[SKYRIM]: The Name of Time - Miraak & Female Dragonborn Fanfiction - Chapter 12: Chapter 12

Who is Ammra exactly? Believe me, Miraak asked the same question too...
Ammra slowly made her way to her room after Miraak left. Perhaps he was right. Perhaps what Ammra needed was an Expert Healing Spell, for her head. It was so ironic that she must treat someone else's mind while she was so nervous after the memories came back to her head.
Instead of letting those wretched grips of feeling consumed her, Ammra decided to act exactly the opposite. Faking the fun until it felt real. Faking her feeling even if she herself hated fake-ness the most.
Fake was the reason why she turned down Vilkas or any other men.
Fake was the reason why she and Miraak had a different opinion on the mortal worshiping dragon.
It mattered not now. Her fake laugh when she played hard fortunately work. It slightly helped her overcame the memories, making them felt so distant now.
All thanks to Sheogorath...and Miraak...? She noticed how he held his annoyance while they were in that realm. As Ammra uncork the sleeping potion she used to consume whenever the memories came, she sang.
...for I can't help...falling in love...with you...
One gulp then she fell into a deep slumber.
Did she worry if Miraak sneaks up and kills her? Yes. With her past memories rekindled, she became overly cautious and start to feel unsafe to sleep while Miraak was around.
Was she really determined to complete her project? Maybe. Her reason to do the project faced another destructive blow. Her self-doubt side grew stronger.
Was she scared of death? Not anymore. It was a funny complication since she worried Miraak might kill her. But this broken emotional balance eventually made her decide to drink the potion.
The truth was she hoped she just died in Helgen's execution. She always hoped for her death in her every mission. But her Dragonborn tittle seemed to forbid her to die. So, she lived on, becoming the hero that people expected...faking herself.
All of those praises and respect did not change the fact that she had been banished by someone she dearly loved. She always remembered that she was unwanted.
While Ammra was sleeping, Miraak used his time to retrace his skill. The was a ring from his inner dragon, signaling a few of his Thu'um returned. However, at the same time, he felt his Magica Vein worsened. Miraak knew Ammra had re-locked it again to some extent but he did not notice when.
But to his surprised, no rage consumed him at all after knowing this and he couldn't tell why either. He just felt the need to immediately regain his power was no longer as important as before.
A sound of a loud thump suddenly caught his attention. Miraak sighed as he guessed any kind of mess she caused again that late at night. One of his side telling he could just ignore her, but Miraak eventually stepped out of his room to check on her.
When he saw the door of her room open, he carefully stepped closer. She might be naked or doing ridiculous stuff again, so Miraak just tilted his head to peek through the doorway. He saw Ammra was lying on the floor, sleeping. He rolled his eyes after knowing the sound was probably from her falling off the bed—again.
Without he even knew why, Miraak made his way into the room and kneeled next to her. The first Dragonborn watched her intently as he conjured a lightning spell from the remaining Magica vein that Ammra didn't lock. He moved his hand slowly to her throat.
By the Nines! All he had to do was a strike of his spell and the last Dragonborn would perish. He was one step away from his desire to be the only Dragonborn. But Miraak paused midway. The spell on his hand faded and eventually vanished. He touched her loosened hair, letting it slip through his fingers, gently enough to not wake her up.
He noticed the same empty bottle of sleeping potion and smirked. His doubt about her was right. Even if he was this close, Ammra could not sense him. Then the Dragon Priest stood to his feet and left the room.
"How troublesome!" he thought. He felt utterly ludicrous of the situation that made him felt it was fine to spare her life.
Upon returning to his room, Miraak investigated the purple crystal. He knew the ancient way that enabled him to interact with its power. But doing so would make his soul wander Apocrypha for some moment even if his body was still in the initial place. Being inquisitive by nature, he just did it.
Hermaeus Mora immediately sensed his presence as Miraak entered his realm. Ammra's ward kept the Daedric prince from touching him but he felt it fading. "Owh...finally you returned. But I can sense she is still alive. What's is wrong...Dragonborn?" Hermaeus Mora asked from above. He covered the sky with his dark tentacles and hundreds of eyes.
