A/N: Well... it certainly has been quite sometime since I've posted. This chapter was scrapped multiple times as I tried to get to this and hopefully it doesn't sound too... similar to other stories. I will definitely have to go back to this one and re-edit it because some places feel... inadequate and things are brushed over.
Dragon Rising
'Look at the size of that thing.' Farengar Secret-Fire whispered in awe as he stood in the courtyard. Already, the nobles were quickly making their way towards the vast staircase that had lead up to the Jarl's hall. Irileth and the Harbinger were trailing after them, speaking among themselves as they walked. Valeka could only hear faint conversation from the pair and the way it sounded it was probably how much men they would need.
'Enough, Farengar.' The Jarl of Whiterun said firmly, his eyes not moving away from the flying monstrosity. The wizard immediately went quiet when he heard the steel in the man's voice and Valeka could not blame him. The Jarl's was a rather imposing man and his presence carried even if there was a tired look to the man's face. His blue eyes turned towards her and she met his heavy gaze. 'Farengar… what you were going to say earlier… can it be true?'
The old man looked at the woman, his hand running through his beard as he became thoughtful. Elaninde turned towards her as well and tilted her head thoughtfully. 'She did touch the tablet and what she said happened to her in the cave… it can be true. There's only one way to be sure, my lord.'
Balgruuf sighed deeply. 'I was afraid you were going to say something like that.' His gaze never wavered from her, however and he continued to watch her before he hardened his gaze. 'There is no time for ceremony, girl. Farengar sees something inside of you and I happen to see this as well. You're proven yourself capable by bringing the Dragonstone and I have a greater need of you. The guards and the Companions are great warriors, but they have never gone against the might of a dragon. I would like you to join them as well. If you do this for me, I will make sure that you will always be welcomed in my hold.'
'My Jarl…' Proventus spoke up and Valeka noticed that the man practically stood in the man's shadow. 'Are you sure? We don't even know who this woman is… the nobles will-'
'I know what they will say, Proventus! But it will be something she has earned! The nobles in my hold will keep silent against the few who have tested their mettle against a dragon and won!' The Jarl boomed. Another tired sigh escaped his lips and his shoulders slumped slightly. 'We need men, Proventus… all of the mercenaries have left the hold and only those who actually have stayed will refuse to fight for Whiterun.' The steward remained silent and Balgruuf sighed once again.
'I know your heart is in the right place my friend, but perhaps all of this will help us.' The Imperial inclined his head and turned away, making his way towards the hall. The Jarl watched him depart for a moment before turning to face Valeka once again. 'What do you say? Will you help us?'
'Doesn't look like I have much of a choice.' Valeka said. Her mind was still trying to wrap around what the silent Farengar and the departed Harbinger were discussing. Something had happened to her in the chamber and it looked like the dragons…. coming back tied in with her as well. Something compelled her to figure this out and it looked like joining the Jarl's forward defense to slay the dragon would help her.
The Jarl let a grim smile cross his face. 'Everyone has a choice: some are better than others and I am glad that you have taken this one. I hope to see you return to us, friend.' The Jarl turned towards the mage. 'I assume you will be joining them as well?'
'Of course, Balgruuf.' A small smile crossed the woman's face, her amber eyes glinting. 'I have a feeling mages will be needed. If I remember correctly, a dragon's skin is practically impenetrable to normal blades. Magic, daedric and dragonbone weapons and enchanted weaponry is the only thing that can penetrate their skin, right Farengar?'
The mage inclined his head. 'I would like to accompany them if that's alright, lord?' The Jarl immediately shook his head.
'I'm afraid not, old friend. Just in case they fail, we will need a bit of mages to defend the city.' The mage sighed in disappointment.
'Seems my knowledge will be wasted here then. Please, if you manage to defeat the beast, try to bring a piece of it back. My studies would be greatly expanded if I can take a look at one of its scales.' The Jarl lead the man away with a shake of his head and they disappeared inside Dragonsreach.
Valeka sighed and turned towards the stairs. 'Well then… looks like our death awaits us. Let's go and face a dragon.'
