Did you guys find the big surprise I mentioned on my page yesterday? If not, wonder no longer:

TheBlackMask is an amazing human being and deserves all the recognition in the world for the most beautiful and badass cover I could ever hope to have for this fic. She's an incredible artist and a wonderful friend, and I can't stress enough how grateful I am for this gift. Wattpad's pathetic cover resizing doesn't do it justice, honestly. Furthermore, you guys should totally check out her tumblr, ciapet_ (or instagram @ciapet_) for more wonderful art. Just sayin'.

Well, I've kept you waiting on this chapter long enough. Hope you enjoy!

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"All I want to know," Adir started, his voice sounding somewhat strained as he pulled in vain at the gold-plated handle of a scimitar wedged firmly between the dragon's teeth, "Is how, of all the places my sword could have ended up, it just had to get stuck here."

"That does not look like it will come out easily," Kha'Drazza purred, trying to mask her amusement at her friend's predicament as she asked, "Would it be helpful if this one tried their hand at retrieving the sword?"

"Thanks, but I think I can do this." His expression seemed considerably less confident than his response had sounded, and his continued efforts to retrieve his weapon appeared to be in vain.

Are you sure about that? I kept that thought to myself, however, as he seemed determined to deal with this minor issue himself, and any further comments on the matter seemed unnecessary. A somewhat awkward silence ensued for a few seconds as he struggled in a one-sided battle against the dragon's cadaver, and it seemed very likely he wouldn't be able to prevail against it. However, after one particularly forceful yank, the blade slid out so fluidly that Adir lost his balance, stumbling backwards with an exclamation of surprise and dropping his sword in the process. He managed to catch himself before he fell, however, his cheeks flushing in embarrassment as he bent over and picked up his hard-won scimitar.

"You know, I think these dragon bones could honestly make for some very durable armor," Adir commented as he let out a harried breath, "Considering the way it rent through good steel like it was parchment, I can only imagine how well its bones would hold up against a few iron-wielding bandits."

"That would be an interesting project—if you even know how you'd be able to shape it into armor, or find somebody on Tamriel who could," I replied as I studied the skeleton curiously, taking note of its more unusual qualities with interest. Despite having seen dragons before, I'd never really gotten the chance to look at one up close and personal, and, even though I would've liked to interact with the creature while it was still alive in a non-violent manner, its remains were still nothing short of a marvel to look upon. The way the skeletal structure of its wings still remained connected to one another would have been improbable for that of any other creature, and I could only wonder just how the whole thing was managing to stay together without magic or tendons to keep all the bones in place. Perhaps it may have something to do with their supposed 'immortality'. It wouldn't be advantageous for a resurrected dragon to be missing several of its bones, I wondered briefly, although that theory was about as untestable as any that didn't involve methods of killing the scaly, winged beasts.

"I would try my hand at it, but I've never worked with bone before," the Redguard mused as he continued to stare at the skeleton, adding after a moment of contemplative silence, "I guess there's a first time for everything."

"This one wonders how much room we have for any parts of the lizard," Kha'Drazza spoke up somewhat skeptically, "It is not likely we could take more than a couple of ribs, and this one is unsure of whether they can even be used."

"Well, even if the armor idea doesn't work out for one reason or another, having even a piece of this would make the souvenir of a lifetime," Adir remarked with a slight shrug, having walked over to its ribcage and attempted to chip away at one of its bones with his weapon while he'd been speaking.

Shaking her head slightly at the Redguard's enthusiasm, Kha'Drazza proceeded to turn her attention to her canvas satchel and rummaged around in it for a few moments, pulling out a couple of scrolls only to put them back with increased frustration until she found what she was looking for. The parchment disintegrated as, rather suddenly, Adir's sword took on a magical sheen, the silver blade glowing almost mint green as it finally began to hack through the bone effectively. The knight-errant sent a slightly embarrassed "thank you" over his shoulder before returning to the task at hand, causing the khajiit to let out an amused purr. "This one thinks the dragon will occupy him for awhile, no? Until he has gotten whatever spoils he can retrieve from its remains, would the Breton be so kind as to lend a hand in helping khajiit locate our belongings?"

