.

In a flash, Gergio ducked out of the way as Bernard delivered a punch towards him, then swept his arm downward, trying to squash the dragonborn. However, Gergio actually swung himself around his enemy's arm, leaping off to one side, where one of the stone pillars stood. Bernard rushed to the attack once more, but Gergio had braced his feet against the pillar, then begun running, and soon, using his feet for momentum, he'd swung himself around the entire pillar, and leapt back towards Bernard, striking him in the face with both feet, and knocking him over. In a fraction of a second, he had his hand on the big man's throat, and that was the end of the fight.

All around them, the crowd cheered, as Gergio released Bernard and let the warrior get back to his feet. The fight had been quite a spectacle; more so than the spectators of the arena were used to seeing. Indeed, they didn't get to see Gergio fight very often, and when they did get the chance, it was an extra special treat.

Gergio Loran drank in the cheers as he walked nonchalantly for the exit, with Bernard leaving by the other gate. They'd meet up with each other again later, but for the moment, he was satisfied with the healing potion that waited for him at the exit, and the assurance that, as with all arena participants, Bernard took nothing personally. No one who entered that arena had any sort of score to settle. They simply fought because it was what they wanted to do, and usually not to the death. Still, it wasn't unheard of. Matches were always more satisfying when there was some element of genuine danger, Gergio though. Indeed, that was the main reason why he'd started the arena to begin with.

Gergio Loran had found the money to pay for the project. He'd laid the first stone personally, and the last. He'd participated in most of the early fights, and in the meantime, he'd traveled all over Skyrim, looking for warriors who were willing to fight. The whole thing had been incredibly difficult, but at least it had given him something to do; some new journey to make, and he had to admit that in spite of the combat and the danger of the arena, it didn't feel quite the same as a genuine quest.

Still, Gergio had something else to do that day; something very important. He had a meeting to go to, that he wouldn't have missed, no matter what.

Taking only a moment to stop by the financial desk, and pick up his share of the profits from the day's fights, Gergio left the arena in silence, ignoring the cheers and requests shot his way as he walked down a flight of stone steps, and towards the gates of Whiterun, off to the right. Indeed, the arena was positioned just where one of the guard towers had previously been, and was far larger and more effective for protecting that side of the town, in addition to the many other purposes it served.

Soon, Gergio stepped through the main gates of Whiterun, and past the large statue in the center of town, not far from the Gildergreen. The statue had appeared in Whiterun almost two years before, and it was a life-sized statue of Katie. Into its base, words were carved, reading "Two things above all others. Truth and charity. First is that which conforms to reality. Then, self-sacrifice on behalf of the authentic good of others. Walk this path, and walk with the death-slayer."

Gergio had seen the statue and the inscription hundreds of times. Indeed, every single time that he went to the Bannered Mare, which wasn't more than a few yards away from it. Soon, he'd passed through the doors to the inn, and there, he found that everyone was gathered; or at least, almost everyone. Lydia was seated in a chair at a table on the far side of the room, with Tolfdir and Vilkas opposite her. Lucia, who'd grown almost six inches since the war had ended, was seated at that table as well. If only Eron had been there, Gergio thought, their group might have felt complete. As it was, there were a couple of fifth wheels there, in his estimation.

One of the people there, who didn't seem to belong, was Ralof. Even after two years, it still seemed strange that Ralof had received the same message as the rest of them. After all, he'd fought on the side of the stormcloaks, when even Galtus Raman; one of their worst enemies, had joined forces with Gergio and Katie to oppose them, and in some ways, Ralof often still seemed like he didn't fit in. Still, that had been Katie's call. She'd spoken to Ralof, just like the rest of them, and it somehow seemed inappropriate for them to ignore that.

If it was inappropriate for them to ignore Katie's wishes in the case of Ralof, it also wouldn't have been appropriate in the case of her other friend, even though Gergio couldn't remember having ever met him before. His name was Jonus Cartorus, and as far as Gergio could tell, he wasn't even a warrior at all; just some Whiterun tailor, whose total accomplishments in life amounted to making clothes for many different kinds of people. It seemed very strange to think that Katie would show him so much respect, in spite of how little he'd ever done for her. Still, she'd always been the kind and outgoing type; the kind who showed mercy on the weak and helpless. Both Ralof and Jonus were there, but neither was sitting down.

Soon, Gergio took a seat at the table. It was their second annual meeting together, since Katie had vanished from the world, appearing only once to each of them, to give them important messages. Still, Gergio couldn't think of much to say, at first. His own life hadn't changed much in the past year, except that the arena was fully completed, and everyone knew about that. There was almost no point in even saying it. At last, however, he decided to ask Lydia about her life.

"Lydia..." he said; the last to arrive, and the first to speak, "How's the family?"

