Skyrim: Rise of the Dragonborn

Chapter 1: A Time of Peace

It was a rather beautiful spring day in the Capital City. It was the kind that most would use to take a deep breath and sigh all the stress and sorrow away. The sun was shining, it wasn't too hot, and there was a slight breeze grazing over every face that was out and about. But most people hardly noticed. Too much was going on in the great capital city of Cirodiil, the heart of the Empire.

There was a small host of elves standing in front of the White Palace. Their armor shined golden in the sunlight. They appeared barely mortal in their perfect stance and stone-cold stare. Beric was half enamored, and half frightened. He had heard of the Aldemeri warriors from old soldiers, but to see them was something completely different.

"They look like they've never seen battle," said Drake, a childhood friend of Beric's.

"How would you know?" Beric responded quietly, still staring at the elves from the group of onlookers that stood murmuring quietly.

"I just do. There's a look that a man has after he's seen blood. I don't see anything in theirs,"

"Hmm," Beric mumbled quietly as he continued to stare as if in a trance.

"Never seen an elf before have you Beric?" came a higher pitched but proper voice from behind Beric initiating a long groan from Drake.

"If I knew you were coming, I would have fled to Aldemeris," Drake said rolling his eyes as Beric turned around to face the voice.

"I doubt you'd have the septims or the wits to," the voice said in response to Drake's attitude, "I on the other hand can go wherever I wish. Septims and wits are the only two things that are worth investing valuable time in, anyway, unlike your brutish skills," The dark haired, and rather boyish looking Cirodiilian replied turning his nose up at the much larger brute that was Drake.

"Those brutish skills you mock, Jekal, won us the war," Drake mumbled rolling his brown eyes again and shaking his head causing his dark and frizzy braids to swing.

"What makes you say we won?" Jekal asked grinning as he stepped forward to Beric's side with his hands folded behind his back and his chin up.

"Well...we did, didn't we?" Drake said looking inquiringly at Beric.

"It...uh, was more of a tie," Beric hesitated.

"Really?" Jekal spoke up, "I heard that the Emperor was surrendering to the Aldemeri Dominion because the loss of the Great War was too great. I know these things. My father is basically..."

"A brother to the Emperor," Drake recited with Jekal, "Yes, we know, you've only told us since before we knew who the emperor was!"

"And you're forgetting my father is an advisor to the emperor and has had his ear for the entirety of the peace talks," Beric smiled mischievously, "You aren't the only one who is related to someone important," he said looking back at the ranks of the elves.

"Well, pardon my trespass on your father's reputation," Jekal mock bowed.

"We'll think about it," Drake smirked folding his big dark arms

"Brute," Jekal said just loud enough for Drake to hear.

"Muscle ain't the only thing Redguards have, you fop,"

"Wait," Beric interjected quietly, "There they are," he said pointing to the Aldemeri Ambassadors and their personal guards exit the main gate to the palace. They saw five ambassadors, one of which was the most intricately dressed and leading the rest. Beric guessed he was the highest-ranking ambassador. He had a broad and rather eelish grin on his face as he climbed into the carriage next to the elvish host of soldiers.