"Certainly," I replied, having noted earlier that the two seemed to be lacking many supplies, "What are we looking for, exactly?"

"When the dragon attacked, this one and the knight left our cart and horse to bring it down, and as it appears, the horse must have gone somewhere to escape being killed. This one does not believe it could have gone very far, although Kha'Drazza sincerely hopes that not much damage was done to the wagon or the provisions within it in the process," the khajiit explained, looking slightly worried.

"All right. Shouldn't be too hard to find everything, provided the horse didn't break free of the cart," I mused, scanning the rather scorched and torn up grass in hopes I might be able to catch a glimpse of wheel tracks or equine hoofprints.

This was easier said than done, however, as our surroundings were quite trashed from our altercation with the enormous winged beast, the ground scored and pitted in numerous areas from its thrashing once it had been grounded as well as the expected patches of burned grass. There did not seem to be any markings even remotely resembling wheel tracks in the area we were looking in, and it seemed that Kha'Drazza was having a similarly difficult time finding anything of interest. I was beginning to wonder if the cart itself might have been incinerated at some earlier point and that our search might be in vain when, rather conveniently, a bizarrely uniform, curved depression in the ground caught my attention.

As I walked towards it, scrutinizing the area around it to see if it had a 'twin', I managed to make out a much less obvious matching mark that had nearly been scorched into oblivion. It looked like the tracks continued west, and I decided then was a good time to get the bard's attention. "Hey, I think it went this way," I called over to her, her ears flitting upwards to attention as she turned to look at me, "What do you think of these?"

I pointed at the tracks as I spoke, waiting for her opinion on the matter. Kha'Drazza was quick to join me where I stood, squinting at the tracks appraisingly before giving an affirmative nod, "This one thinks these are the right ones. But we won't know unless we follow them, yes?"

With that, the khajiiti minstrel started off after the prints with no hesitation—her fearlessness was rather admirable, considering that it was not a product of naivety, like mine had been. I supposed if anyone could afford to be careless from time to time, however, it would be her, considering how skilled she was at putting her scrolls to use. Deciding not to voice my own concerns, like how good of an idea it was to leave our novice knight-errant to his own devices for a bit, I followed after my new companion without comment, eager to get on the road as soon as possible.

Luckily for us, the horse was unable to get very far with the relatively cumbersome wagon it had been harnessed to, and we were able to locate the two in a matter of minutes. And, by some small miracle, the wagon hadn't been smashed to bits, and the horse looked untraumatized and unhurt as it grazed lazily on a patch of dying grass poking up from the light cover of snow on the ground. Kha'Drazza let out a half-relieved, half-amused sigh at the sight, her posture becoming much more relaxed as she walked over to the dun-coated draft that was doing its best to ignore both of us. As she reached its side, trying to get the equine to cease its snacking, the horse let out a disdainful snort, attempting to tug its head away from her with annoyance clear in its eyes.

The khajiit was not about to let go of the horse's bridle, however, and reluctantly, the creature finally obeyed her—although not before trying to nudge her over first. "Impossible beast," I heard the bard hiss under her breath, and it was all I could do to keep the smile off my face at her disgruntled comment. Casting a glance towards me as she hoisted herself into the wagon's wooden driver's seat, she explained, "Zephyr does not much like this one, as the mage can see, khajiit is sure. Perhaps it is because khajiit does not spoil him as his owner does."

The horse almost seemed to let out a snort of agreement, his ears not quite pinned back, but certainly not relaxed in any manner. This made me hesitate, asking uncertainly, "Are you sure taking this back on your own is a good idea, then? I mean, just how much does he not like you?"

"There is nothing to worry about, Helvia," Kha'Drazza replied confidently, "This one has taken turns steering the horse before, and she is still alive, yes? This is no different."

"Well, if you say so," I shrugged, although I wasn't about to get on at the moment myself. Considering the skeleton of the dragon was still within our sights, the walk back would not be very difficult for me at all, especially considering the endurance I had managed to build up since splitting up with— Not the time, I cut myself off mentally, shoving that thought out of my mind tiredly before it could even finish.

