Walking a Lonely Road

It's been a long and lonely road from Windstad to Riften. The gods have taken pity on her child, and it is only right that I find her mother before she pines her life away. Luckily for the child, I have not yet encountered any difficulty in my travels, and the place I wanted to search first was just a few days' journey away. 

It was night, but the sun will be up soon. I approached Riften from the South slowly, multiple thoughts running inside my head. The Ragged Flagon is one place I have never been to in my stay in Skyrim. It stinks of Thieves and people who beg and rats, they say. It disgusts me that Kiya might be in that hole somewhere, drinking mead with people who have had their hands inside other people's pockets. As I think of how the rats are better than Kiya's comrades, I chanced upon a stone with a symbol on it. It looks familiar--I know I've seen it somewhere. I approached it and immediately recalled the symbol from Kiya's weapons. It seems as though this is the Nightingales' haven. I check its surroundings if there was anyone. I could smell a few people, albeit faintly, from inside the rock. No smell of Kiya anywhere, but those inside might know anything about her. I unsheathed my sword, banged it on the seemingly solid rocks, and shouted her name over and over. 

I have no idea why anyone would put this outside their secret lair.

No response. The night was as quiet as it was when it started, save for my incessant shouts and sword clanging on stone. For almost an hour I rapped and rapped on the stone walls with my sword. Still nothing. I may have wasted my time there. I should have gone on to Riften instead; they know I am here and will hide Kiya or give her an escape. 

I stayed there for the rest of the morning and got some rest. I surveyed the area for any possible escape routes, but to no avail. I went quite far, unfortunately, and it may seem that they were waiting for me to go so Kiya can sneak out. I rushed back there before night fell. If Kiya really did sneak out, I would have got wind of her scent. Nothing. No traces of anyone else ever passing by this black rock. Damn these nightingales! I have already spent my energy going around the Reach. I guess I should just stay here again. If there is any movement I will detect it. 

Noises woke me up in the night. I heard the stone walls swing open. I pounced on it, but it was closed. I heard it open! What sorcery is this? Am I imagining things now? Angry, I banged on the wall again. Her smell still evaded me, but her comrades' scents seemed to fade one by one. They've already left their haven, damn the gods! Kiya has left with them! I must rush to the Flagon; it is the best chance I had of finding her.

The fact that I was strutting around with wings hit me. I knew then it was a lost cause to go to the Flagon; they surely would have seen me walking around. I went there anyway, hoping to catch Kiya on her way out. 

Damn, this place is dirty.

Unfortunately, there was no trace of her inside this derelict place, only thieves. They eyed me warily, some of them even greedily, as I passed them by. I was greeted by someone named Dirge. He seemed... naive, to say the least. He told me he knows no one with a name of Kiya, and proceeded to tell me I should go to save myself and my valuables, lest he and his brother Maul take them away from me. I told him I remember his brother, and that his brother remembers me as well, so he should back off as well. I turned around and started walking towards the door. I could feel his knees shaking, and I could smell his fear. That ought to teach that damned thief a lesson. 

Keep talking like that, and it's MY name that'll be the last thing you hear before they put you in the ground.

Kiya has eluded me once again! Damn that woman! Doesn't she know her daughter needs her? In my anger, I had not noticed that it was already late in the afternoon and I had already climbed a mountain. I looked up, and saw a dragon facing me. An Ancient dragon. I forward-rolled to safety, and immediately summoned my spirit werewolves. They did what I wanted them to do--distract the dragon while I attack it. I realized I could not fight alone anymore. I had Kiya, and she was extremely effective that I, in turn, had become dependent on her in battle. 

Dragon vs. Dragon

It took a long time to defeat the dragon--it was already nighttime when my werewolves and I were able to take it down. I collected the bones, and realized that I needed companions. My werewolves were fortunately, albeit just barely, enough for this encounter, but if I were to find more difficult enemies I would have to be ready for them. It was the first time I considered the Conjuration school. 

I took out a spell book, read it that same night, and summoned a Storm Atronach. It merely lasted a few minutes before dissolving, but it was a start. I needed to practice some more, and I know the perfect place to go for training. I also have a hunch Kiya would be there taking refuge among the mages. I've seen her cast some spells--it's worth a shot to check.

Look at it! It's a monstrosity! I'll be needing them, unfortunately.

A Nightingale in a Golden Cage

I'm beginning to lose count of the days I've been running from the Stormcloaks. My existence has turned into an eerie parallel of my fellow Nightingale Karliah, at least prior to the fall of Mercer Frey. Never sleeping in the same place twice, relying on Nocturnal's mysterious whim to keep me hidden... I am truly her Nightingale now.

After exiting Castle Volkihar, Serana and I snuck our way into the Reach, hugging Skyrim's very borders to High Rock and Hammerfell. It was nice to see its rugged beauty once more; a shame I could not enjoy it much. I temporarily took refuge in Druadach Redoubt, the abode of the Forsworn leader Madanach. His welcome was one of the warmest I've had in a while, for he had never forgotten the aid I had given him before. And I suspect it was due to some pity too. We are on the same boat now, hunted by Skyrim's leaders and with a bounty on our heads.

