Act II: Chapter 8

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The first week after Ulfric declared a civil war, the Legion saw five thousand members enlist. Most of my days were spent beating my countrymen into something resembling an army.

Enden, my most competent Legate and dark elf, had the most problems from the men. The racism for their kind still existed in Skyrim. It sickened me.

So when I walked onto the field, the seventh day after the Challenge, and saw blatant insubordination, I decided to do something about it. There was an average nord man, with black hair and brown eyes, laughing in Enden's face while he stood there and stared at him.

I wasted no time in approaching.

"I don't take orders from your fucki…" He never saw my fist hitting his nose.

The nord, whose name I doubted I would ever learn, fell on his ass immediately. His hands were cradling his face before he touched the ground. I stepped back to Enden's side, who wore a slight smirk on his face.

Once the insubordinate nord realized what happened, he leapt to his feet. "Who the fook..?" His words trailed off when he saw me.

I had gained a certain legend as of late. Tales the legion spun of me defeating the first dragonborn in open combat had spread across the land quickly. It didn't matter if it wasn't true. Once someone mentioned the latest gossip there were two things brought up. One was that Ulfric broke the rules of the Challenge. The other was that the battle that ensued was legendary. Ralof, Hadvar, and Ariella saved the High King's life, and fought off the rebellious Jarl.

'I bet the stories go differently in North East Skyrim. Stormcloaks are sure to have spread the story differently.'

"You have a problem taking orders from a Dark Elf, scum?" I asked the insubordinate nord.

I could tell he wanted to deny it. But it seemed he was smart enough to realize that lying was useless at this point.

"He doesn't belong here." The nord said. He proved smarter than I thought when he didn't raise his voice, or leave parade rest.

"Why?" I asked rhetorically. "I swear to to the Aedra, if you say one more fucking word, I will kill you where you stand." My anger was peaking.

I turned to Enden, just as I drew my sword. "Arm." I commanded.

Enden didn't even hesitate and held out his sword arm, not even his off hand. With the King's Blade, I scored a line across his arm. Scarlet colored blood ran down his dark skin immediately. He didn't even flinch.

I moved his arm so that the blood would drip off of his hand and onto the ground beneath us.

"Look at your hand!" I told the nord. He stared at me for a moment, before obeying. Blood from his nose was already drying on the hand.

"Do you both bleed red?" I asked the nord swiftly.

"Yes, sir." The nord replied evenly.

"That's what I fucking thought. The only difference between you and him, is that he's bled for Skyrim and the empire. How many men have you killed for the empire, Enden?" I asked the man.

"Fourteen." Enden replied quickly.

"And you?" I asked the nord.

"Two, for my family." The nord said after a moment of silence.

"A noble deed." I complimented him. Then I pointed the King's Blade at Enden's chest.

"That is your family now." I said, before sheathing the blade on my hip. I drew my magicka, and directed it to Enden. His skin sealed itself with a faint yellow glow, although the dried blood stayed on his arm.

I made a decision right then and there. One I had been pondering the last week. I needed more structure in the Legion.

I sent a small amount of my, now massive, magicka to my throat.

"Men!" I called out.

The sound carried throughout the courtyard of Castle Dour. The sound of men snapping to attention rang out as they gave me their attention.

"I am disappointed!" I told them. "There has been blatant insubordination towards LegateEnden. Nobody has brought this to my attention. Not a single man." I said to everyone. My eyes were on the other legionnaires across the fields.

I was sure they knew what was coming.

"And yet, he is the best officer in this fucking castle. For his hard work, he is promoted to Captain. My second in command for the coming war." I paused for a moment to let the news set in to the others.

I expected disappointment from someone. I expected the other legionnaires to say something, or even shuffle. Their eyes didn't even betray them.

"Any man who disobeys his orders will be punished as the Legion describes. Be fair to him, and he will be fair to you, this I know." I continued.

"Does anybody object?" I asked rhetorically. Naturally, the men around us could sense the mood.

Silence.

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"Are you sure that was wise?"

I stood in front of General Tullius. It was the first time I had seen him since the day after the Challenge. He had been busy writing letters, and making plans for the war.

"Enden would have been my pick, regardless of what happened." I answered truthfully. "And this country has had underlying racism for the other races for sometime now. If he can prove himself capable, it would go a long way for the people."

Tullius nodded to me. "Good. I agree." He told me.

There was a knock on his door.

"Come in." He called out.

Ariella herself walked through the door with Mirabelle Ervine on her hip. No longer did Ariella where the archmage robes. Instead, she wore custom master mage robes. The outer layer was a little bit darker than royal blue with white accents. The robes ran down and split right after her hips, showing the breeches that allowed her greater movement. She wore a golden sash tightly on her hips, pulling the look off. Her golden blonde hair fell down her back beautifully.