As we made our way back to the 'battleground'—and after declining a ride back from Kha'Drazza, considering the seething indignation that was visible in the draft's eyes—, I took that time to get a better look at the cart that I would supposedly be spending a good deal of time in, as well as its bearer. The wagon itself was certainly nothing special, as it was crafted from rather plain yet thick planks of pine wood, making up for its lack of ornateness with surprising durability. It was scratched up and nicked in some places, having seen a decent amount of wear and tear over its use, but seemed to have many more excursions left in it before it would show any signs of breaking down. There were a few assorted bags stashed under the wooden plank seating on the left and right sides of its back, and it appeared that the opening at the end could be sealed off from the inside in an attempt to prevent any unwelcome boarders from getting in easily. On the sides of the cart were tied various necessities, such as a pair of bedrolls and some cookingware, as well as a couple of burlap sacks that were stuffed full with something, presumably food or something of that nature. It was hardly a gilded carriage, but it was certainly a step up from traveling alone and on foot.

And Zephyr, whom I supposed must be Adir's horse, was a rather stately-looking equine, although his disposition towards Kha'Drazza was a good enough warning as any to keep my distance from him whenever possible. Despite also being a draft, he looked considerably different from Snjall, and not just because of the difference of coat color—Zephyr was a considerably stockier, and his legs were much more muscular than those of Helgír's steed, indicating that the horse was indeed well-suited to pull wagons, plows, or other such heavy tools. His thick, shaggy black mane had been done up in braided knots, but a couple of these had come undone, likely from his frenzied dash away from the dragon. Aside from this, it seemed he had managed to escape the altercation entirely unscathed.

In terms of his temperament, I could not tell whether or not he was truly a moody horse or simply shaken up from recent events, but the way his ears rested in a half-pinned back position and the frequent jerks up of his head despite having plenty of free rein suggested he was not the easiest of horses to interact with. It would probably be best to not interact with him more than absolutely necessary, I noted warily as I made note of his, well, as Kha'Drazza had put it, bratty behavior.

The return trip to the dragon's cadaver took almost no time at all, and, when we had arrived, it appeared that whatever spell the Khajiiti bard had placed on Adir's sword had been rather helpful for his current task, as he was currently stacking up a collection of ribs and vertebrae of various sizes neatly near the side of the stone road to his east. He looked up from his work at our approach, seeming glad to see us, "Oh, good, you're back. I trust we have enough room for these somewhere on the wagon?"

"This one thinks so. There will be room in some of the bags and under the seats. And what won't fit can be secured on the sides, yes?"

"Great," he replied, picking up as many bones as he could carry and starting over towards Kha'Drazza.

Zephyr seemed to undergo an almost magical change when his owner approached the cart, his muscles relaxing and head dropping at the sight of his owner. He let out a whicker of greeting as Adir passed by him, now completely ignoring everyone else. What a strange creature, I thought to myself with some amusement, deciding to pitch in and help the Redguard gather up his spoils. Kha'Drazza was quick to pitch in as well, and together, we helped him load up the rest of the bones in relative silence, although I found myself mostly tying up the larger pieces on the sides of the cart evenly to ensure that it wouldn't cause the contraption to tip over should we cross any uneven terrain. And, knowing Skyrim's rugged landscape, there would be plenty of that in our future.

With our combined efforts, the cart had been fully loaded up with our newly gained spoils in almost no time at all. It was then that our resident knight-errant made haste to haul himself up into the bed of the large wagon, pulling out a worn, tan-colored woven rucksack embroidered around the edges with colorful yarn sewn in a pattern unique to Skyrim's tradesfolk, rummaging around within it for a few moments before removing a neatly folded shirt and pulling it on. It was a dull olive green color with three-quarter sleeves and a squared, slightly open-chested neckline bordered in a golden-brown fabric, and, aside from that change in fabric color, it was void of any excessive embroidery or decoration. It also seemed to be of a relatively light weave, not even remotely suited for the colder and less than hospitable weather they would soon be heading into. I hoped that he had the funds to buy something warmer during their journey farther north, or it was likely to be an unpleasant journey for him.