"Good so far." Lydia replied with a friendly smile, very different from the kind of expression that she used to wear, "Jason is still in good health, and he still makes some of the best baked potatoes and grilled leek I've ever had. Even the baby seems to want to try them."

"Yes, I've been meaning to ask about that." Gergio replied, "While you were pregnant with your child, you almost seemed to have lost your powers, and you haven't used them much recently. I'm not sure what to make of that."

"Well, it didn't take me long to realize that I could still transform while I was pregnant, but my baby wouldn't transform with me. I knew if I kept using my powers, I'd be endangering Deri's life, so I held off on that. After a while, I suppose I just got out of practice, and it may be a while before I can use my powers again."

"You're expecting again." Gergio observed, interpreting her words correctly, but she just nodded in response, with a big smile on her face.

"What about you?" Lydia asked curiously, "You're not getting any younger, you know. Sooner or later, you're going to die in that arena of yours. Why not settle down and have some kids of your own?"

It was a moment before Gergio responded to that, but at last, he spoke very sincerely.

"I haven't done that, and probably never will, because if I ever did, I'd hate myself for it."

"But why?"

"Look at yourself. You had such great power. You were a titan among men; able to walk among warriors, and clear a path through enemy forces with little effort. You were strong. Now you're weak. Anyone could walk up to you and stab you in the back, and there isn't anything you could do about it, is there?"

"Look, that's not going to happen!" Lydia exclaimed, almost laughing, "The world's not crawling with bandits anymore. We don't need to worry about that sort of thing."

"That's why you weren't on our level when all this started." Gergio replied, however, "You never really wanted to fight, or to be strong. You fought because you thought you had to, to prevent some disaster. That's never been the reason why I've pursued strength. Even a noble death in battle would be welcome, compared to a life of nonconflict and wretched security. You have your safety, and you're welcome to it. I'll live my life without it, thank you very much."

Lydia was shaking her head with an amused expression, but Gergio didn't care. He was smiling too, for his own reasons, even as Jonus spoke up.

"Who do you think was responsible for that statue in town?"

It was a question that none of them had expected, but Lucia was actually the first one to answer.

"I always sort of thought that it was another message from Katie."

However, Lydia responded to that quickly.

"I don't know where it came from, but it didn't come from Katie. The message, maybe, but not the statue. The daedric princes and the gods have statues, but Katie wouldn't have wanted that kind of glory. She enjoyed being the center of attention, but she would have blushed at the thought of anyone worshipping her."

"Still..." Jonus said in another moment, "I wonder if she can hear us, wherever she is."

"Katie may not be a god, as such," Lydia said a moment later, "but I'm sure that the answer is yes. Wherever she is, she still cares about us, and she still wants us to find the way to reach wherever she is, and be happy. If you ever want to give her a message, I'm sure she'll listen. After all, Katie obviously cared about you more than any of us ever realized."

Jonus was silent, as though thinking to himself, until the meeting was over, and he left the Bannered Mare on his own, heading for the statue of the death-slayer.

After the meeting had finished up, Jonus Cartorus stood at the foot of Katie's statue for almost an hour, just looking up at her sadly, and trying to think about things that he knew were correct and true. As before, however, it wasn't working. Finally, just as he felt about ready to give up, Jonus spoke to her aloud.

"Katie..." he said sadly, "I only wish I'd gotten the chance to tell you... how I really felt. Well, why not? If you can hear me now, listen closely. I love you. I always loved you. Ever since you first came into my shop, I was amazed by you; and not just by the way you looked. You had such a compassionate look in your face, like the kind of person who'd be willing to give up everything for the people she cared about, and in a sense, I guess you did. Bad luck for me, huh? I mean, I... I don't mean to imply that you could have loved me back... just a weak tailor like me, but you obviously cared about me somewhat, and... and... I'd give up everything; my career, my life in Skyrim, if I could just be with you; maybe make different choices than I did. Be more honest with you about how I felt. I'm... I'm sorry."

Soon, Jonus had closed his eyes sadly, letting a couple of tears roll down, over his cheeks, when suddenly, he heard a thudding sound, felt something, both strong and soft, surrounding him from behind, and gasped in amazement, his eyes shooting open for just a moment. However, at that point, he couldn't see anything but light, so he quickly shut them again. At last, in his mind, he heard her voice once more.

"Jonus... I'm the one who should be sorry. I should have told you all of these same things when I appeared to you two years ago, or when you met with me during the war, but I was afraid of what might happen if I didn't let you make the first move. I'm sorry. It's my fault. Please, let me take you with me; make things right somehow."

