Jack crossed his legs, staring out at the beautiful sunset. Taking a deep breath, he opened up to Paarthurnax about everything. He told him about the council meeting, becoming the Archmage, and being the Emperor of all Tamriel first. Hanging his head, he sniffled out uneasily. "I just don't know if I can do this... They either look up to me or they hate me. I don't know when I lost control of my life." Paarthurnax lowered his head, tilting it to look at him with one big eye as he cooed out sweetly. "Some would argue that you never had control. There is an order for everything. A sunrise and a sunset. Things won't always go your way. You can't control what you don't fully understand. Everything provides something for another. There is a lot about mortals that even I still don't understand... but trust your heart, Mal Dovah. These things that you feel weigh you down... You are already. Did you not get them to agree to peace? Did you not seek to teach other mages wisdom in magical arts? It may not be what you dreamed it would be. But you are still you."

Jack lifted his head a little to look him in the eye with a small smile. Paarthurnax grinned broadly, adding with pride. "You are young, Mal Dovah. Your journey has only just begun. Don't fight the seasons. Change with them. Let every mistake grant you wisdom. Learn about your fears to find your courage. Then pass what you know to the next generation. So, that they may add to it. You'll see. A lot is expected of all of us, but we choose who we become from the way we carry our burdens." Jack's smile faded, thinking about the burdens of the past. Pulling up his long sleeve over his hand, he wiped his tears away and mumbled out reluctantly. "Speaking of burdens... The Blades approached me after. They say you deserve to die. I'm afraid they might-" Paarthurnax touched his warm nose to his shoulder to stop him. Raising his head to look out at the sunset, he answered in a calm soothing voice. "The Blades are wise not to trust me. Onikaan ni ov. I would not trust another Dovah. Not after all our kind has done."

Jack quickly climbed to his feet, asking in a broken voice. "Why shouldn't they trust you? You have helped me and guided me through all this!" Paarthurnax tilted his head to look down at him, replying with a grim tone. "Dovahkiin. Dov wahlaan feh rel. We were made to dominate. The will to power is in our blood. You feel it in yourself, do you not?" Jack shuffled his feet uncomfortably, lowering his eyes to the ground as he honestly said under his breath. "Yes... but-" Paarthurnax lowered his head more to be more at eye level again, before softly interjecting. "I can be trusted. I know this. But they do not. Onikaan ni ov dovah. It is always wise to mistrust a dovah. The past is doomed to repeat itself. Empires will rise and fall. Just as you rise for being who you are... So, too would my kind. We'd rise to help at the start... but eventually another hatchling like Alduin would arise. It is the flaw in our design. To be gifted with such power and knowledge... Only to be denied the control we need to keep the balance."

Jack shook his head, putting a hand on his big nose as he confidently stated out. "But you're not like that. Like you said... You have gained knowledge that could help the other generations of your kind." Paarthurnax heaved a deep sigh that ruffled Jack's hair, before telling him seriously. "I have overcome my nature only through meditation and long study of the Way of the Voice. No day goes by where I am not tempted to return to my inborn nature. Zin krif horvut se suleyk. What is better? To be born good, or to overcome your evil nature through great effort?" Jack straightened up to his full height, seriously retorting. "We are defined by the way we carry our burdens, right? I met my evil past and overcame him. You overcame your own evil. We'll both be stronger for it. Because we proved that it can be done. Your family Paarthurnax. I'm not losing you. You told me to trust my heart and I am. I trust YOU. You believe in me and I believe in you. I was made for a reason. I failed back then... I won't fail this time. I'll bridge the gap between our kind if it kills me."