"This one thinks the knight would be better suited to driving, unless he is too tired to do so, no? Kha'Drazza thinks the horse does not like her overmuch." The khajiit remarked pointedly as Adir dropped down from the back of the wagon, earning a nod of agreement.

"That'd probably be best. Considering what we've all just experienced, I don't think I'll be falling asleep anytime soon. We can stop early tonight if we need to."

Wait, tonight?  I wondered, noting that the sky had begun to grow lighter in color, now a dusty blue-grey tinged with dull, muted pinks on the horizon. It appeared that the night was nearing its end now—and what a night it had been. I half-wondered if I was dreaming, as I had expected to make the rest of my journey on my own, yet here I was, with two willing and seemingly kind companions at my side. That thought made me frown slightly, wondering not for the first time if it was prudent to travel with them. I didn't want to drag them into the mess I was in; it would be selfish of me to not inform them of what they were getting into. But then why couldn't I find the words to warn them about just what I was going up against? 

"–Helvia?" The sound of my name snapped me out of my pessimistic musings, and I then realized that both of my companions had already gotten onto the cart, Adir in the front and holding his horse's reins in one hand and Kha'Drazza lounging unconcernedly in the back, sitting with her legs crossed on the built-in wooden bench on the right. She appeared to have been the one who had addressed me, an eyebrow raised questioningly as she waited for me to reply.

"Hm?"

"Surely you do not plan on walking all the way to Winterhold, too, do you?" She teased, arms crossed in a relaxed manner as she looked down from her seat.

"Of course not. Sorry," I said hurriedly, cheeks flaming in embarrassment as I stepped up into the back of the wagon, a bit off balance thanks to the bags I was still sporting. I took the liberty of removing them and stowing them in the meager amount of free space underneath the bench on the left before taking a seat myself, apprehension and unease continuing to eat away at me despite my attempts to only focus on the present instead of whatever the future might hold.

"There is nothing to be sorry for, Breton," the bard replied as the wagon took off, falling silent for a few moments as she cast a wary look across our surroundings. When she spoke again, the tone of her voice was much more serious, "Besides, it seems that there's something weighing on your mind, no?"

"Oh. It's nothing. I was just a bit distracted. It's been a long day already," I replied quickly—a bit too quickly for my liking, and apparently for Kha'Drazza's, too, as she did not seem at all convinced by my reply. However, she didn't persist in that vein of questioning, to my relief. But, at the same time, I couldn't help but feel a tinge of guilt at purposefully dodging the question.

"Indeed, it has been," she agreed, "But it was one that khajiit is glad to have lived. Although this one must say she never expected to see a live dragon! Truly, Skyrim has much more to offer for inspiration than Kha'Drazza initially thought. She very much looks forward to further adventures with the mage and the knight."

"As long as we don't run into any more dragons, I share that sentiment," Adir added with a slight laugh, "Although I can't imagine that we would. People don't just 'run into' legends like that, much less twice."

I decided not to mention that at the rate I had been running into dragons, it wouldn't be all that improbable for us to come across another one in our travels.

"It would be a shame for interesting things to stop happening to us now, Adir," Kha'Drazza reasoned, "Especially just when khajiit is finally starting to get what she came to Skyrim for." 

"Well, I'd rather these future 'adventures' not continue to come at nearly the cost of my life, at the very least," the Redguard huffed indignantly.

"I suppose that is not too much to ask," the khajiit replied in a teasing purr, "Nevertheless, what dangers lie ahead cannot be determined by anyone present, no? It is foolish to worry over what might or might not appear in our lives without cause. Better to enjoy the journey than to worry one's way to their destination, this one thinks."

I found Kha'Drazza's statement reassuring. Maybe I was worrying too much about things that were out of my control—after all, I couldn't very well predict what my enemies were planning as far as I was concerned, and at this rate, we were so far from the Reach that I highly doubted there would be any more attempts to capture and kill me made by my 'brother dearest'. The worst things I was currently dealing with were my dreams, and while taking on the company of others likely provided quite a bit of new material for my godly tormenter to use against me, it would certainly make my daytime travels more bearable. And it wasn't like a Prince of Nightmares could have any impact on reality, so what would the harm be in simply weathering out my personal storm? Saying something seemed unnecessary at the moment, and I decided that unless it ever became relevant, there was no reason to share the specifics of my situation with them beyond the 'normal' parts of my history.