The march to the watchtower took almost an hour. When they reach the tower, the dragon was long gone, but its rampage could be seen from miles away. The tower had large furrows in the side of it from the monster's claws and chunks of the tower had been blown off and was scattered around the base of the tower. Smog filled the air and the smell of something burning settled across the courtyard.
Irileth stepped from the cobblestone path that lead to the tower and peered back and forth through the devastated surroundings. 'Well… it's definitely been here. Spread out and search for survivors.'
'Companions,' the giants voice rumbled from beneath the heavy helmet. 'Take up firing positions. If the beast comes back, I want to be prepared. Ria,' a Nibenese woman clad in light fur armor looked up in surprise. 'Head up to the tower and check for a vantage point. I'll send a few men up there after we have checked the area down here.' The woman nodded and quickly scurried away and towards the entrance of the watch tower. The rest of the warriors spread out and began to draw their own bows. A few of them raised their hands and Valeka was surprised when magical energy shimmered in their hands.
'I thought the Companions only used steel as weapons, not magic.' Elaninde commented from her side. The giant turned to face them, shrugging his powerful shoulders, his armor creaking slightly.
'I see no problem with them using magic as long as it is not used during a personal duel. We're going against a dragon. This can be pushed aside for now.' The giant in black armor made his way towards Irileth, speaking to her as the Companions and guards continued their search.
Elaninde and Valeka followed after him quickly, looking over the ruined ground around them. The dragon certainly had left its mark. Large, clawed footprints showed where the beast had landed and decided to attack with tooth and claw. A few corpses were scattered around the battlefield, the charred remains showing the last defiance, or fear against the dragon.
'The Jarl's wizard was about to say something to me before the dragon attack; do you know what it was?' The giant paused, turning to face her.
'I can't say…' the giant said. 'We will find out if the dragon decides to return. But if what we think is true… you are certainly going to be quite useful in the coming days.' Valeka opened her mouth to speak again, but a sudden roar filled the air around them.
The dragon had finally returned.
Valeka looked up towards the southern sky. From the snow-capped mountains where Bleak Falls Barrow rested, she saw the silhouette of the great winged monstrosity. Valeka was taken by surprised by the appearance of this one. Instead of the six limb variety with detached wings, this one had four: it's wings were attached to its forearms and it reminded her of a bat. With only a few pumps of its great wings, the dragon was soon flying above them.
'Zu'u los Mirmulnir! Faas dii Thu'um! YOL TOOR SHUL!' Fire erupted from the beast's maw and a group of guardsmen that were close together were engulfed in fire. The screams of the guards carried around the courtyard of the watch tower. A few of the guards ran around, their skin burning away from their flesh as they flailed around the yard.
'Archers!' Irileth called, flinging a bolt of lightning at the monster. 'Bring down the beast!'
'Companions!' The giant's voice boomed across the yard and the man unsheathed his sword. The gathered guardsmen and Companions quickly rallied to the sounds of their leader's voice. Arrows and the crackle of magic soon filled the air. The dragon beat its wings greatly, sending a current of wind that drove the arrows off course and avoided the magical blasts with a corkscrew motion. A rumbling sound filled its maw and Valeka realized it was laughing at them.
'It'll take more than that to defeat me, mortals…' the dragon's voice sounded like an avalanche and boomed across the courtyard. It opened its mouth once again, a more flames erupted from its mouth.
'Move!' Elaninde shouted, a large bolt of lightning flashing from her hand. The bolt was much larger than the ones being thrown around by the others and when it slammed into the face of the monster, it roared in pain. It glared at the elf, the scales along the right side of its face cracked and darkened. Yellow serpentine eyes glared in their direction.
'I think you made it mad.' Valeka commented, unsheathing her own weapons. The flanged head of the mace erupted into flames and her war axe glinted from the sunlight.
Instead of replying, the elf threw another bolt of lightning at the monster and the beast quickly dodged it. With a roar, it darted in their direction, its monstrous bulk eclipsing them in its shadow. The pair split apart as the monster's jaws darted towards them, its large form crashing into the ground. Valeka came up from her roll and immediately leapt at the monster's side. Her war axe came crashing down onto the beast's skin and the blade of iron immediately shattered onto its skin. She stared at the head of her axe in surprise. The dragon let out a rumbling timber of laughter and battered her aside with his wing.