A grin spread over Paarthurnax's face, but he nodded to him, boldly saying. "You fill me with such hope, Mal Dov. Be careful. This Dov they want you to call and trap... He's stubborn... but I know him. Don't let them hurt him... He's a brave soul. Appeal to him and he may help you." Jack hugged his nose, saying with a worried voice. "I will. Just... stay safe. I'm more worried about you." Paarthurnax purred loudly, nuzzling him as he replied. "Do not worry about me. I am ready for whatever happens. I'm at peace. I have faith in you and all I have taught you." Jack sniffled, chuckling out. "Don't say that... I still have so much to learn from you." Paarthurnax puffed warm air over him, chuckling back lovingly. "A lifetime's worth. But first, you must find Alduin." Jack reluctantly nodded, grimly saying. "I leave in the morning. I promise you, Paarthurnax... I will try to avoid killing him if I can." Paarthurnax lifted his head, telling him proudly. "I know you will try. But Mal Dov... You can't hesitant to kill him when the time comes. For he will not hesitate to kill you by any means necessary."

Jack looked at Paarthurnax's healing wing and waved him back down. When Paarthurnax lowered his nose enough, Jack kissed it and then jogged off. As he ran back down the mountain, he heard Paarthurnax laugh happily. Racing back into the castle, he rushed past a few startled Greybeards to leap into Mark's arms. Mark hugged him a bit startled, chuckling out. "Good news?" Jack hugged him tighter, sweetly answering. "Ya. I'm feeling much better now. Paarthurnax cleared some stuff up for me." Mark ruffled his hair, lovingly whispering to him. "I'm glad. We finally got all those spoiled brats out. So, I was going to make some real food for these-" Jack playfully shoved Mark into a nook, pinning against the wall, stopping his words with a kiss. Mark wrapped his arms around Jack's waist, purring out in a deep tone. "What did you do up there?" Jack rolled his eyes, innocently telling him. "Nothing. He just reminded me who keeps me balanced." Mark hugged him, burying his face in his neck.

He stayed like that with him for as long as he could. As people got hungry though, Mark slipped away to cook. Jack leaned against the council room doorway, watching them all in a strange new light. While Mark cooked, he saw him actually laughing with Arngeir. Even the Greybeards around the table were even grinning as Klipper regaled tales of his greatest encounters with creatures. It was weird to think that they hadn't started out this close. Had he done this? Was it selfish to think it was him? Crossing his arms, he grinned watching Arngeir actually pat Mark's shoulder and laugh out loud. High Hrothgar had never felt warmer. Mark turned to look at him with a warm smile and reached out for his hand. Jack couldn't help moving to take his hand, letting Mark pull him up against his chest. Leaning back into Mark, he relaxed in his arms feeling warm and fuzzy. Over his shoulder, Mark whispered to him lovingly. "Everything ok, Jackaboy?" Jack nodded, kissing Mark's cheek as he told him. "Ya. We should have a party in the courtyard soon. That way Paarthurnax can join us. I think he'd like that."

Arngeir chuckled, chipperly saying aloud. "That sounds like a wonderful idea... but we're going to need a mammoth." Klipper broke down into hysterical laughter, causing a few Greybeards to cover their mouths to silently laugh. Mark chuckled himself, asking curiously. "Do you think they'd deliver up here?" For the first time in forever, Jack got involved telling the Greybeards stories about his own adventures and jokes he knew. Everything felt so different now. It was like a large family reunion. The Greybeards shared their own stories in magical images that they conjured and there was no shortage of laughter. As the night wore on though, they eventually had to call it a night. While the Greybeards went to their beds and Klipper went to snuggle with the horses, Mark took him to their bedrolls in the nook by the entrance. Within the blankets, Jack kissed Mark and snuggled up with him. Even without sex, Jack felt so close to him emotionally. Nothing felt more perfect than being in his arms. He was reluctant to fall asleep but couldn't resist falling asleep in his warm arms.

