Again, thanks to dovzeymahhe . tumblr . com for being a wonderful co-writer and absolute enabler =)
A menacing grumble ran through his chest. This foolish mortal, and yet, the fire in her eyes! Alduin felt an excitement he had not felt in more than a thousand years. Maybe he never had felt it at all. He could feel her trembling breath on his snout.
The dragonborn closed her eyes, feeling the dark, hot scales pressing against her forehead. His breath stank of sulfur and death, teeth like longswords, each reminding her that he was death incarnate, ready to swallow her whole the second she wavered in front of him. Don't cry, you will live. Don't scream, you will prevail. Don't break, you will rule. If she wanted to rule over monsters, she must be a monster herself. if she wanted this world to have a future, she must walk out of this victorious. Alduin would not take her destiny from her, this world was hers. Though her breath trembled, shaking under the strain of keeping her overwhelming emotions at bay, she forced herself to take a deep breath.
You must speak loud and clear. You must be strong. You must be fearless. You must be fierce.
" I am Dovahkiin. I was born to rule Tamriel, and I will, whether you choose to side with me or not. I shall bow to no king, no man, no dovah."
"… So you will not stand down, much less kneel. You know that will prove fatal," Alduin gnarled, his voice audibly displeased. Maybe her hubris would be her downfall now. Maybe he would decide that she has gone too far, judge that she has said enough, and yet: she could not afford to lose any more time. They could exchange threats until the end of time and get nowhere, yet she knew that with each passing second, her chances weakened. However, at the same time, her mind felt swept empty, each piece of her aiming for only one thing: survival. The ancient innate instinct to run threatened to take over her ability to reason.
" I do not ask for your help ruling the dragons, and neither will I help you to rule the mortals. I will not serve you, and do not ask you to serve me. I could be your ally. The one who keeps the mortals at bay, the one who stands between the dov and joor." Slowly, she exhaled. Courage. Have courage.
"Admirable… But foolish," Alduin exhaled. His fuliginous breath around Janna's whole being was so heavy anddense with smoke and sulphur that it made her feel as though she was about to suffocate.
Her hand was trembling as it rose ever so slowly, inch by inch, well visible for him, until finally, the soft skin of her hand, so small in comparison to the monster in front of her, came to rest against the dark scales, an insecure touch, one that might very well cost her life.
The more she showed fear — which no longer was nowhere near able to be hidden — the more his desire grew to play some more of this curious game of who lives and who dies. As she extended her quivering hand, a sharp huff left the dragon's nostrils from amusement. Yet, upon the apprehensive touch against his hardened scales of ebony, something so fundamental to his rage inside him briefly ceased to be. An upper lip twitched under her hand, and if it had been anyone else, that person would've lost their whole arm in a split second. But not her… The foreign darkness outside of Mundus that had seeped into him so many years ago was filled with light through the dragonborn's fingertips
"You came here to meet me on my terms and listened to my proposal… and I thank you for that. Yet if you choose to decline, then please grant me the honor of facing you arms in hand." Her voice shook.
A breath stuck in his throat, almost tender eyes glanced at her, heeding to her wishes, head moving up and down ever so slightly against her hand, almost as a form of agreement. Whether it was to face her at her strongest, or to help her rule, was impossible to tell.
Had this world seen a single moment of greater glory? Something in his eyes changed in a way she did not believe to be possible. With his head gently moving against the guidance of her hand, she could swear indeed not a single person since the dawn of creation had felt the way she did now, mesmerized by awe, she felt no longer scared. Had anyone felt so understood? Though he was hell, there must be something else, something gleaming in his eyes for the briefest of seconds.
Alduin blinked slowly, pacified for a second, and in an another second, that feeling was gone again. Rapidly pulling away, visibly disturbed, his pupils slit back to their wild, untamed selves.
Though she dared not breathe while her hand still touched the black scales of the great dragon, the second he pulled away, the spell of the moment was broken and she coughed, gasping for air almost desperately. Though her soul may be strong, her body was still as weak as any mortal's. Even standing was an effort now, head feeling light and dizzy, for she had been hardly able to breathe at all in his presence, certain she would suffocate in his toxic fumes. Her request had not fallen on deaf ears, that was all she needed to know.
Slowly, she straightened her back again, feeling sick to the stomach. Just a little longer. Wrap it up, use the momentum to make sure whatever idea of her he must have remained positive enough to compel him not to end her where she stood. Certainly, that would be easier for him than bear the existence of the Dovahkiin, prophesied to be his end. A dangerous gamble for both of them.
„I shall wait for you to decide whether my proposition aligns with your interests. Yet how will I know your answer? Where will I find you, when the time comes?"
She could not bow to him, and he would not bow to her – it was an act of very feeble balance, he would not make concessions, sh couldnot afford to make any concessions to him either. Though he was a creature of raw power, her power was one of a subtle kind, gently paving the way for him to follow just where she wanted him.
What ever was now storming inside him, the World-Eater didn't understand. Recognizing these feelings of tactfulness even existed was barely impossible, let alone put them to words to describe how they felt. Never before he had had a softness like this inside of him, and it felt like weakness .
"You will know," Alduin responded blankly, voice strangely dull and missing the overwhelming confidence he usually had. He sprung into flight, leaving the scene behind in what seemed a mere blink of an eye. The black beast disappeared into the clouds, andonly a shadow through the fluffy blanket could be seen, the dragon heading back to the Skuldafn.
I did it. I did it. I did it. I did it. As the snow whirled around her, stirred by powerful wings, she only had one thought: she had survived this madness. Numb to the cold, heart beating wildly in her chest, she felt nothing but endless, blessed relief for a good minute before her knees finally gave to her own weight that had become unbearable. Within seconds, bliss turned into horror. Not able to control her own body, she threw up where she knelt, bile burning in her mouth as she tried to keep herself from sobbing out loud.
Though she had been able to force herself into composure while he was still there to see, now that she had no witness but the silent ruins of the Bleak Falls Barrow. After feeling like the most powerful, most blessedwoman in this world, she now felt as though she must be the maddest. Maybe that was right. Only a fool would… Her body shook at the mere thought of having to face this monster again. No one could possibly slay such a beast. Each of his teeth on its own was a lethal weapon, his awful maw the abyss of death. What blade could pierce his scales? What magic could be powerful enough to counter his own godgiven power?
No. Now the bet was on: she had made her move and until he was ready to make his move in turn, she would need to set everything in motion. When he called for her, she must be ready– whatever that will end up meaning.
As if you could ever truly be ready for a rendez-vous with death.