One day. Yeah. Thanks for the assurance, Madanach.

After replenishing my supply of the ghastly mixture to change my scent, we went out again. Somehow, all the days of running are already taking a toll on my emotional state. I was searching for a sign -- any sign -- that will point to my deliverance from all this. Of course the easiest way out would be to leave Skyrim and go back to my native land of Cyrodiil. Or even Solstheim. I've gone there several times, searching for a certain "Miraak" who had been sending pockets of assassins after me. But something tethers me to my adopted land, and I cannot leave it no matter what.

I went into the Twilight Sepulcher once more. I had to make Serana wait outside because Nocturnal wouldn't have allowed her presence in there. When I entered the Inner Sanctum, I was completely alone. I had hoped that perhaps Nocturnal will heed my summons and offer me a bit of guidance, but all that greeted me was the murky silence of the Ebonmere. I had to steel myself from shedding tears. But as I was about to take the portal back to the entrance, a fluttering sound made me look up. It was a lone nightingale, very much like the ones perched on my Mistress' arms. It made a complete circuit of the cavern, shedding a pair of its wing feathers before flying skywards.

Dammit, show up or I'd jump in!

I do not know what to make of this sign, or if it even meant anything. I kept the feathers, however, and had taken to wearing them with a circlet as a reminder of the Night Mistress. But apparently I had changed more than I had realized. Serana gave a little gasp when she saw my appearance as daylight increased. My eyes, previously brown, were now a shade of violet -- the same as Karliah's -- and the color of my warpaint had changed accordingly, without me even knowing it.

So much had changed.

After spending a few more days flitting between Falkreath and Markarth, I finally decided I needed to speak with Karliah. She greeted me in the Nightingale Hall, and we shared a meal together while discussing the state of things. I asked her how she'd been faring now that her sworn enemy was dead, and her reply made me a tad envious. How can I still feel serenity and fulfillment now that my thoughts are clouded by desires of revenge and retribution?

Care to teach me how?

So clouded were my thoughts that I ended up speaking harshly of our Patron. Nocturnal cares for nothing but our suffering, I spat out bitterly. Karliah listened as I told her of my visit to the Twilight Sepulcher, and how it gave me more questions than answers. After letting me shed a tear or two in my frustration, she gently offered her own wisdom on the matter. She pointed out the color of my eyes and the fact that I had never been found by bounty hunters all this time. It was just like her own experience running from the Thieves Guild after Mercer Frey's betrayal. It woke me up like a splash of cold water. If Karliah managed to stay hidden from the Thieves Guild, whose eyes and ears reach far more than the Stormcloaks, my situation isn't as bad as I imagined. Nocturnal isn't one whom mortals can ever fully understand. Come to think of it, so am I. Kousei would have affirmed to that. No wonder I serve her.

Nocturnal isn't the easiest of Deadric Princes to serve.

Karliah reiterated that the Nightingale Hall is my home so long as I am in Nocturnal's service, and I will find in it a perfect hideaway should I need one. I thanked her, but explained that I won't risk dragging her into the bigger conflict I am now part of. Mercer's betrayal was bad enough. And it turns out I left in a timely manner. Several days afterwards, a message from Karliah arrived to the Ragged Flagon's Cistern. She warned me that "a Redguard with skeletal dragon wings on his shoulders has been haunting the Nightingale Stone for two days now".

I stared at those words, stunned. It could only be Kousei. And he has wings too? I guess I shouldn't be surprised, for he's Dragonborn like me. I wanted to think about what this all means, but there are more pressing matters. Damn him! He's dangerously close on my trail. Wasn't it enough that he had taken Lucia hostage?! I cried when my associates informed me that he had relocated my daughter to his Morthal manor. I briefly toyed with the idea of stealing into Windstad and rescuing Lucia, but Vex and Delvin had talked me out of it. Damn that Redguard, using all my weaknesses to flush me out!

Empty that Redguard's pockets for me, will you?

I barely had time to gather my wits when Brynjolf came striding towards me. His urgency set a chill down my spine. "The Redguard is at our very doorstep," he informed me. "Come, we'll get you out while there's still time." When I expressed my concern about our guild members in the Ragged Flagon, Brynjolf assured me that they can handle themselves. For a brief moment, my trust on my guild mates wavered. How can they stand up against a Dragonborn? But there was no time left. As Brynjolf escorted me out of our hidden entrance, he told me once again that despite what the Stormcloaks say, he and the Guild would always stand by their Guild Master.

Kousei had effectively cut off my access to the Ragged Flagon and the Nightingale Hall. But upon reflection, that was because he knew of my connections to them. Now I understand where I should go. He may know that I am a thief and a Nightingale, but he does not know of my connections to the College of Winterhold. Perhaps Savos Aren and Mirabelle Ervine would be willing to give me a safe haven. May Nocturnal guide me.