Sleeping peacefully, Jack felt Mark slowly move away from him hours later. It wasn't unusual for Mark to get up at certain points in the night. Since becoming a werewolf, Mark had become a restless sleeper. He'd often get up and move around for a bit. He'd always return as dawn approached though. Always wanting to be there when he woke up. Sometimes even bringing him breakfast. This felt like one of those times. At least, until a gust of cold wind blew over his face and something fragile smashed across the floor! Jack jerked awake, catching a glimpse of Mark's werewolf form throwing something across the floor. Mark growled and barked viciously at something that hissed back at him just out of sight. Mark chased after it as it nimbly dashed around the open entrance hall. Causing the horses to spook and add to the chaos that was breaking out. Jack untangled himself from the blankets, bolting to his feet as Mark let out a sharp whine. Jack dashed out into the hall as a Khajiit sprang off the wall and impaled one of his sliver short swords straight through Mark's gut.

Jack screamed so loud that the castle shook. Mark let out a pained snarl, slashing his claws across the Khajiit's chest. The Khajiit was swatted off his feet from the hit, sending him flying into the stairs. Mark fell across the floor on his side as smoke drifted up from his sizzling flesh. Klipper let out a loud war cry, racing past Jack toward the Khajiit, while Jack ran to Mark. Jack couldn't breath as he fell to the floor beside him, yanking the sword from Mark's stomach and a silver dagger from his shoulder. With the silver gone, Mark's body slowly began changing back. Jack quickly put his hands over Mark, conjuring his healing spell on full blast. Panic started setting in as the wound continued to bleed. Blood leaked from Mark's mouth as he reached out to grab his wrist. Jack shook his head, screaming out as tears filled his eyes. "WHY ISN'T IT WORKING?!" Mark's grip on his hand tightened as he strained to tell him. "Jack... Paarthurnax..." Jack shook his head, pleading out as tears rolled down his face. "Mark... Why isn't it working?! I don't understand!"

Mark coughed, then grabbed Jack's neck firmly to tell him shakily. "They came for you... and him. Go. Save him..." Jack clung to Mark's arm, shaking his head as more tears spilled down his face. Mark shoved him weakly, shouting out. "GO!" Jack started to crawl back to Mark as the Greybeards rushed over to them. Mark ignored the Greybeards to tell Jack bluntly. "Go. I'll be ok..." Jack reached out to squeeze Mark's hand, then reluctantly forced himself to bolt for the open doors that led up to the Throat of the World. Snatching up the sword and dagger that had been impaled in Mark, Jack's feet flew over the snow as his adrenaline and anger mixed. He made it halfway up, when he heard Paarthurnax roar in pain! Shouting in both fear and worry, his Dragon Aspect burst around him in rippling ethereal flames. Without thinking, he spread his wings and jumped into the air. The wings caught the wind coming off the mountain, giving him the ability to fly straight up to the peek rapidly! The moment he got up to the top, he saw Esbern and Delphine cornering Paarthurnax up against the dragon wall.

Paarthurnax was curled up, letting out jagged breaths as he told her. "What did you do to Dovahkiin?" Delphine yanked her sword from Paarthurnax's tail, telling him with a stern expression. "Same thing I'm going to do to you to keep history from repeating itself!" Esbern's Frost Atronach slammed its fists on the ground, then started to move toward Paarthurnax. Paarthurnax straightened himself up, bellowing out seriously. "In trying to prevent it... you may have just doomed us all." Jack swooped in, landing between her and Paarthurnax. Delphine cursed, hefting her sword up as she told him sternly. "Out of my way, Traitor!" Jamming the sword into the snow, he pocketed the dagger in his boot and raised his hands to conjure one Storm Atronach and one Fire Atronach. After they appeared on either side of him, he then jerked the sliver blood stained sword back out of the snow to point it at her. Delphine's eyes fell on the sword briefly, commenting with disappointment. "Damn it. I knew he was going to be problem."