He was about to reply but Miraak felt there was a rift—and even bigger rift—that made him able to ignore the Daedric prince. The feeling of wanting his support became blurred. Suddenly Miraak felt a mild sting in his head. He walked faster crossing Apocrypha then entered a door that led him to the realm of the Mephala.
Miraak arrived in a place he never saw before because what he saw before his eyes were the view of Ammra's living room. He was inside her house, in a place outside of Skyrim.
...for I can't help...falling in love...with you...
The sound of man singing filling the air. Miraak remembered that ridiculous song. Then a woman approached the man. They hugged and kissed. A young girl popped into the room, bringing a bouquet of roses. "Mama, Papa, Happy Anniversary to you!" she cheered while handing the flower to the woman. Miraak smirked when seeing the girl. She still had that innocent and silly face.
"Oh, Ammra. Thank you, sweetie." They hugged her. Ammra looked younger—almost a teenager. Miraak just sneered to see how soft and spoiled she was.
"I love you," Ammra said, hugging them back. She looked so content and happy.
"Your birthday will come soon." His father said after pulling back. "What do you want as a present, sweetie?"
There was a ring. "Oh, the cookie is ready. I'll be right back." Her mother left.
Ammra turned to her father. "There was a series of books that I want. Encyclopedia of Astro Physic. Can I have that?" his father just smiled. "Owh...I will show you the cover. It's on my mobile phone" Ammra ran upstairs.
Miraak's eyes followed her but he accidentally caught something he did not expect. His attention turned to Ammra's father who gasped for a brief second. A black purplish color flashed in his eyes. Miraak was about to see more but the power of the crystal ran out. All of in sudden he was brought into a room that seemed to be a temple where some mages stood in a circle.
Miraak saw them were forming the same purple crystals—plenty of it. "She carried a great shadow of treason with her. Mephala will be glad to have her as a vessel and we can feed on the treason she felt." One of the mages said. "She can turn into a useful Magica source."
Before he knew it, Hermaeus Mora's tentacles gripped his body and neck. "Mephala is noticing your presence in his realm." The Deadric prince said, then a force pulled him backward rapidly. But Mephala's power was swift enough to touch Miraak for it smelt the treason he once conducted to the dragons.
When his consciousness was pulled backward into Mora's realm, Mephala's power which had made its way into his head turned his surrounding into a land of snow.
Miraak saw himself fighting other Dragon Priests. The sound of the explosion and the crack of lightning filled the air. Some dragon attempted to stop him but Miraak killed them and devour their souls.
"The time of Dragon is over." He said coldly. "The joor will bow to me." He claimed.
Alduin landed in front of him. Wrath boiling within his soul for the dovahkiin he had been raised went astray. "Krosis. What's the meaning of all of this, dovahkiin? You killed your own zeymah. Your own brother and kin."
"Bromah. Finally, you came." He paused. "The dov wants to retain its reign and treated mortals as slaves. You claimed dovahkiin to be zeymah, your brother and kin, but you treated me like those joor, mortals." He said. "Nii Bromah. I am no longer the Dragon Priest that serve the dov." Suddenly there was a blast of light.
Within a blink of an eye, he found himself back in the room of Proudspire Manor. The purple crystal dispersed into thin air, giving him an extra reserve of Magica for a short moment. Mephala fed on treason, both the victim and the traitor. But this crystal, gave power to those who conducted betrayal yet weakened the victim. The more sorrow the victim felt, the more power could be extracted. In a word, the crystal empowered him but weakened Ammra.
He had no idea what betrayal Ammra went through but he knew he might be able to take advantage of it. However, his naturally inquisitive mind urged him to know more of her past. He wanted to know what caused her such sorrow. He cared but he didn't know it.
Meanwhile, Ammra woke up as soon as the potion effect wore off, surprised to find herself alive. "Why didn't Miraak killed me?"