The blow was like being struck by a wagon. She was knocked off her feet and sent flying through the air. She slammed back into the ground, rolling for a bit before she came to a rest in the dirt, her body flashing with pain. A pain filled groan escaped her lips and she felt a presence loom over her.
'On your feet, woman.' A giant's hand wrapped around her shoulder and pulled her quickly to her feet. Razahir stood nearby, his left hand holding a massive curved sword. The blade of the weapon had runic markings and lighting danced along its edge. A golden handguard protected the man's fingers and precious gemstones were embedded in the guard. 'Terminus,' he muttered and the blade pulsed with an inner light. 'Come: the elf is in trouble and we will need her magic to defeat the beast.' With that, he rushed towards the monster, a wordless cry escaping his lips.
Valeka made her way towards the beast, picking up her fallen mace and charging after the beast. The monster had taken to the ground, its maw flashing back and forth as it tried to scoop up Elaninde into its maw. The elf was dancing away from its jaws, lighting flashing from her hands. A squad of guards surrounded the monster and they sliced into the beast's skin. Their weapons proved unaffected, and most broke upon the monster's skin. Its club-like tail swatted aside the guards sending their broken forms flying away from it.
Another group received a mouthful of fire and the beast ignored their screaming forms. A Companion charged forwards from the base of the tower and brought her blade flashing down into the beast's face. A roar escaped its lips as the blade cut through its skin and the dragon quickly snatched the screaming warrior into its jaws, shaking its head back and forth. Blood covered the bottom of its jaws and the grass beneath it. It spat the body out, contemptuously and the broken Companion crashed to the ground.
Razahir snarled like a beast when that happened and Valeka noticed his steps quicken, his stride becoming long and quick. With a roar, he launched himself into the air only a few meters away from the dragon. Valeka was taken by surprise as the giant practically flew through the air, his sword pointed outwards from him. The point of the sword dug into the membrane of the dragon's wing and it roared in pain. The giant's weight made him slide down the wing easily, a large hole forming into the wing. It's long serpentine neck immediately curled around its shoulder and tried to snatch the giant into its jaws. The giant had reached the ground already and rolled aside as the long serpentine neck tried to snatch him up and his blade flashed in front of him. The dragon hissed, blood squirting from the wound. The blow managed to slice into its eye and the dragon roared at the man again.
A bolt of lightning slammed into the back of its neck and the dragon began to flail around itself, hissing and spitting in rage.
Valeka took her chance while she could. Sucking in a deep breath, she rushed forwards and at the monster. The dragon continued its flailing movements as Irileth and a few guardsmen surrounded the beast, slashing at it wildly. As the beast long neck swung in her direction, Valeka jumped into the air, grasping her arm forwards. The neck of the monster slammed into her side and she immediately wrapped her arm around the flailing monster. The breath was knocked out of her lungs and she held on desperately as wind blew across and through her hair.
The dragon's jerky movements almost knocked her off almost a half dozen times, but she held on desperately. As her momentum swung her one way, she threw her legs over the neck of the beast and found purchase there. She raised the eight flagged head of her mace and brought it crashing down into its throat. A wheezing hiss of air escaped the monster as she pulled her mace out of its neck and black blood squirted across her face and got into her mouth. The dragon's movements became weakened and slowed down greatly.
In the beasts last moments, it tried to flee by flying away. It's broken wing could not hold it aloft and it flapped its wings ineffectively. Valeka smashed her mace into the opposite side of its mouth and a weak noise issued from its lips: 'Dovakiin? Noooo!'
The dragon weakly fell to its side and Valeka rolled off its neck. She rolled nimbly to her feet and hefted the mace and raised it high above her head, taking it into a two handed grip. The beast glared at her with one of its cat like yellow eyes and she saw herself reflected in the amber eye. She brought the mace head down in a hard and heavy blow, the crunch of bone echoing in her ears. She raised the mace three more times and smashed it into the monster's wedge shaped head and the beast was finally finished.
