During the last few days I have been playing Skyrim and it is a fantastic game. Given my standards, it is not often that I praise anything to this extent, but this game fully deserves its 10/10. It is a masterpiece; definetly one of the best games to have ever been created.
The only problem I had with it was the very final battle, during which the ambience, music and effects are stunning, but the game mechanics makes for a simple fight in which I personally wacked the boss across the head with my weapon two-three times, then healed a bit, then wacked him again and the fight was over, nothing more than a normal dragon fight, like the ones you encounter during the game, except this one had more health. I understand why it was not done more theatrically and action-packed (because of game mechanics) but it still left me with the feeling of "Wait. What? That's it?"… reason why I wrote this little piece of work.
For those who did not play Skyrim before reading this, here is the meaning for some of the words I used in the game's dragon tongue.
Dovah= Dragon
Dov = Dragons
Dovahkiin = Dragonborn. A Dragonborn is a mortal born with the blood and soul of a dragon; thus he is able to absorb and use another dragon's powers, which consists of using certain words of power together to form a 'shout' with different effects.
A shout (or Thu'um) is composed of three words of power and in my fic, they are written in caps when spoken by the Dragonborn because it is, afterall, a shout.
I did not use all the Thu'ums, although I did try to use as many as was realistic and also tried to combine different skills from all of the three supposed classes, because with enough patience, the hero can master them all, ingame.
I preferred to leave the effects of each shout that I used implied, but just in case it is not evident enough, here is the list in chronologic order, with a small description of their effect.
FO KRAH DIIN – Your voice is winter, your Thu'um a blizzard.
FUS RO DAH – Your voice is pure power, pushing aside anything and anyone standing in your way.
JOOR ZAH FRUL – This is "Dragonrend" and is the only shout created by humans. Its sole purpose was destroying or weakening a dragon by making it mortal and taking away its ability to fly.
KRII LUN AUS – Speak and let your Voice herald doom, as your enemy's armor crumbles and his life force is weakened.
I suppose I shall stop boring you with this intro and let you proceed to the actual story.
Enjoy.
"The legends speak of one born with the blood and soul of a dragon, but the body of a mortal. He is said to have been anointed by the gods to be able to fight with dragons on equal terms and to lead his brethren like no one else can. That is what it means to be Dovahkiin."
…
"There have been others, before you, which bore the title of Dovahkiin. The Greybeards have always guided those that carried the dragon blood, but now, you are the only one…"
…
"It is no coincidence that the Dragonborn has been revealed to us now, when the dragons are coming back. Your destiny is tied to theirs."
…
"We know the true role of the Dragonborn. We know that he is the ultimate dragon slayer… the only one who can truly kill one of them, by absorbing their soul and power after their defeat. It is why the Blades have searched for you for over 200 years."
…
"You do not even know our tongue, do you? Such arrogance, to dare take for yourself the name of Dovah!" Alduin's voice thundered during their second meeting.
[…]
The memory of their past words came back to him as he watched the two groups bicker over who was right. He was tired of this charade… this game of politics that was meaningless now, when the whole world was hanging in the balance.
"We have just as much right to be here as any of you" the blonde woman moved her hand in an arc, pointing at the three Greybeads "… to be a part of his training. After all, we are the ones who set him on this path."
"And what path is that, girl? One of bloodthirst, befitting barbarians such as yourselves? You would have him hunt down and kill every one of them."
"Damn right, I would." She crossed her arms, giving the old man a disgusted look "You Greybeards and your Way of the Voice…"
"The Way grants men both power and wisdom, girl. You could never comprehend-"
"Power? Power? The world must look very peaceful to you from up here, atop your mountain, but when was the last time you bothered to mingle with the common people? Unlike you, I have lived my entire life amongst them… so when dragons start coming back to life and destroying the little happiness those people down there have, I don't get the luxury of sitting here and gazing at the sky, hoping for the problem to go away by itself. Power? Hmph… power is nothing without action. "
"Delphine… that is enough." Esbern placed his hand on the woman's shoulder. Despite agreeing with her, his age granted him sufficient wisdom to understand that this was not the time to be pointing fingers and throwing blame. He took a step forward, clearing his throat "What would you have the Dragonborn do, then? Nothing?"
"No. It is clear to us, just as much as it is to you that Alduin must be defeated in order for End-Time to be avoided, for surely, if he is allowed to continue, we are all lost… however, this does not mean that we would ever support the senseless slaughter of dragons."
