As they moved slowly through the maze like labyrinth, Irridessa once again found herself grateful for Lydia's presence - if she hadn't chosen to accompany them, the Dragonborn doubted she would have been able to support Alduin all the way to the final chamber, where the entrance to the temple- a open mouthed face carved into the rock- was.
The doorway was open, as it had been since she had poured her blood onto the enchanted mechanism what seemed like ages ago. They carried him through the door and up the darkened stairway up to the final set of doors into the great hall- Alduin sneezed as he inhaled the dust in the narrow space.
Irridessa and Lydia each used a foot to kick open the double doors into the massive, intricately carved great hall, stumbling through it- Alduin was immediately relieved at how open the space was. Reflexively, He inhaled a deep lungful of fresh air and looked up to the sun rays pouring in from the skylight like holes in the ceiling- He had never been so grateful to see sunlight.
"Esbern!?" Irridessa called out, her voice carrying in the spacious stone room- carved intricately from the mountain itself. Alduin looked around with barely veiled interest, wondering how many years of labor had gone into building such a detailed structure- even in its state of disrepair it looked as though it would withstand the ages. "Delphine!?"
" Must you be so loud? " he hissed uncomfortably, looking anxiously around the dimly lit room. She fixed him with a cold look, her eyes stabbing into him like daggers.
"Yes." She stated, her voice laced with authority. He rolled his eyes- wincing as she brushed by his leg, stepping passed him-leaving him leaning against Lydia awkwardly as she called out for her colleagues once more. His head was pounding- he wished she would cease the annoying racket.
Then he saw it.
Across the room beyond the edge of the centered long table, a large mural dominated the center wall, lit on either side by mounted torches; It was obviously the focal point of the room- all the intricate carving in the infrastructure seemed to reflect its style, originating at that point and stretching outward around the chamber...He wondered then, who was responsible for this impressive work of art- because that's what the whole structure was. Art.
From their spot near the far end of the table, the one detail Alduin saw clearly was the centerpiece- a large depiction of a fearsome black Dragon...Alduin's mind prickled, and he pushed himself carefully off of his crutch's shoulder, staggering to the table, and bracing his palms against the surface.
He staggered slowly to its edge- Before him, the detailed carving depicted several major events in Skyrims history- two of which he recognised; The first event featured, illustrated a large Dragon breathing fire upon a great city, burning down several warriors- Several more winged beasts flew through the sky, reigning down terror upon its residents.
The Dragon wars.
As his eyes followed the depictions, the mural seemed to come to life before him; Sounds from deep within his memories echoed in the confines of his mind- the battle cries of the warriors and the metallic clang of their blades, and the roars of the Dovahhe as they engaged the joor on the field... The shadows of the fire light danced across the detailed carvings, and their armored legs seemed to move on the wall- It almost even appeared as if the dragons were beating their great wings, like a living stone surface...
Lydia watched him appreciate the artwork with a small smile, thinking of how little of the world he must have experienced in his life, sheltered in the mountains with the monks- He looked at everything around him with such sharp interest, seemingly absorbing it all with an endless hunger.
Alduin hadn't realized he had even moved until he was standing only feet from the mural- so close he could reach out and touch it- until his eyes landed upon the centerpiece; the large black Dragon- himself- roaring, wings outstretched as it was surrounded by a great light- bound by Dragonrend and banished within the planes of time by the tongues. He swallowed hard, reaching up to touch the cold stone- His fingertips had barely brushed the surface of his likeness when he heard the sound of someone clearing their throat behind him.
The former Prince of destruction looked back sharply- having not heard anyone approach- and let his hand fall away from the wall.
Irridessa stood at the top of the few stairs that lead down to the mural, standing by the edge of the long table. An older, balding man stood beside her. Their eyes met briefly- and a chill ran down his spine when he saw a flicker of recognition light the old man's wide eyes- Alduin looked away quickly, downward, so that the bright red of his eyes wasnt so clear; There was no way the old fool could know who he was... anxiety filled him, and he suddenly felt very self conscious.
"Vodahmin, this is Esbern... He's going to take a look at your leg." She told him carefully, giving him a look that dared him to resist. Alduin's jaw set and she could see the muscles tensing as he ground his teeth, looking up at her briefly from beneath his lashes, before quickly looking back to his feet.