Valeka sighed as the monster slumped over, its skull caved in. She stepped backwards and slumped over slightly, dropping her mace from her fingers. A breath of air escaped her lips and she was suddenly alert when she heard a whisper along the wind. She turned back to face the dragon, her head tilting slightly in its direction. Something invisible and tangible floated through the air and she froze from a moment, her eyes widening in surprise.
She watched curiously as invisible energy rose out of the dragon, a kaleidoscope of colors swimming around in front of her eyes. She breathed in deeply as the light reached out towards her and surrounded her and the sounds of whispers filled her mind.
She was flying over a city, her Thu'um shattering the world around her… A black dragon was hissing words as joore around them cowered in fear… awakening when she felt a familiar voice echoed in her ears… A tower being destroyed in his anger and rage, the mortals around her fleeing silently... hissing as she stared at the massive city nearby wondering if the joore there would give her problems… her wounds flashing with pain as a woman with dark hair stood above him, holding an enchanted mace in her hands before swinging it down towards her…
Valeka stepped back with a gasp of air. She thrashed back and forth along the ground, trying to push herself away from the pain of her wounds. She could feel the pain in her skull from the weapon the joor wielded. The pain of her wounds blinded her and she reached for her Thu'um, searching for the comfort of fire to destroy the people around her…
'Valeka! Valeka,' a hand on her shoulder immediately relaxed her and she could feel magical energy's wash over her. 'Relax… the dragon is defeated… you're fine.' Valeka immediately began to calm down as the magical energies washed over her and she tilted her head as she felt the effects of a calming spell.
What was all of that? She thought as her mind slowly began to calm down, the potent spell washing though her mind. Those were definitely not things I've seen before. What the hell has just happened? 'What just happened?' she voiced her thoughts, her eyes closed as she rested along the ground.
'You passed out.' A rumble echoed through her ears and she placed the voice as the Harbinger of the Companions. 'You sort of… seized up and then fell. What do you remember?' There was an eagerness in the man's voice and she frowned at it.
'Something… happened.' She felt her mouth voice the words and the calming spell twisted slightly, the magic turning slightly. She immediately wrapped her arm around the hand touching her and pulled it away from her, the magical spell immediately disappeared. 'Do not try to mess with my mind, joor.' The last word sounded alien to her own ears, but the voice was unmistakably hers. 'I did something to the dragon… something happened when I killed it.' Her eyes snapped open and she saw the sky above her with a few faces peering down at her. The Harbinger of the Companion's winged helmet was staring in her direction; Elaninde Caemoth was rubbing her wrist, her robes slightly burned; the red eyes of Irileth, her arms crossed over her chest as she stared down at her.
'Dragonborn.' The Harbinger of the Companions stated. Valeka looked at him sharply. 'Dragonborn… that is what you are, that is what Farengar was going to tell you. You are Dragonborn.'
'I thought Ulfric was-' the booming laughter of the giant Redguard cut her off.
'Ulfric? Ulfric Stormcloak the Dragonborn? Ulfric is strong and he probably could fight against a dragon considering he was taught by the Greybeards… but other than that…' the giant shook his head slowly. 'He is no Dragonborn… you on the other hand…'
'DOVAKIIN!' the words suddenly thundered from the heavens and everyone looked towards the Throat of the World where the voices had come from. Valeka felt something twist around inside of her stomach and she looked towards the giant mountain, baring her teeth in a snarl. She was being called to something… the voices were calling her! With a strangled breath of air, she quickly pushed the feeling away. She noticed she had climbed to her feet and trembled slightly.
'What in the name of Oblivion is going on?' she questioned, still staring at the mountain.
'You're Dragonborn… just like Talos of old…' one of the guards spoke up. 'Can you Shout?'
'Shout?' She questioned and frowned thoughtfully. She wracked her mind for words and recalled the word from the Dragon Wall in Bleak Falls Barrow. Fus… an ancient rumble filled her mind, a voice far deeper than her own was actually speaking to her. When she opened her mouth again:
'FUS!' A ripple of power erupted from her own mouth. The energy tore through the ground in front of her, sending grass and dirty flying this way and that. The guards all stepped away from her in surprise and fear.