"Oh… so the Way of the Voice allows for violence when your hides are threatened, but when the fire doesn't reach you, the whole world is free to burn, is that it? Is that what that dragon resting above your monastery thought you? You are traitors to your own kind, allowing him to live amongst you."
"Delphine!" The furious frown on Esbern's features worked better than a paralysis spell on the young woman who immediately pointed her eyes towards the ground in front of her.
"Our master, Paarthurnax, was the very first dragon who, during Alduin's tyranny over mankind, stepped forth to oppose him. He was the one who thought humans how to wield the voice… the very reason why our ancestors managed to defeat Alduin thousands of years ago, subduing him long enough for the power of the Elder Scroll to cast him away in a timeless prison."
"The ancient heroes who fought him then were unable to kill Alduin, which is why they were forced to use the Scroll, but now he has returned… and he will not fall for the same trick again."
Arngeir looked at his fellow Greybeards then towards the end of the table, where the Dragonborn was sitting.
"Now we have the Dovahkiin…"
"Why?" The whispered question moved through the halls of High Hrothgar like a wave of cold air, chilling the ones who heard it. "Why should I kill him?"
The grave silence that followed was broken by Delphine who could not contain her outrage when faced with such a question.
"What do you mean why? B-because you are Dragonborn! Because your destiny is to defeat him and save your kind from the End-Time!"
"My kind? You speak as such because I appear to you in the form of a human… But you said it yourselves; the blood that rushes through my veins is Dovah. My soul is Dovah! If I were born with their form, you would not pause to think for a moment while trying to figure out the best way to end me."
The woman fell back on her chair, shocked and unable to find her words.
"You are not the only one who has seen the people's suffering. But while among them, I also saw the cause of that suffering. I have seen men preferring to steal rather than working to make a living, children starved while the rich had more food than they will ever be able to eat, humans killing and turning on each other for a few lousy coins… and even a war started from the selfish pride of a man who turned on his allies when unity was needed most."
"Dovahkiin… that is-"
"Perhaps the world does not need saving. Perhaps it should burn so that it might be reborn anew from the ashes. The World Eater could not be defeated before… only delayed. What if he was never supposed to be fought against?"
"You would have us sit on our thumbs and do nothing while Alduin destroys the world? I knew it… Do you see what your Way of the Voice has done to him now, Greybeards?"
"Foolish one! Your ignorance knows no bounds… How dare you accuse us of-"
"SILENCE!" his fist landed on the table as the whole monastery of High Hrothgar trembled at the sound of his voice. "Look at yourselves… You are no better than the men leading the war in Skyrim."
The Dragonborn rose from his seat, grabbing his helmet from the table with one hand and his blade with the other. His steps echoed through the halls of High Hrothgar, as did the ones of the 5 people following him without so much as a uttering a word. He opened the metal doors that kept the eternal blizzard surrounding The Throat of the World at bay and stepped outside, walking until the very edge, the province of Skyrim visible in all her glory.
"Alduin is the firstborn of Akatosh, prime god of the divines. Why would he have created such a being, capable of destroying the world if not to fulfill its purpose?"
"Dovahkiin…" Paarthurnax landed atop the entrance of the monastery "I hear your troubled thoughts, young one. This world has harbored my existence for eons, and I have witnessed the malice of men… but as their heroes of old came before me with fire in their eyes and courage branded onto their soul, asking for assistance, I saw their true potential… the strength and compassion that mortals have to offer. It was enough to betray Alduin during the Dragon War… and enough for me to believe that they are still worth saving. Alduin is the crown jewel of Akatosh's creations and while I see him as a brother… I suffer, knowing that he wishes to erase everything that is. You ask why our father created Alduin with the burning desire to destroy the world… but why would the same father allow for a mortal to be born, wielding the gift which is only meant for a Dovah? Why would he give a mortal the strength to match Alduin?"
The champion slowly turned his head to look over his shoulder at the great wyrm, a smile visible on his features. He did not say a word, for there was no further need for them, but instead simply sheathed his blade and slowly placed his helmet onto his head. Gathering strength in his legs, he jumped off the edge, only to be caught by the dragon that dove after him. Whiterun Hold was their destination, for within Dragonsreach, the keep towering above the hold, Odahviing, the right hand of Alduin and the only one who knew where the beast made its lair, was being kept in chains.