He nodded curtly, and relief flooded Irridessa as she grinned triumphantly- She had hoped he wouldn't argue. he could be so stubborn and prideful still, despite all that had happened to humble him. At times she admired his resilience, but-considering the circumstances, she felt it was most important to assert her control over him and squash any thought of rebellion- which she had to admit, gave her a perverse sense of satisfaction...Alduin, the devour master, world eater and self proclaimed son of the god of eternity, akatosh, bending to her will...
"Alright," Esbern addressed Alduin gently. " let's go to the barracks - over here, and take a look. " he said, offering an arm to the younger man to brace himself against. Resigned, Alduin limped forward, accepting the help and letting the man lead him to the far end of the room and down a dim torchlit hallway- the light from the broken ceiling didn't reach that far, shrouding much of the hind area in darkness.
They hobbled to a wooden framed bed by the light of the hearth fire, and Alduin's stomach snarled loudly in response to the smell emanating from the hanging cook pot- suddenly, Irridessa almost felt guilty that they hadn't stopped to eat since the previous day- she was hungry too. Lydia followed them, hovering close by ready to lend a hand if needed.
Carefully, they lowered him onto the straw mattress, propping him up with thick folded furs into a sitting position, and laying him straight across the bed- Alduin's bright eyes followed Esbern warily as he moved to a table with multiple ingredients- some type of blue flower, wheat, and an insect wing- and threw them in a pestil and began crushing them with a small morter. He rendered the ingredients together with some type of fat, crushing it and stirring furiously.
"Irridessa, I need you to help our friend here out of his breeches while I prepare the medicine- and we must disinfect the wound before I can apply the salve." Irridessa balked, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks as she looked down at Alduin- remembering when she had first found him naked atop high hrothgar- how she had struggled to keep her eyes of his... extremities.
He met her gaze and wondered at the blush tinting her soft angular cheekbones- which he knew was something that happened when she was flustered, though why she was flustered in this instant was beyond him. His brows pulled together, Annoyed by her hesitation, and he began untying the drawstrings on his pants and pushing them down his hips himself- wincing from the pain as he lifted his backside up to push them to his knees.
Irridessa gingerly grabbed the rolled fabric and helped him shimmy them to his ankles- pointedly looking away from him as she did so. Lydia- unable to help herself- got quite an eye full of his package before looking away in a daze, cheeks flooding with color.
"Erm..." Irridessa mumbled, awkwardly looking around the room for anything that might be used as a disinfectant. stiffly, she pointed to the small dinning table in the middle of the room, asking Lydia to grab a bottle of Esbern's favorite distilled spirits from beside a stack of books for her. Her friend complied stiffly, grabbing the bottle and going to Alduin's bedside, handing over the Spirits.
Irridessa took it, mumbling a quick thank you before promptly pouring it over Alduins open wound- He hissed as the liquid strung his flesh, barring his pearly white teeth- she noted his eye teeth were sharper than was normal, resembling small fangs- as he tensed.
"Sorry." Irridessa mumbled without conviction- she wasn't sorry. Esbern turned around and knelt by the bed, inspecting the wound with a trained eye.
"Good," he said, nodding to himself. " there doesn't appear to be any splinters in the wound... I'm going to apply this- it will hurt. " The old man warned Alduin seriously, never taking his eyes from the wound as he spooned the salve onto his fingers- The younger man watched, already tense from anticipation of the pain as Esbern pressed his fingers into the wound, smearing the salve all over it.
As soon as the thick paste touched it, his raw skin burned, and a harsh guttural snarl escaped Alduin's throat as he writhed in pain, clutching the furs beneath him. Esbern grabbed what was left of the distilled spirits from Irridessa's hands and offered it to him.
"Drink." The old man ordered. Alduin took the bottle with shaking hands and lifted it to his lips, chugging the burning, bitter liquid until it was gone- it tasted awful, but almost immediately a warm feeling spread through his body and a pleasant fuzzy weight fell over his mind. He made a face as he swallowed the last mouthful, looking to Irridessa with an unsure expression of concern.