She met my eyes and smirked. Apparently I was not subtle with my admiration.

"Hadvar." She greeted. I nodded to her in response.

"You asked for me?" Ariella said, turning her attention to Tullius.

Mirabelle apparently had accompanied Ariella to give Tullius a piece of her mind. "The Archmage is not one you can summon at will!"

Ariella snapped a look toward Mirabelle. "That's enough." Ariella told the woman. Mirabelle acted as if she was already expecting it and turned around. She said what she had to say I guess.

Once Mirabelle left, and the door was once again closed Tullius spoke. "Ralof has sent word. He didn't even bother negotiating. You can have Fort Greymoor."

I was obviously missing a lot of information. Something must have happened while I was busy dealing with the new recruits. Ariella obviously felt my confusion.

"Korir has been threatening my mages still at the College. Claims that the College is his by right. I want my students safe, and away from there." Ariella informed me. "And now, I have somewhere to take them to."

'She's moving the College??'

"You'd abandon the ancestral home of the College?" I couldn't help but ask her. Nord's were nostalgic people by nature. Tradition ruled in Skyrim.

Ariella chuckled. "Absolutely not." She pacified me. "They won't get past the bridge. But I am not there to protect the students, and I am sure Miraak, or even the dark elf, would be able to get through the defenses if he tried. So we will relocate temporarily." Ariella explained.

I saw through that answer quickly. "While also establishing another branch in the heart of Skyrim. Leading to more influence." I deduced. It was a brilliant plan.

And for Ralof, I could see why he would embrace that. If the College was smart, they would use the land around them to their advantage and start mass producing potion supplies. Once they started selling that, Ralof would get the tax revenue and boost his economy immediately. Not to mention, it would go so far towards convincing Nords that magic wasn't bad.

I could see Whiterun becoming an even bigger hub of Skyrim. It was already the biggest city. Arguably the most influential also. It basically already grew all the food for the entire province.

"Exactly." Ariella said. "Everyone wins."

I saw a major flaw in this plan. The main one being that they would have to move the entire library there. Also their artifacts that they have to be drowning in. To do that, they would have to walk out the front door right?

"The only problem is transporting everything." I said. I thought that was the real reason Tullius called me here. Would we capture Winterhold first? Strike deep in their territory? That would be too risky right?

I didn't expect Tullius' response. "Do you know of the Psijic order, Hadvar?" Tullius asked.

I searched the deepest parts of my memory for the answer. "An order of magic users that apparently mastered ...space…" I trailed off as it all hit me.

"They owe me a favor." Ariella said. "And have already agreed to transport everyone in the College to Fort Greymoor as soon as we are ready. They hate debt apparently."

I was tired of being surprised by this world and the changes that were happening in it. Ariella had somehow used the Eye Of Magnus as a bargaining chip. It was the only way they would be in her debt right? What all happened in this world's College of Winterhold's questline?

Suddenly, the answer to why her reserves grew so large in such a small amount of time seemed obvious. It wasn't because of constant overuse. It was because of a staff that you retrieved from Labyrinthian.

The Staff of Magnus.

Ariella was the owner of the fucking Staff Of Magnus.

I didn't realize my head was in my hands until Tullius started speaking again. How did she even have time to go to all these places and do all of these things?

"That gives us a massive tactical advantage." Tullius said, breaking me out of my thoughts. "Suddenly, we don't have to wait for one of our most important allies. You have orders, Hadvar."

I turned to the General, and nodded to him.

Tullius stood up, and moved over to a desk that had been set up in his office since the last time I was there. It was a map of Skyrim, with detailed pieces on it. I followed him over to it.

As I thought, North and North East Skyrim held a lot of Stormcloak sympathy.

"Our spies say that Ulfric and his party did not return to Windhelm. He mobilised his army before he even left for the challenge. They wait for him on the edge of Eastmarch. He wants Falkreath, so that he can cut us off from our supplies. That can not happen." Tullius explained. It seemed to match up with what the games portrayed also, so I didn't question it.

"So we march to Falkreath?" I asked.

"You will head to Rorikstead and meet with Igmund. He's bringing the men you trained. You'll combine them with three thousand of your best trained here. Lead them to Helgen and you'll wait. I trust your judgement, but don't lose that army, they're the best trained in the province right now." Tullius told me.

Immediately I knew that I would take Tullius' place at the start of the games. Although I knew that the battle would be entirely different from the small skirmish that happened at the beginning of the famous game.

"And you?" I asked, wanting to know all of the plans.

Tullius pointed to the closest city of Stormcloak supporters. "I will meet with Idgrod and his forces with the bulk of our army and take Dawnstar, and then Winterhold."