Jack narrowed his eyes on Delphine, icily saying through clenched teeth. "I told you not to make me your enemy!" Delphine rolled her shoulders, sneering out at him. "Oh, you're breaking my heart kid. Now get out of my way!" Delphine charged him and he rushed her. Their blades rang loudly as they collided. His Atronachs took defensive stances to protect Paarthurnax. Their flames and lightening shooting out to fight off Esbern and his Frost Atronach. Delphine swung her katana at him in quick motions toward his neck and chest. Jack just as easily countered them with the silver sword. His swings where so aggressive that it forced her to back up with every powerful strike. Delphine soon jumped into a roll to avoid his swing at her chest. Rolling to her feet, she snapped out at him heatedly. "It's YOUR fault that you lost him!" Jack inhaled deeply, snorting steam, before running at her. Delphine raised her sword to block, but Jack only swung as a distraction. Delphine ducked his swing, catching his foot as he kicked her across face.

Delphine staggered to the ground, stunned from the unexpected kick. Allowing him to kick her in the stomach so hard it lifted her off the ground. She spit blood across the snow as he brought his arm down across her back to knock her back to the snow. Delphine's Blade armor cracked up the spine, taking the blunt of his blow. Otherwise, he was sure that should of broke her spine. Delphine rolled to get away from him, staggering back to her feet. She swung her katana to loosen up her wrist, then moved in strike him. Raising his sword, he blocked and twirled his sword around her blade. Capturing her blade like Mark had showed him, he yanked her sword from her one-handed grip and flicked it away. Delphine kept backing away from him but raised her hands. Jack tossed his sword to the ground, moving in to fight her with his fists. He was so angry that his only want was to hurt her. Delphine punched him, splitting his lip. The blow should have hurt, but he barely felt it. He felt numb.

Retaliating, he punched her in the gut. Her steel breast plate cracking. As his second hit followed, she was punched off her feet to the snow. She spewed more blood as she hit the ground on her back. She raised a hand to heal herself, and Jack summoned the sword back to his hand. Shouting at the blade to bathe it in his Dragon Breath, he swung out to cut her hand off in one clean swing. Delphine let out a blood curdling scream, then began to plead with him as she pointed her stubbed arm at him. "Wait! Spare me!" He stopped, letting his Dragon Aspect fade. Watching Delphine stagger to her feet, she approached him nicely crying out. "You win! I'll go. I'll do anything you want... Please?" Jack lifted his chin, his words dripping from his mouth like venom. "Anything?" Delphine nodded, inching closer to him. Snatching her shoulder, Jack plunged the flaming silver sword into her gut. As she coughed blood over his shoulder, he bitterly stated into her ear. "I want you to die in his place, bitch!"

Shoving her back away from him, he yanked the blade free and shouted out at her. "FUS RO DAH!" The force of the blast hit her, knocking her clear of the mountain to fall to her death. Turning around, he saw Paarthurnax's tail strike out at a second Frost Atronach, shattering it into pieces with a snarl. Esbern saw him strolling toward him and turned to run. Jack conjured his bound bow, drawing back the string. Aiming for the back of his shoulder, he let the string go. The arrow whizzed through the air with a soft whistle, hitting him exactly where Mark had been stabbed with the dagger. The arrow's impact made Esbern stumble into the snow with a pained scream. His Atronachs rippled away as he approached Esbern, yelling out heatedly. "Pray to whatever gods you hold dear! Go ahead! Beg them for mercy! Because you sure as FUCK won't receive it from ME!" Esbern rolled over, raising a hand to try and calm him, upon saying timidly. "The assassin wasn't my idea! Dragonborn, please! This isn't you! You're not a murderer!"

Jack removed the silver dagger from his boot, kneeling in front of Esbern to sneer out through clenched teeth. "I am what I hunt! So, what are you?!" Esbern lowered his hand to answer, but Jack slashed the dagger across his throat. Esbern gagged on his own blood, trying to heal himself... but his spell wasn't closing the wound. Tears rolled down Jack's cheeks as he looked into Esbern's eyes, stating to him in a dead voice. "Now you know my pain. Choke on it." Jack climbed to his feet, tossing the dagger away and shouting for his Dragon Aspect as he jumped off the edge. Paarthurnax called out to him, but he couldn't answer. He had to get back to Mark. His wings slowed his rapid decent into the courtyard, letting him land with a soft puff in the snow. Instantly ending the spell, he staggered on his feet. The Greybeards were all standing in the snow with Mark laying on the ground. Shoving through them, he saw Arngeir take his hand off Mark's shoulder. Jack shook his head, trying to deny his look.