[…]
Odahviing, bound by his own words, carried the Dragonborn deep into the eastern mountains of Skyrim, in exchange for his freedom. As the dragon descended amongst the snowy peaks, the fog cleared away to reveal ancient ruins.
"Skuldafn Castle…" Odahviing allowed himself to drop to the ground after a last flap of his wings "Within its walls you shall find a portal to the spirit realm of Sovngarde. I know not how to activate it, for Alduin guards his secrets jealously, but it is where he goes to replenish his power, by devouring the souls of mortals."
The thundering roars of dragons came from the direction of the ruins.
"This is as far as I go, Dovahkiin… Expect to meet Alduin's remaining forces as you travel forward into Skuldafn. I shall await your return… or Alduin's." and with those last words, the dragon took off, disappearing into the blizzard.
[…]
"You are strong to have made your way into Sovngarde, of that there is no doubt… But I am Alduin the World Eater… Bane of Kings… I am the fire that shall consume your world."
The champion made a step forward, securing his footing.
"Hin kah fen kos bonaar, Dovahkiin! Come, Dovakhiin… your pride shall be humbled!"
Without a second's pause, the champion reached for the two daggers attached to each of his legs, drawing them out and launching one in succession to the other towards the dragon's head. The scales on its wings, which he used to block the attack, were too tough for simple steel to penetrate.
"Fool! I'll cook you within your own shell!" With a beat of his wings Alduin took to the skies shouting a continuous stream of fire towards the Dragonborn.
The daedric armor of the champion was turning red from the raising heat, and only the demonic power it was infused with kept the one within it alive. However, it could not endure much more of this punishment.
"FO KRAH DIIN!" The firestorm unleashed by Alduin was halted as he was forced to dodge the wave of frost shouted forth by his enemy.
"Our blood is strong within you, mortal… but you cannot match a Dovah in physical strength." With this, the immense black dragon dropped on top of the human, trapping him beneath one of his claws. "You are but a worm, worthy of nothing more than to be crushed under my heel!"
"FUS RO DAH!" The unrelenting force with which the Dragonborn shouted propelled Alduin off him and well into the air, the later spreading his wings in order to stay above the ground and out of reach as he prepared to unleash another wave of fire.
"I won't allow it! JOOR ZAH FRUL!" The effects of the forbidden Dragonrend shout were almost instantaneous as Alduin fell from the skies, his body crashing against the ground.
"You… dare… use that foul shout against ME?" In vain he tried to lift his wings off the ground, for they felt heavier than the world itself. He had no time to ponder over how to unbind himself, though, as the Dovahkiin charged towards him, the massive sword which hanged onto his back until then, now held by both his hands and gleaming in the sun.
"KRII LUN AUS!" the mortal shouted while running.
As soon as the words reached Alduin's ears, his scales started corroding away, revealing the soft flesh beneath them. His attempt to halt the enemy's charge with a breath of ice was for naught, as the elemental ward the human had erected beforehand around himself absorbed it completely.
With a heroic leap, the sword of the Dragonborn dropped vertically, piercing Alduin's snout and stopping in the ground beneath it, nailing the dragon's head to the ground. The champion released his grasp on the hilt and joined his hands, starting the incantation for a spell. Within moments, small charges of electric current started flowing through his body, intensifying with every second that the mortal focused his energy on it.
"More…" The daedric armor protecting him reached its limit, starting to disintegrate from the power overload within its wearer's body.
"Not yet…Not… yet. Just… a … bit … more." Bolts of lightning started discharging into the air, the current within him desperately searching for a way to be released.
The World Eater's eyes widened.
"WHHRAAAAAAHHH!" With a final roar, the Dragonborn grabbed the hilt of the sword, the lightning within him passing through the blade into Alduin's body, scorching and melting away the beast's flesh.
[…]
He had underestimated the mortal. Even as he stood on his knees before him, collapsed from the very power of the spell he had used and half-dead, the human still clenched the sword tightly. His kind deserved credit to have come this far… but the final outcome was inevitable. He had survived the spell.
"Zu'u unslaad, zu'u nis oblaan! I am… immortal, Dovahkiin… I cannot… die." He felt the effects of the Dragonrend shout beginning to wear of, as his body began to heal from the horrible damage he had sustained. "Your world is… doomed, boy."
"N-no…" The Dovahkiin openes his eyes, trying to lift himself up to a standing position "I… shall not… fail… my people."