- Kiya

7000 Steps Higher

The first few days after the war passed by quietly. People in other towns seemed to carry on with their lives, even with the defeat of the Empire. Not everything is quiet, however; disquiet fills my heart now. With every town I passed by on the way to High Hrothgar, men and women alike stared at me with both despair and despise. 

The wings did not help me in any way reduce their anxiety in my presence. I found myself in an inn the night of the war and even with the blood of the beast raging inside me, I slept soundly. I dreamed of dragons, and Kiya. Somehow, the dream told me they--we--were connected. I woke up from the dream in a sweat, lying on my back on the bed. An unfamiliar weight was bearing down on me. I tried to move my head to get a view of what it was. Wings made of bones were protruding from my back! I had to rub my eyes to see if they were deceiving me. 

That discovery made me wonder what the monks at High Hrothgar have to say. I've always thought many people have the ability to Shout, and that they only opt not to. However, I have not seen anyone else with wings, which means I might be the only one who can Shout. I had to get there as fast as I could. 

I stopped by Vilemyr inn at Ivarstead to learn more of the Greybeards, the aforementioned monks at High Hrothgar. Close to nobody have seen them, as the monks have rarely gone outside of their monastery. I did not get any information that might help how I'll approach them. I went on.

Hmmm, well, you're useful.

Up here in the mountains, the war and its aftermath seem so far away. Even she seems very small, looking at this vast expanse of rocks that have existed since the dawn of time. Uflric felt irrelevant here. Only dragons have the power in this place, I thought.

What a sight to behold.

A few creatures here and there made the walk up the Throat of the World more interesting, but I only found wolves and trolls. The blasts of wind and snow slowed me down, but as I climbed up the last of the steps, I stumbled upon a glorious fort with walls upon walls of solid stone and a tower above everything in the world.

Scratch that, this is a sight to behold.

I still had no idea who these Greybeards were, even if I had a lot of time to think by myself on the way up. I knocked on the huge doors of High Hrothgar, and it swung open with no one on the other side. I turned on a corner and saw four men in dark robes congregating at the middle. One of them, seemingly surprised at my arrival, approached me, and my wary stance became more relaxed as he went closer. 

If this is a party, it's a dull one.

He introduced himself as Arngeir, the one who speaks for the Greybeards. He told me the others cannot speak for their voices are too powerful to be heard by mortals. I could have disagreed, but they wanted to see for themselves how I, presumed Dragonborn, could learn a Shout and use it almost immediately. We went outside, and I demonstrated to them how easily I, and other people as I once thought, learned the Whirlwind Sprint Shout and used it effectively. Arngeir, having never seen a Dragonborn in his lifetime, thought it astonishing.

Wait until I tell you about that time Kiya and I had a shouting match...

Or so I thought I was the only one. Arngeir spoke of Dragonborn since the dawn of man and their dominance over dragons. However, he found it even more astonishing that there were two Dragonborn in this era. It would seem that the dragon problem is graver than they expected. He told me, "You will have to work together to defeat the threat of the World Eater. Once you meet her, you will know she's the one."

She? My heart pounded a bit faster as I asked him who he meant by that. He described her: black, long hair, fair complexion, wields bow and arrows, and has distinct red marks on her left eye. It took me a while to gather my bearings. She is the other Dragonborn?? How do I not know this? A part of me felt so much anger; this is not the first time she has kept something hidden from me. I guess I should have seen her affinity for Durnehviir and even the other dragons. It all makes sense now. Damn that woman! Now she's in hiding, and I do not know how to find her.

Dammit! Why didn't you tell me this sooner?

  

 Arngeir felt my anger, and asked me to calm down. He told me I will find her when the time is right, however dangerous it might be. I wondered what that meant; this monk kept speaking cryptically. I sighed, and told them I should go. The monk told me to go, but go to Ustengrav and retrieve the horn Jurgen Windcaller, founder of the Greybeards. I recalled it was near Windstad, and told them I will.

I was about to leave through the huge gates when I remembered about the wings. They did not look surprised when they saw the wings as I entered the room, but Arngeir revealed that it was the first time he saw something like this. It might be an effect of the awakening of the dragons, he explained. Alduin's power is increasing, and another being of equal power has awakened far away, and the blood of the Dragonborn in me stirred up along with them. He could not think of a way to remove these wings, he told me; he will have to consult with their leader, Paarthurnax, atop the Throat of the World. I do not know who this Paarthurnax is, but I would have wanted to talk to him personally.

I hurried back to Windstad. I had relocated Lucia there, almost forcibly. She knew what I had done to her foster mother, and she seemed reluctant to come with me. As we traveled from Breezehome to Windstad, she suddenly told me, "My ma will be back, and you'll be sorry!" This was the last time she talked throughout the journey. 

Quit complaining! You're safe already!

Now, I had to check on her if she was doing fine. Alesan told me she ate, but only very little, and did not talk or sleep much. He found her staring outside most of the time. I felt helpless. I do not know much about children even if I've had Alesan for a while now, more so little girls with missing mothers. I will have to find her mother, and quickly. Not for my sake, but for hers. Maybe I will have to find Kiya first. Sometimes saving the world isn't worth anything if it's still broken.