Arngeir climbed to his feet, telling him grimly. "We tried... His wound was enchanted and too great. I'm sorry..." Arngeir tried to hug Jack, but he shoved him away. Dropping into the snow, Jack placed his hands on Mark and tried healing him again. Arngeir tried to stop him from wasting his energy, but Jack swatted him away shouting in a distraught voice. "Leave me alone! He's not dead! He wouldn't leave me!" The ground shook, before a deep caring voice announced. "Give us a minute. Please?" The Greybeards slowly left the courtyard. Jack refused to give up. Laying Mark on his back, he cupped he face and cried out to him. "MARK?! Don't leave me! Please... I can't do this without you!" Paarthurnax inched closer and Jack jerked his head up from Mark's chest to plead with him desperately. "HELP ME? You can't let him die... This is my fault..." Paarthurnax lowered his head, soothingly telling him. "No, Mal Dov. This was not your fault... but I can't help you. I am not skilled with-"

Jack shifted better by Mark, cutting him off to interject shortly. "I can. I'll force him back!" Jack snapped his fingers to conjure a flaming purple circle around him and Mark. Then putting a hand on Mark's chest and forehead, he began to chant a spell for necromancy. It didn't seem to be working either. Frustrated, he chanted it loudly as tears poured down his face. Outside the circle, Paarthurnax uttered out in a sudden shaky voice. "Dovahkiin, stop. You'll pass out. Something's wrong." Jack fell over Mark's chest, crying loudly. Paarthurnax moved nervously, telling Jack seriously. "This is bad. I know where Alduin is." Jack snuggled against Mark, muttering out numbly to Paarthurnax. "I don't care... Alduin can burn this world to the ground... I was only doing this for Mark... Now please leave me alone..." Paarthurnax moved his head closer to him, stating out bluntly. "Dovahkiin, get up! You must go to Dragonsreach at once! I'm such a fool!" Jack sat up, shouting out bitterly. "NO! I'm not going anywhere! I'm not leaving him!"

Paarthurnax tilted his head to stare him down as he told him coolly. "Even if it means saving him?" Jack sniffled, calming down a little as he mumbled out in a broken voice. "What?" Paarthurnax took a deep breath, before telling him slowly and clearly. "Your spell isn't working because Mark is lost in Niflheim. The valley of mists. The place between Sovengarde and Helheim." Jack stiffened, asking uncertain. "I don't see how-" Paarthurnax looked at his healing wing as he told him regrettably. "Alduin must have fled to Niflheim to devour the souls in order to heal himself. If you don't hurry, Alduin might eat Mark's soul and he'll be lost forever. You'll need a dragon that can fly through the planes." Jack started to get up, only to hesitate. Looking down at Mark, he told Paarthurnax grimly. "His body... It won't last." Paarthurnax gestured him to go, informing him confidently. "The time wound at the peak. I can preserve him there. But you must hurry, Dovahkiin!"

Jack leaned down to kiss Mark's lips briefly. Forcing himself to pull away, he shot to his feet and ran for the doors. Shoving through them, he yelled out to Klipper. "Klipper! Protect Mark and Tim! I'm counting on you!" Klipper rose from stabbing the one-eyed Khajiit, tears spilling down his cheeks, but raised his spear in acknowledgement. Jack ran up to Agro, swinging himself onto her back without her saddle. Whirling her around, he opened the doors with his magic and nudged her into a bolt. Agro shot across the floor and leapt down the steps. Prodding her on for more speed, Agro booked it down the mountain as fast as her legs would go. He even used his magic to help her when he could. As the sun rose and the icy wind dried Jack's tears, he stated aloud. "Hang on, Mark. I'm on my way." To Be Continued...