'Dragonborn…' Razahir said a small smile on his face. The giant pulled his helmet off his head and grinned down at her. 'Looks like old Farengar was right. You and Elaninde should head back to Dragonsreach. The Jarl is going to want to speak with you.'
Valeka frowned in the elf's direction. She could still remember the magical influence the woman had been exerting over her and she did not was to be close to her at the moment. 'I'll pass on that… I don't need a guide.' Elaninde frowned at being dismissed so quickly, her arms crossing over her chest.
Razahir looked between them carefully, his smile turning into a frown. 'Well you can't just go up there yourself. I will go with you instead. Irileth, can you handle things here?' The huscarl inclined her head in his direction, her eyes traveling to the corpse of the dragon. Blood was leaking out of the legendary beast's wounds and with its body slumped over as it was, the great bulk of the creature was giant compared to everyone else. Valeka wondered briefly how they all managed to even destroy the massive monster, but she quickly shook her head of those thoughts.
'When you see the Jarl, can you tell him to send down a few carts? We're going to need all of the help if we want to take the corpse of the beast back with us. Not even you can drag the monster back to Whiterun.' The giant chuckled softly and inclined his head once.
'I'll send word. Companions!' The giant looked towards the fallen Companion, his dark brown eyes losing their mirth. 'Gather the rest of our fallen and make sure they are all brought back to Jorrvaskr… we will send them off when I return to our hall. Good work all of you.' The Companions of Whiterun all inclined their head in the Redguard's direction and swiftly turned away from him. He turned back around to face her. 'Let us go.'
The giant marched off, a small frown on his face as he strolled away from them. With one last look at Elaninde, Valeka jogged after the giant redguard, the voice of Irileth the last thing she heard as she turned away.
The massive doors that lead into Dragonsreach were pushed open. Valeka stared at the grand interior of the building captured by it for just a moment. The entrance hall of the air was large and impressive with four benches pushed up against the wall. The banners of Whiterun hung from the four pillars in the room and she and Razahir quickly advanced past the waiting room and headed up the grand steps.
The dining hall was still as grand as she remembered seeing it earlier and again, she was captured by the mysticism of the flames in the large fire pit in the center of the dining hall/throne room. She noticed that Jarl Balgruuf was still sitting in his throne and the flames gave the man an ethereal appearance.
Four guards surrounded the man, each of them with a hand on the hilts of their swords. The stewed, Proventus, stood near the throne as well and opposite of him was a large, bare chested Nord with a massive battle axe slung across his back. A leather circlet rested along the top of his blonde hair, keeping it out of his face. The man was having a conversation with the Jarl.
'The Greybeards… you heard them too I take it?'
'Aye, I heard the summons as well. It looks like Farengar was correct.'
At that moment, the Jarl looked in their direction and a large smile crossed the man's face. Valeka noticed that the tired lines practically melted away from his face. An expectant look crossed his face and he straightened in his throne. Hrongar inclined his head respectfully in the Harbinger's direction which the man returned.
'I see you have returned from the watchtower. Is the deed finished? Has the dragon been defeated?'
'Yes, but the watchtower was destroyed.'
A smile of relief passed over the Jarl's face. 'Good, but I suspect there is more to the story than just that?'
Valeka nodded her head stiffly. 'Yes, and it appears that I'm something called "Dragonborn", but I suppose you knew that already?'
'We suspected.' Farengar's voice echoed to her right and the wizard stepped out of his shop. 'When you encountered the Dragon wall, it imparted its powers onto you. If anyone else were to read it, nothing would have happened to them, but you read it and you learned a Shout. I assume that killing the dragon unlocked the word from the wall inside of your mind?'
She nodded her head slightly. 'Yes, how did you know all of this?'
'My studies of dragons have gotten me quite far… I may not have joined the Greybeards on High Hrothgar, but they did teach me a lot before I left.'
'You were a Greybeard?' Valeka questioned. The old man inclined his head.
'Aye, I was much more adventurous in my youth. My path of adventure eventually took me to the fortress monastery of High Hrothgar and I studied there for a bit. Needless to say, I left and went studying at the colleges before finally settling down here.' The old man held a fond smile on his face as he explained everything and Valeka inclined her head once. 'But enough about all of that, I can tell you about my past later… but now… where is the dragon?'