I saw the sense in plan. In the games, it was just him fighting this war. Now he had me, and another well trained force to take advantage of. Tullius would cut a bloody swath across North Skyrim, capturing territory and boxing Ulfric in. Ralof, Ariella, and I would war with Ulfric across the center and southern parts of the province.

I doubted Ulfric stood a chance with our armies. We were too well trained, and had two large forces ready to go. At best, Ulfric had one army. I was sure that would change shortly, but it would be too late.

I was only worried about one thing: Dragons.

That's why I thought that I had the biggest part of the war. I had to get rid of Miraak, and fast. I didn't know if he had taught Ulfric how to bend the will of dragons yet. But I was willing to put money on Miraak being able to. What if he bent the will of Alduin? The world ender?

Or worse.

What if he killed Alduin? And devoured the soul of Akatosh's firstborn child.

How much more powerful would he become?

Ulfric wasn't even the main threat. I didn't even care if Ulfric was in fact the dragonborn. There was a much older, and more experienced dragonborn I had to deal with first.

I nodded to Tullius.

"I'll leave in the morning."

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"Were you leaving without saying goodbye?"

I was busy putting all of my most important belongings in the saddlebags on my horse when I heard Ariella's voice. I don't know why, but I was happy she wanted me to tell her goodbye.

"I thought you were coming with." I said with a smirk as I turned around.

Ariella frowned, as if I wasn't supposed to know. "How did you know?"

That was obvious to me. "Alduin. There is no way you wouldn't be there." I answered truthfully.

If that wasn't a good enough answer, her sitting on top of a beautiful horse with all of her entourage, minus J'zargo, behind her. I already knew that the destruction obsessed cat would accompany Tullius and lend his magick towards the war effort.

There was a chance that Tullius encountered some magick users in his campaign. He needed protection. Plus, J'zargo would be a huge asset on a battlefield.

"Well, I would be careful mentioning that so casually." She said looking around to the men waiting on me to hop up on my horse.

It was nice being in charge. Everyone waited on you. But there was a war to fight, So I eventually just climbed up in the saddle.

"Let's go."

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Traveling with Ariella was an invaluable resource.

I did the same thing I had when I traveled with Jarl Igmund to the Battle of Druadach, I read books that I brought with me on the journey. Lets just say that it was hard for me to choose which ones I valued more from my tower in Castle Dour.

I mostly focused on Illusion, Alteration, and Restoration during the day. I would be a fool to give up my biggest advantage over my opponents. That was, of course, my emotional manipulation of my men and those around me.

So when I had questions about how to manipulate my magicka properly, Ariella was there to guide me to the answer. She never outright showed me spells. She always gave me hints and clues that would lead me to an obvious answer. Then I would feel dumb about not discovering it on the first try. She was a fantastic teacher.

When she saw how I used Illusion, I could tell I gained a lot of respect in her eyes. A lot of lights went off in her head when I did that.

I woke up, had breakfast, got on the back of a horse, and we traveled. I would take breaks from reading, and ride up and down the army, checking on men, receiving reports from scouts, etc.

At night, after dinner, I would exhaust myself casting Mages Downfall. Then I would meditate until my reserves filled up, and I would exhaust them before going to bed. The whole time I would move through sword forms.

Each night, I would hold the spell a little longer. When I woke the next day, I could feel how my magicka grew. It didn't seem like it would be enough. I still felt so far away from being able to match Miraak, Ulfric, the Dark Elf, or Ralof in single combat. But still, I trained and trained.

One thing I did notice with my increasing reserves, was that healing was becoming easier, shields were bigger and more solid, and my illusion spells took hold on my men faster. Overall, casting started to become much easier.

Magicians around me started to respect me more. I even had a few comments on how quickly I was growing. I would have been a fool not to pick their brains about certain spells.

I made it a point to dispose of bandit hide-outs along the way to keep the men in fighting shape. The local population would also think better of the Legion for it. Even if we did travel through mostly Imperial supporting land.

With every town we traveled through, we picked up a few men. Most were young men, looking for glory. The men took them in, and trained them up. I needed another few months with them to truly get them into fighting shape, but I didn't have the time and we needed the men.

When we reached Rorikstead, we had gained another two-hundred men along the way. Then I got to see my favorite person in the world.

Captain Loren.

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A/N: Boom!

I would like to say that this is very Hadvar centric, and I will not be including other pov's. I did Ariella's pov a while back, but that is probably going to be a very rare thing.

Sure, Ralof has the companions, and Ariella has the College. But those are small groups of people compared to the raw numbers Hadvar has. So overall power and influence, i would put Hadvar near the top compared to the rest of the OC's.

Anyway. Let's discuss this in the reviews. Do we agree on that? Or do you guys think that is off?