Her trust started to regrow but immediately got stopped by disbelief that had been buried long in the depth of his head. The same thing also made her relocked some of Miraak's Magica vein when she held his hand the night before.
Just like what Miraak figured out when watching her fighting the thieves. Ammra invented the special ability to conjure invisible blades. Her seemingly harmless palms were actually covered by transparent Magica that could cut or alter the inner body without damaging the surface. The same skill also helped her checked Miraak's Magica Vein and channeling her Magica to him.
Dawn would break in a few hours but she decided to prepared breakfast. Soon her hands were busy, so was her mind. It did not cease pondering and arguing.
"Am I being too heartless?" she asked herself. "But it never hurt to be prepared. Remember Ammra! He is Miraak! Remember what he did to people of Solsteim!" however her another side argued, "Then remember also what he did to Aleesan! He did not use them to turn against you! He may have made a terrible choice that put him under Mora's power, but you start to notice he regrated it! That's why he wanted to go home to Tamriel. To be free of Mora!" another side disagreed, "Yeah! He returned tp Tamriel as a tyrant."
Those sides of Ammra kept arguing until she eventually concluded that Miraak spared her life just because he was preparing a plan. In fact, he needed her to know where the mask was. If this was true, then his acting of playing along was far too good. "I need to watch my back."
"If you continue like that, you will chop your own hand, little one." Miraak suddenly spoke. His rich deep rich voice in the flat tone carrying an obvious insult. She realized she was chopping a carrot while deep in thought.
"I was thinking." Ammra tried to defend herself but it seemed he couldn't care less for what she said. "We will head to Falkreath then Riften. If the time is enough, we will head to the area near Dark Water Crossing."
"What divines will you disturb today?" Ammra scoffed but she answered it anyway.
"Arkay, Mara, and Kynareth." He did not respond, busy reading a book from a shelf nearby. Ammra secretly took a glance of him who was sitting comfortably in the corner of the room.
"Do you need something, Dragonborn?" his voice startled her again. He knew Ammra secretly looked at him. "Did you leave your brain in Shegorath's realm?" he sneered...with a friendly smirk? For someone who had just went through a series of trust-distrust swing, what he did totally surprised her.
"You said I don't have one! Wait..." an intellectual debate might be her best suit, but she was never good at insulting and neither was in replying an insult. She felt an instant regret for her own answer. Miraak on the other hand just continued reading and glancing at her sometimes. He had grown accustomed to seeing Ammra in a cooking apron and began to like what he saw.
As soon as the sun rose, they left for Falkreath. Ammra brought a basket full of flowers with her. When the carriage dropped them in the city, Ammra hurriedly headed toward the big cemetery. There, she began putting the flower she brought along the way to each grave.
"This is for the ritual?" Miraak spoke after he saw she put the flower on the last grave.
Ammra shook her head and he frowned. She giggled then said, "I just want to give them a little gift. I feel happy if I get a surprising gift, so maybe they will feel the same too."
Miraak remained silent hearing such an incomprehensible way of thinking.
When the priest of Arkay named Runil came and gave his permission, Ammra began the ritual. The Altmer priest stayed to witness how Arkay's blessing was materialized.
"Lord Arkay, I wish to have your essence of blessing."
"Dovahkiin, you received the favor of Akatosh. What else do you demand from me?" a voice echoing in their head.
"Demanding sounds like I force you. But I seek your willingness to bless. A power that is demanded has the limitation but a blessing out of sincerity surpasses time and space."
"You speak well. When you came to my realm, I saw no ill will. Now, even after years of mortal time, you remain the same."
"Indeed. I was once the dead under your patron and I mean no harm nor abuse the blessing."
"Very well, Dovahkiin." He said then faintly adding," They relish your small trinket and wish you find what you seek too." Hundreds of transparent bodies of the dead appeared around them. They were carrying the flower that Ammra gave. Within a second, there was a flash of light and the ritual completed.