"You are defeated, mortal. Your fragile body can barely hold itself together, let alone stand against my fury any longer."
The dragon was right. The spell he had used was a double edged sword, ravaging his body just as much as he did his enemy's. He did not expect the dragon to survive and now, despite all his efforts, the blade he held seemed impossible to even lift, let alone swing. The binding on the dragon's wings was about crumble and after that, there was no way he could stop him. Had he failed? Was the outcome of his fight part of his destiny? Did he ever stand a chance, or was it all just a game played by the gods, with its winner known before it even started?
His legs gave out, unable to sustain his weight any longer, but as he fell, two pairs of hands grabbed him and lifted him up. His eyes gazed upon the two men at his sides, then towards the woman in front of him.
"You three…"
"No! This is impossible!" The wyrm tried to move his wings, in an attempt to quicken the breaking of the binds.
"You are the ones I saw in my vision of the past, when I used the Elder Scroll… You are the heroes that imprisoned Alduin…"
"Aye, that we are… lad." a big smile appeared on the old man's face "We had hoped he would never find his way out, but now that he has, it falls onto you to do what not even we could."
A song echoed through the valleys of Sovngarde, starting low, as a whisper in the wind.
"Do you hear them, lad? Do you hear them praising you?"
Dovahkiin, Dovahkiin
naal ok zin los vahriin
wah dein vokul mahfaeraak ahst vaal!
Ahrk fin norok paal graan
fod nust hon zindro zaan
Dovahkiin, fah hin kogaan mu draal!
Huzrah nu, kul do od, wah aan bok lingrah vod
Ahrk fin tey, boziik fun, do fin gein!
Wo lost fron wah ney dov
ahrk fin reyliik do jul
voth aan suleyk wah ronit faal krein
vey zeim hokoron pah
ol fin Dovahkiin komeyt ok rein!
Ahrk fin kel lost prodah
Do ved viing ko fin krah
Tol fod zeymah win kein meyz fundein!
Alduin, feyn do jun,
kruziik vokun staadnau,
voth aan bahlok wah diivon fin lein!
Nuz aan sul, fent alok,
fod fin vul dovah nok,
fen kos nahlot mahfaeraak ahrk ruz!
Paaz Keizaal fen kos stin nol bein Alduin jot!
Dovahkiin, Dovahkiin
naal ok zin los vahriin
wah dein vokul mahfaeraak ahst vaal!
Ahrk fin norok paal graan
fod nust hon zindro zaan
Dovahkiin, fah hin kogaan mu draal!
The whisper turned louder and louder as more and more spirits appeared before the champion. Soon, an entire legion of men and women were singing his ode.
Dragonborn, Dragonborn
by his honor is sworn
To keep evil forever at bay!
And the fiercest foes rout
when they hear triumph's shout,
Dragonborn, for your blessing we pray!
Hearken now, sons of snow, to an age, long ago
and the tale, boldly told, of the one!
Who was kin to both wyrm
and the races of man
with a power to rival the sun
cut through enemies all
as the Dragonborn issued his roar!
And the scrolls have foretold
Of black wings in the cold
That when brothers wage war come unfurled!
Alduin, Bane of Kings,
ancient shadow unbound,
with a hunger to swallow the world!
But a day, shall arise,
when the dark dragon's lies,
will be silenced forever and then!
Fair Skyrim will be free from foul Alduin's maw!
Dragonborn, Dragonborn
by his honor is sworn
To keep evil forever at bay!
And the fiercest foes rout
when they hear triumph's shout,
Dragonborn, for your blessing we pray!
The woman approached the Dragonborn, placing her hand on his chest.
"Allow us to grant you our strength… you, who are the greatest of us." her spirit turned into mist and passed into his body, followed by every last one of the heroes behind her.
"We are with you… Dovahkiin!" his strength was returning, his wounds closing up.
The very moment Alduin sensed the effects of Dragonrend wear off, his wings opened wide, ready to carry him out of reach, but a second after, they fell back to the ground, lifeless.
The World Eater barely felt any pain. In a flash, the hero's blade severed the dragon's head from its body…
And that is how I imagined the final part of the Dragonborn's quest. Those who have played it know it is an open-end game, which means there is no point to write past Alduin's death, as what happens afterwards depends on every player.
Inform me of your opinions towards my work, be they good or bad.
That is all.