At once, new thoughts; truths that Jonus had never suspected began to fill his mind, even as the lights faded, and he found himself in a new location, but much to his surprise, it was very simple; even rustic. It was a medium-sized inn; perhaps a little smaller than the Bannered Mare, about half full of people, waiters and waitresses, all going about their business and making plenty of noise. A group of hunters in one corner of the inn had started singing a merry song about their successful hunt, and there, behind the bar at the far end of the inn's first floor, sat Katie of Hammerfell. If anything, she was even larger than the last time that Jonus had seen her, and she was certainly the center of attention, giving the waiters and waitresses instructions on how to prepare this or that, while she herself worked, arranging various dishes and drinks to go out to the customers, and munching on a meal of her own in the meantime; a steak with lettuce and spinach off to one side, with an apple and a big mug of ale. Jonus almost felt like laughing at the sight, though not out of scorn; just because everyone in that place seemed so happy.

"I don't get it." Jonus said at last, walking up to Katie, just as she'd finished sending out another three orders, "Where are we?"

"Inn-ness." Katie replied with a calm smile, "It's the happiest place I've ever been. In fact, these days, I stay here all the time, whenever I'm not at home. I don't sleep here, you see. There's a night shift while I'm gone."

"I still don't understand." Jonus said, however, "Is this place real?"

"As real as you or me."

"But we're not in Nirn?"

"No. Nothing so temporary."

"So you mean I can stay here? With you?"

"Yes, if you really want to."

"If I really... Did you think I was lying before?! I... Wait a minute. Is this the place you've been trying to help your other friends reach?"

"Yes. They'll mostly need to discover the truth about this place for themselves, though. I can't force it unless they're as open to it as you were. Still, I have it on good authority that most of them will be able to come here within a few decades, and then we'll be together again."

Jonus was shaking his head by that point, though.

"You're talking in riddles, and I don't even mind. Just answer me one thing. Are you the one who made this place?"

In response, Katie of Hammerfell shook her head, and finally said, "I've never made any places, and I never will. It took me a while to realize it, but this place and every other place are gifts. I'm enjoying myself here, but I'm also enjoying someone else. I hope that you can be as happy with that as I am."

Then, practically leaping over the bar in a single hop, Jonus wrapped his arms around Katie's neck, and the two of them remained in that inn from that point onward. It was the one place where both of them had wanted to end up.

So if a being guides this world; this land under the moons,

and if trascendant wonders can be found o'er hills and dunes,

then this tale, of which I speak, may finally unfold.

That is why this tale is sung; and why it has been told.

The End

Author's Notes

I love to put endings on my stories, where the world changes a great deal, yet the characters themselves essentially get a happy ending. Ever since the story started, I knew that Katie wanted a simple life, or at least, the facsimile of a simple life, and yet, as she grew in power, the chances of that actually happening seemed to decrease more and more. Finally, in an abstract world, very difficult to reach, Katie has found her happiness.

As for why I chose to make Katie the kind of character she wound up being, I guess it all started a while back, when I was complaining to a fellow Skyrim-player that the Creation Kit for Skyrim didn't even allow you to make stocky characters, as past TES games did. I mentioned that it bothered me, because I wanted to play as a wide character, and he asked me if I was the kind of person who thought fat people were hard-core.

I had to think about that for a while, but my eventual answer surprised me. It was ultimately Fezzik; the giant from the Princess Bride, that reminded me of why I'd had so much of a problem with the depiction of "heroes" in recent video games as all being 5'2"-6," slim, bare-faced persons with no real quirks to their personalities. I decided that I was going to do a character similar to Fezzik in some ways; the gentle giant type, but different in others. I wanted to make my giant heavier, stronger and more intelligent, and I wanted her to be a real lover of peace, like most women her age; a truly unlikely choice for an adventure story's main heroine. At least I've never seen it done before. The other characters in the story interact with her, in a sort of comparison, between these more "normal" hero types and Katie. However, more than merely drawing comparisons between an acrobat-hero like Gergio, and someone like the deathslayer, these scenes show that even when they have their disagreements, and even when their differences from one another are enormous, they can still work together just fine most of the time.

More than anything else, though, I think the character trait about Katie that I still find most refreshing, is her utterly involuntary rejection of everyone else's aesthetics. It's not that she's excessively confident, or worse yet, proud. She just likes things different than others do, and nobody's going to change her mind. I know very few people in my own life who are like this, and it's like a breath of fresh air. I had to give her a prize worth having, in the end, given how much she's done in that regard.

Isn't it curious that, of all the various daedric princes, divines and other such paranormal entities, you don't find a single one with the domain of truth, veracity, or even sincerity? Well, now we've got one, and for me at least, the story of the TES series has come to a satisfying conclusion.

I enjoyed Skyrim a lot, and thought it was a very good game, but as a sequel to a series as full-on awesome as TES, I always felt that it was missing something, and I don't expect Bethesda to improve on this series in the future. That's only one of many reasons why I chose to do the ending like this; putting a finishing touch on many of the plot threads, not only in Skyrim, but in the TES series in general. I feel satisfied now, and I had a good time while I was doing it too. I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have. Good night, and God bless.