"I can't believe this. You once were in Lord Arkay's realm?" the priest asked in disbelief. Ammra just smiled. "I am happy you received his blessing."
As intriguing as completing a complicated puzzle, things started to make sense for Miraak. A betrayal and resident the realm of the dead was quite of a secret she kept perfectly. After the priest left, he turned to her. "What caused your death?"
"Someone killed me." She replied fast, showing an utter expression that she didn't want to explain more. "I have a private carriage in my manor near here. Let's use it to get to Riften." Ammra said to change the topic.
But the thing was not according to her plan. A regiment of Stormcloak soldiers was fighting the army of imperials. The road ahead turned into a battlefield.
"Seriously! Not now! Can't they just stop for a moment so I can pass?" she protested.
"Take another route," Miraak suggested but her face turned sour. She opened the map but took a while to study it. Miraak figured out what happened. "I presume you do not know another route." she shook her head. "Relying on the main road made for commoners, how talented. You make a great traveler." He sneered, enjoying her troubled face. "Now I understand why your lover in Solstheim worried when you travel alone."
"Teldryn is my friend." She snapped then pout. Her cheeks were somewhat puffing because of holding back her anger for the situation. This scene was nothing but pure entertainment for Miraak.
Finally, he let out a heavy sigh then run into the hill while looking up to the sky. "Where are you going?" Ammra shouted while following him.
"Trying to find your brain." He replied. Miraak saw a young dragon that happened to fly near them. It had been a while since he flew and he wanted to try the Thu'um that he had regained.
"Miraak, it is not funny! If you plan to jump into that battlefield..."
"Like I said. I am looking for your brain!" he snapped. The distance between them making Ammra missed the chance to see him laughing.
Meanwhile, Ammra did not expect him to do that. She began to felt her suspicion was meaningless but she refused to give up the idea he was up to something.
Gol Hah Dov...
Miraak shouted the Bend Will Thu'um toward the dragon which soon landed near him. Ammra stopped as he saw Miraak leaned against the dragon's body, crossing his arms with a proud face. "Forget the carriage. Let's get this over with soon."
Ammra gulped. Only the thought of separated from land made her tremble. "No," she said.
"I see. You are scared of height." Miraak guessed sharply. She thought he would give up his idea, but instead, Miraak grabbed her hand and pulled her closer. With his body that was bigger and taller, he could easily put Ammra in the neck of the dragon.
"Thuri, where should I take you?" the dragon asked.
"Do you know a place called Riften?" Miraak asked back while mounting the dragon.
"Geh, Thu'ri."
"Miraak...No. Please..." Ammra could not continue her words for she screamed as the dragon leaped and took off. She pressed her body to Miraak who sat behind her. Even if she closed her eyes, Ammra swore he could hear the man was laughing. "Put me down!" she squirmed but he was far too enjoying taking control.
Miraak commanded the dragon to do an extreme maneuver. It flew up high and flip back in a complete circle. He was so satisfied to see Ammra screamed and curled her body between his arms. "I swear I'll kill you after this!" she screamed but it was not threatening at all.
"Hey silly, open your eyes." He said once the dragon flew amongst the cloud steadily. Slowly, she opened her eyes. The sight immediately held her captive. Ammra was at a loss for words. Her eyes wide open and her lips curled up into a wide grin. "Still want me to put you down?" he sneered but Ammra remained silent. Her face was of pure joy. Without he knew it, he smiled seeing her.
"It's...beautiful..." she said as she reaching out one hand to touch the cloud. Her eyes sparkled and she did not stop smiling. Ammra loved the sight he saw.
"Hold it like this, so you can command where to fly," Miraak said next to her ear while directing Ammra's hands to the dragon's neck. He simply taught Ammra how to control the beast and the girl timidly learned though she was a little clumsy. He smiled when she winced because she thought she was being too rough when controlling the dragon. "You have to be firm when giving a command. Your hands are trembling. Do it like this." He placed his hands on hers, instructing.
Meanwhile..."What in oblivion am I doing?" he yelled to himself internally.