Our moods seemed to be mutually dark and the further we travelled north the more the temperatures seemed to drop to match. It wouldn't be long until we reach areas where the winter snows had fallen and while I had full faith in my own abilities of surviving within the wilderness I was still teaching Viconia as much as I knew of winter survival. Not that travelling the highways of the Imperial Province was as deadly as Vvardenfell. It had its own dangers of course but none could compare to the ash storms or the blizzards rolling in from the Sea of Ghosts.

  Over the following days I prayed at further shrines. At the Shrine of Zenithar; the God of Work and Commerce, I thanked the men and mer who had crafted our armours and weaponry for their skill and dedication. To the Goddess of Beauty; Dibella, I promised her that I would hunt down those responsible for the desecration of her Chapel if it was within my power to do so. To Mara; Goddess of love and mortal compassion, I made thanks for Viconia's and my feelings for each other and promised that I would do anything to ensure that she remained safe from harm no matter its source.

  It was at the shrine to Akatosh; Dragon Lord of all the Gods and master of time that I found myself surprised when Viconia joined me herself. With my unnatural hearing it took willpower not to be able to listen to her words as she awkwardly kneeled before the altar, eyes closed and head resting lightly against the faded marble. My prayer to him was simpler than the others, all of Tamriel and beyond would need his continued vigil over the last of the Septims if we were to survive the daedric invasion in our future. Viconia's prayer lasted another few more minutes before she rose and moved over to where I was standing with our steeds. There was an odd silence pass between us as our eyes met and I could almost feel her embarrassment and insecurity at what she had just done, but I didn't say anything for the first few minutes. It was only when we had mounted our steeds once more and had continued on in an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes that I finally raised the courage to ask her why she had prayed to Akatosh.

  "He is the patron of your gods, and in the Underdark there is only one other god that Lloth will allow the merest of mentions. Lloth may claim many things and in Drow society it is the dragons are the masters of creation. I have read and heard stories of how dragons used to exist on the surface but they haven't been seen in centuries, maybe longer. In the Underdark they are not myths or legends but infinitely powerful beings. One of the few dragons I know of; Hahdrimrii is one of Lloth's few allies."

  I looked at her questioningly. "And so you can believe in Akatosh easier than the other Divines?"

  Her smile was seemingly innocent, but I knew her far better than that. "I believe that Akatosh is indeed a real god, or at sometime within the past he was a flesh and blood being. I don't mean to blaspheme against your religion, but I believe that many of your Divines began as humans or other mortals who ascended into godhood just as Talos did. Akatosh I can believe was once a great dragon and now is something even more powerful."

  "And is that why you prayed at his shrine?"

  "I prayed not for me or to acknowledge his existence, but for you."

  "For me?" I asked, puzzled.

  "I believe in Shar, the goddess of the Night and to turn from her faith without a reason such as when I turned from Lloth would be a quicker and surer death than the one I should expect from Lloth. When I prayed to Akatosh just before, I asked him to watch over you and to give you strength to face your inner demons."

  For a moment I didn't know what to say or do, and instead chose to look into her eyes and give a very timid smile. "Thank you."

  "We have spoken much of our past lives and on almost every topic that we can think of," she continued, her fingers tracing down my face as Acheron and Ultrin moved apart. "but you have never spoke about your demons, or your darker side that makes mine seem pale in comparison. You have a great darkness within you, and I have been unable to do anything or understand even as I have been forced to watch as you fight against an enemy within your own soul."

  An awkward silence fell over us and although we returned to talking about everything and everything my mind was already trying to plan how I would tell her about how it was being a vampire. We had spoken about almost every topic imaginable over the previous months, and the trip north had been quite pleasant as I continued to teach her how to read common with the aid of the small collection of books that she was collecting. A tiny part of me was worried that if I told her exactly what I went through and struggled with that it might scare her away or make her leave me. I knew it would take more than that for me to lose her, but the darkness, the beast seemed to take pleasure in taunting my conscious mind.

  The next shrine we came across was of Kynareth's; the Goddess of the Heavens, the Wind and the Elements.. I promised I would venerate nature in all its glory and ensure that I would never take more than what I needed from her blessings.

  It was cold in the north within County Bruma, and the months of snow had settled until the landscape was bleak and a discoloured grey and white. Leafless trees rose into the sky and their roots disappeared into the white snow, appearing as though dead as they awaited the spring thaw to bloom with life once more. The chill had settled into my bones like a lover after the years within Vvardenfell and I was almost in a continuous state of mildly shivering. It wove deep into my being, even under the furs and wool garments we had acquired. A massive cloak of Bear fur clung to my armoured shoulders, and a wolf hide clung to my sides as I trudged through the snow between the road and the shrine. Condensation from my mouth billowed out in white clouds even through my concealing mask, and the wind was like pinpricks across my exposed eyes and forehead. Winter truly held sway over the lands and although we were still a considerable distance away from the true base of the Jerall mountains, Viconia's and my discomfort was building.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Unlike the others, this particular shrine to Talos was one of the few that we had come across that was not as well maintained or regularly visited as the others. The reason for this was surprisingly simple as less than an hour's ride to the north, the towering belltower of Bruma's cathedral of Talos stood tall framed by the towering peaks of the Jerrals. For most travelling the roads or undertaking any kind of pilgrimage it wasn't worth the effort to stop at a tiny nondescript shrine to Talos when the largest cathedral dedicated to Talos was so close. For myself, the seclusion, the lack of people around and the informal nature of the shrine suited me perfectly even if I was attempting to convince myself that I wasn't feeling uneasy near holy places.