'Still at the watchtower. Irileth and her guards are keeping the place safe and the Companions are gathering our dead.' Razahir said.
'How many did we lose?' asked Balgruuf.
'Half the guards, and only a handful of Companions,' replied Razahir.
'Damn… we will need to compensate and notify the family of the guards then. Will you need gold and silver for the loss of the Companions?' the Jarl's Steward and master of coin immediately stepped forward as he replied over Balgruuf.
Razahir shook his head. 'No. Send as much as you can to the families of the guards that have been lost. We are the only family the Companions have and if I may, I'd like a few bones and the scales from the beast.'
The steward thought it over only for a bit before nodding his head. 'That's fine.' The Harbinger smiled in the man's direction before turning back to the Jarl.
The noble had only a small frown on his face at being spoken over before he spoke again: 'Anything else, I can grant for you, Harbinger?'
The giant smirked in his direction. 'Only a few carts to bring the beast's corpse back here.' His eyes darted up towards the large, grinning dragon skull that dominated the space above the Jarl's throne. 'Afraid, you won't have a skull, sir. Valeka destroyed it when she bashed its skull in.'
'Is that how you slew the beast?'
Valeka immediately nodded. 'Yes, but I had a lot of help. The guards and the Companions helped greatly. Without their aid, we would have fallen.'
'Modest... we will need that for this hold.' He turned towards the bare chested bodyguard. 'Fetch me, the axe and armor from the vault, please, brother.' The burly Nord nodded his head once and quickly departed, disappearing up the nearby stairs and Balgruuf turned back to face Valeka. 'There is no time for ceremony, friend. Whiterun has fallen unto harsh times and with the Civil War going on, we will need all the help we can get.' At that moment, the Jarl's bodyguard returned, carrying a suit of armor and an axe. He strolled right up to Valeka, holding out the arms in front of him. 'It would honor me greatly, if you were to accept a position in my hold as a Thane of Whiterun.'
'A Thane? You want to make me a noble?' Valeka questioned incredulously.
The Jarl nodded his head. 'Aye, you have proved yourself as a capable and reliable warrior. You could have fled when the dragon attacked, instead you stayed and fought alongside my people. You even had the chance to flee when the dragon was at the tower and you still stayed.' The Jarl nodded his head. 'You've earned this right, Valeka. Now what do you say?'
'I…' she hesitated slightly, her eyes turning towards the Harbinger. The giant had a blank look on his face, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared ahead. Briefly, she saw a small flick at the corner of her mouth and she turned away from him. 'I accept.' She finally answered, wondering what it was she was going to be getting into.
A large smile appeared on the man's face. 'Good, please, accept the weapons and armor from Hrongar, they will be your official sign of office.' She nodded her head and accepted the axe first, staring down at the weapon. The haft of the axe was ornamental and carved with ancient Nordic script. The head of the axe had a hooked appearance to it and the metal head was sharp and deadly. It could easily cut through skin. As her hand wrapped around the haft, she felt a familiar tingle along her skin. Enchanted, she thought, a small smile crossed her face as she could feel the tingle of magicka. She placed the weapon into the loop along her heavy leather belt and took the armor next.
The armor was heavy and bulky and crafted from steel. She frowned slightly as she stared at her own reflection in the armor. She looked haggard and worn and tilted her head curiously at the face that stared back at her. Vivid blue eyes and her dark hair was slightly clumped and matted. She would have to bath soon.
'I'm afraid, however,' the Jarl spoke and she looked towards him, placing the armor at her feet. 'I will not be able to grant you a huscarl now.'
'A huscarl?'
'A bodyguard. They are sworn into your service and will protect you with their life if need be. They're loyal and capable, but sadly, there are none in place for your Thanehood. As I said, times have been hard for us in Whiterun.'
'How hard?'
The Jarl let a small frown cross his face, the familiar expression draining out all the old relief on his face. 'You'll find out soon enough, Thane.'
A/N: And the plot kinda thickens... next chapter will be coming out hopefully sooner rather than later. No worries about Elaninde, she'll return at some point, but for now this is where she will be... pushed aside. We'll see her again (sooner rather than later).