How incredibly and utterly wrong my self-serving, foolish decision would prove to be.

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I'm sorry guys, I couldn't resist leaving it off on such an edgy note. I blame the books I've been reading for my AP Sci-Fi class. 

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QUESTIONS:

Question (From ConflictedReader for Helgír): What Shouts do you know?

Answer (By Helgír): Presently, I know all three words to Unrelenting Force, and the first of Fire Breath, Slow Time, and Whirlwind Sprint. 

Question (From Malgeres for Helvia): Should you ever meet your brother how far would you go for his cause, indirectly, in he-who-shall-not-be-named-out-of-grief's death? Will you kill him or do you still have some reservations, after all he is still your brother?

Answer (By Helvia): I... I don't know. I hate him, but... as you said, he's my brother. I almost don't believe he'd become someone this despicably power-hungry, although I suppose he was always overly ambitious. ...No. I don't want to kill him. He's a horker's ass, and he needs to be stopped, but wishing death upon him is not going to bring Nightbrook back—or anyone else he's directly or indirectly caused the deaths of.

Question (From IMoozie for all): have you ever felt like you guys were being played? Other then the gods and Daedric Princes, like as a source of.... Entertainment? ; D

Answer: 

- Nightbrook: I can't say I have taken particular note of it, but it wouldn't surprise me overmuch.

- Helgír: It makes too much sense, now that you mention it. And I'm not sure how I feel about that little revelation.

- Helvia: By Julianos, I should hope not.  It's hard enough dealing with capricious "deities" who enjoy meddling in the affairs of mortals such as myself, I'd rather not add some unknown 'higher powers' to the mix. ...Wait.

(Only writing up reactions for these three because I'm pressed for time and exhausted, sorry.)

Question (From Emberclaw12 for Helvia): What will it take for you to bow to our Lady Vaermina? Must we take your current friends from you?

Answer (By Helvia): Don't you dare. Actually, how about I answer your question with a question: How many Forsworn troops and daedric acolytes need to be vaporized before they'll leave me be?

Question (From DIESELCOSTA to Kha'Drazza): Have you performed the bards leap yet and if not are you looking forward to it?

Answer (By Kha'Drazza): What is this Bard's Leap you speak of? Khajiit has heard of no such thing, but it sounds like it would be of great interest to this one. Perhaps there are books on the subject, yes?

Question (From -bast- to Helgír): Do you have romantic feelings for Helvia?

Answer (By Helgír): I suppose now there's no harm in saying that I do—I did. But the time to act on such a feeling has long since passed. We've gone our separate ways, and it seems doubtful we will see each other again for quite some time.

Question (From WattAnOtaku to Helvia): Do you ever miss/worry about Varnand?

Answer (By Helvia): Oh gods, yes. He wasn't a perfect sibling, but then again, neither was I—and he's certainly turned out to be far better than anyone else in my immediate family. And now that you mention it, I do worry how he's holding up, being the only one still living with our parents. I hope they haven't worked or worried him to death over the future of the farmstead now that I'm gone. 

Question (From IMoozie to all): How does it feel now that I am telling you that we know something ground breaking you guys don't? :3

Answer: 

- Nightbrook: I think we're a little confused as to the meaning of your question, friend. Sorry.

Question (From Underestimated_Nerd to Nocturnal): Can you please return Nightbrook to us? I will trade my player, Fluffy the Thief, in exchange. He is a master level sneak, archery, and lock picking.

Answer (By Nocturnal): While I appreciate the gesture, I'm afraid Nightbrook has already sworn fealty to me and therefore he is bound to me by an unbreakable oath. None may take his place, for his life belongs to me, and I will not so easily relinquish one of my servants. 

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If anyone has any more questions for anyone in Mage, feel free to ask them! If they've appeared in Mage at all, regardless of how long they were a part of the story, they're open to ask questions!

Well, as always, please do leave a vote and/or comment if you enjoyed the chapter, and see you next time! Good adventuring, dear readers!

-AA