Ghosts Among Us

Chapter 1

A Moment Suspended In Time

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Welcome to Ghosts Among Us! Within, you'll find an adventure unlike any other. The Dragonborn has perished but his greatest threat is still ahead. Follow him into the afterlife, where he'll encounter Daedric Princes and the ghosts of his past. He'll see many things but nothing will prepare him for the Great War that looms over the horizon. Enjoy! And please leave a review if you'd like! - Alamak

I stood atop the Throat of the World, filled with regret—my eyes cast at Skyrim and her lands below. So much had changed, save for this mountain and the hills that surrounded it. Paarthurnax, my guardian, my trusted mentor…he was finally gone—snuffed out as if he were nothing more than a dying flame. Everyone I had ever known in the era of the Dragon was but a distant memory. Some were claimed by Hircine, whisked away to the ever dangerous hunting grounds, while others dined in Sovngarde—valiant warriors who had proven themselves worthy in battle.

The day I discovered that I was Dragonborn—that I had the blood of the ancients flowing through my veins—was the moment in which I knew my destiny would lead me to defeat Alduin. The Dragonborn was meant to bring peace and order to the lands of Skyrim.

But that was the catch.

Peace—it was restored only for the briefest of moments.

A lone flame compared to the sea of stars in the night sky. Now, there was ruin. Where the old village of Riverwood once stood is but a pile of rubble. Whiterun, the reliable settlement composed of trustworthy folk had now become a true capital city, boasting a population of thousands. While Solitude was a war-torn battleground where the Imperials led their northern strike against the Aldmeri Dominion.

I could not help but feel despair run its course. Was I to blame for this madness? Was I supposed to protect Skyrim from more than just the threat of dragons?

Too many questions were left unanswered. At the end of it all—I was afraid of the uncertainty. More than death and anguish and unending torment. My time was well spent raiding forgotten crypts and restoring guilds to their former glory. I brought forth peace and vanquished many demons. But somewhere along the way I had become a pawn. A Champion of Boethiah, a Nightingale of Nocturnal, Hircine's worthy hunter, a spawn of Molag Bal—the amount of times I pledged my soul to that of a god was sickening. Was this my journey? To live a full life on my own, only to be claimed in the end by another?

If I prayed to Nocturnal but had the blood of Akatosh in my veins…then what of it? If Molag Bal transformed me into his spawn who roamed in eternal darkness, then would that make the heavens unattainable? Would a beast of Hircine heed to the sounds of the hunt? I was all of these things—guild master, shield-brother, faithful listener to the Night Mother…and now Dragonborn. It was indeed a full life.

But what of death? I was no longer plagued by the vampiric lifeblood, nor was I a beast that howled at the moon. I shunned Nocturnal and ignored the calling of Sithis' bride. What did that make me? Did I still serve these demons? Or was I forgiven of my past sins?

I stepped further, toward the edge of the mountain. Each movement I made caused me pain. I was old and weary—a result of the boldest life one can imagine. If only Farkas could see me now. I was no longer the 'welp' that he claimed I was all those years ago.

I thought about my friends—of Brynjolf, Vex, and Delvin at the guild—of Astrid and her sacrifice—of Delphine and the blades. Her soured expression will never leave my thoughts.

You have to kill Paarthurnax! It's the duty of the Dragonborn!

But I couldn't just end his life—without him, Alduin would have destroyed this world. If Delphine couldn't see past her archaic creed, her dying order, then I had no place in lending my help to the Blades.

Another step forward and I heard the earth shift from underneath me. Loose rock plummeted to the surface below. I helped so many in my time here. Would my virtuous deeds overshadow the ones plagued by evil? Joining the Brotherhood was surely a mistake, but helping the Dawnguard bring Harkon to justice was a road few could return from unscathed. I gave in to the darkness…became a conduit of the shadows. The Brotherhood made sense to me in the aftermath. Another natural step in my life's journey.

But then I heard a voice, like a faint pulse, calling me back from the edge of destruction.

Come with me.

Fading away—ever so slowly—was a quiet and unnerving thing. My blood called for a glorious death in the heat of battle, but my mind, my one true self before the revelation of the Dragonborn, had another plan. Live out the rest of time and hope to change the world again.

"I have failed," I looked toward the sky, knowing that these were my last words. There were no tears, no beating of the chest, no cry. Just silence.

And then I leapt from the edge.