  It was still well maintained, the inhabitants of the tiny collection of farmsteads and hunters shacks within the area were obviously using the shrine as their place of worship. The marble was polished and kept clear of any weeds or encroaching vegetation and unlike the ground surrounding it, the top of the metre-wide altar had been recently cleared of snow. It was clean, tidy and there were dozens of tiny talismans and other offerings left frozen into the chilled altar.

  "The shrine to the Ascended one." Viconia muttered as she walked up beside me.

  "Patron to the Blades, ancestor to Martin and founder of the Third Empire." I replied, reaching up and pulling my mask down from my mouth. The first breath of cold air went straight into my lungs like a mouthful of icicles and I felt my whole body shudder.

  Viconia saw my involuntary shiver against the cold and without saying a word, strode forward and ran a gloved hand over the surface of the altar.

  She didn't feel the cold as much as what I did, and the times that she did her self-discipline and stoicism ensured that she didn't show it. The lightless depths of the Underdark had left her accustomed to temperatures that all but the Nords would have found inhospitable. Her home in the inky black would only be warmed from cracks that entered the fiery heart of the earth, or from other geological formations such as hot springs. Some of the tales of the Underdark she had told me weaved stories of how Drow cities were founded around such formations as boiling lakes or rivers of lava for the warmth and life that it granted. This might not have been her first winter on the surface, but as she was not having to struggle to survive she was slowly beginning to take note of the beauty it held.

  "Anyone blessed with such a power, or to ascend into the heavens as a god is worthy of respect and reverence." Viconia said as she strode around the altar. "Talos must've been a great warrior and leader to be granted the gift of immortality and incomprehensible power."

  "As the legends go," I replied, moving up to her and pulling her close for a handful of moments. "He united the Empire within the Second Era, forging together and conquering the providences in turn until they all fell under the sway of Cyrodiil. He ushered in the Third Era and was then granted the gift of immortality by Akatosh for his deeds, becoming the Ninth Divine within the Pantheon."

  "A hero, soldier, leader," She whispered, pulling me closer into the embrace as my hands ran down her back. "and now a god. Such power is worthy of worship."

  Our lips pressed together for a moment and I felt the warmth of her body flowing through our connection. Even with the wind and the cold air around us, our mingling heat merged together with the kiss that left me feeling giddy and a rush of warmth flowing through my veins.

  We broke apart after only a few seconds of closeness as the frigid temperatures threatened to freeze our lips together. Even with the months that had passed while we had remained within each other's company, she still affected me with the same rush of emotions and yearning for her. It was a level of connection that I couldn't describe and I knew that my love for her was becoming almost unbreakable.

  "I will pay my respects to Talos." She said simply, turning and moving over to the altar. "Such a being of power is worthy of respect, no matter what faith or gods you believe in."

  She moved with her natural grace to the altar, choosing a spot not as thickly covered in snow and kneeling close to the altar. Although she closed her eyes as I did when I prayed, she was acknowledging the strength and power of a god in the ways of her kind. The Drow only respected power whether it be physical, spiritual or even political. To the Church of the Nine she would have been a heathen or even a heretic, branded in similar was to Daedra worshippers which she was in a way. It was this attraction towards power in a more authoritarian sense that allowed me to understand why she could acknowledge Akatosh and Talos without betraying her own faith in Shar.

  I too moved towards the shrine's altar, keeping a respectable distance from Viconia as she bowed her head slightly and whispered her acknowledgement of Talos' power and ascension into Godhood. My prayer would be more than just simple acknowledgement of his existence and power, but rather making promises to the god considered to the 'soldiers' god' to members of the Legion.

  "Dragonborn," I whispered, lowering my head and closing my eyes tight as I rested my forehead against the cold marble altar top. The age-worn marble was smooth and incredibly cold to the touch but I refused to move an inch. "In these dark times since your ascension I ask that you lend your watchful gaze across the lands that you once called your own. I know that I am far from deserving for any of your benevolence and I do not ask for it. I do however ask you to watch over your descendant in the presence of the Lord of Destruction, and give strength to his defenders as they will need it before the end. If it is in my power I swear to fight the evil plaguing these lands to my last breath, to protect the helpless and to uphold the oaths I swore long ago and had forsaken the day that I deserted your Legions. I care not for forgiveness. Forgiveness is lost to me with my curse but I will take evil within me so that others will not have to suffer it. If this means being tainted till the end of time... So be it."

  Pressing my fingers to my lips I quickly pressing them into the carved image of the Imperial Dragon on the side of the hexagonal altar. Since leaving Anvil, I had prayed to a shrine of each and every one of the Nine and although there was no divine glory or release from my curse I felt more at peace with myself than I had the weeks previous.

  "Hail Knights!" A deep and booming voice echoed out over the shrine, startling me with its sudden appearance. "It seems like an age since I heard such words spoken from the heart!"