" Ack, " he choked, brows curving upward as he made a face. "What was that?" He asked. Irridessa grinned down at his disgusted expression.
" Distilled spirits- derived from fermented potatoes. " she told him, a wicked spark in her eye. " certain fruits and vegetables have intoxicating properties when they've been left to spoil. "
"Its awful- and I feel...strange." Even as they watched, his cheeks became flushed and his eyes grew unfocused. Irridessa had to stop herself from laughing out loud- Alduin, drunk! Hah! She met Lydia's amused gaze briefly before answering him.
" Aye, alcohol does that- it also dulls the pain. " she told him matter of factly. He blinked, looking down to his wound as Esbern wrapped it with new bandages. It throbbed dully now- he realized- no longer sending waves of pain through his right leg and side. His breathing slowed, and the weight on his mind thickened as he became suddenly very tired.
"Mmm..." He hummed throatily, his head rolling back against the furs. "Everythingsss...fuzzy, nnn I'm... shleepy." He slurred, his words growing even less intelligible than before- This time she did laugh out loud.
" it'll do that too- hey, don't pass out yet, " she complained. " we still have to put new breeches on you. " as she spoke she looked hopefully to Esbern- praying he would have an extra pair. The old man raised his brows at her, then politely shuffled to a dresser near by to see if he had anything that might fit the tall, chiseled man- all he had were linen trousers. They might be a little loose on him, he thought- he had found them in one of the chests belonging to the former blade occupants of the temple.
Irridessa took them from him gratefully, and the old man politely left the room- Lydia followed quickly after.
"What iss it withh you joor, and your clothes?" Alduin slurred in annoyance as she removed the ruined breeches from his ankles and began pushing the new ones up his calves- again, he noted, looking pointedly away from his body as she did so. " Are you all sssoo...disgusted by your scaleless, fleshy bodies that you musst cover up with beastss furrr? " Irridessa snorted in response.
"No, I'm just disgusted by yours is all. Lift your ass." She barked, ignoring her proximity to his floppy appendage as he obeyed, letting her hike the trousers up to his hips. He grunted, mumbling something unintelligible- though she was sure it sounded indignant- He was almost out already, drowzy from the spirits.
The Dragon born straightened, eyeing him thoughtfully as he relaxed, his breathing becoming deep and even. She marveled at how helpless- and oddly innocent- he seemed, laying sedated against the furs. She could have wrapped her hands around his throat right there, and he wouldn't be able to do a thing about it- but, she wouldnt...His eyes held hers as they misted over, never breaking from her as they slowly fell shut.
her gaze softened and she found herself admiring Alduin as he slept so peacefully, going over their conversation in her head- She had been lying through her teeth when she told him she was disgusted by him- to the contrary, she actually found him quite handsome. Beautiful even; his soft, angular features- high cheekbones, hollow cheeks, angled jaw and long slender nose over soft, delicately curved lips- would make him highly pursued by women anywhere he went- if he were into humans that was. Briefly she wondered if he might find himself partial to argonian women- as they had more than a few features in common with dragons...
Uncomfortable with the direction her thoughts had gone again, Irridessa shook them away and turned on her heel, heading purposefully down the hall toward the grand staircase leading to the massive courtyard doors. The Dragonborn had come to the temple for a reason; she had to follow up with Delphine after events at the throat of the world.
The formidable looking blonde Breton in black armor that matched her own, stood at the edge of the open courtyard beneath a tall pillared pavilion overlooking the Reach- Her hands were at her hips and her chin was tilted up slightly as she stood, deep in thought. She didn't look back as Irridessa approached.
"Is it done?" Delphine asked, still looking ahead.
" Aye, the world eater is no more. " she replied carefully, trying to avoid telling a direct lie. Delphine was silent for a few moments. "I heard you left Dragons reach on the back of a Dragon- that's pretty showy, even for you..."
" Aye, it was necessary to reach Alduin's Temple- Skuldafn. I would not have been able to succeed in my mission without Odahviing. " Delphine flinched as the Dragonborn spoke the reptiles name.
"...and Paarthurnax?" She inquired, her voice low. Irridessa looked at her feet, guilty, remembering Delphines declaration at high hrothgar, that she would not continue to help her unless she slew Paarthurnax- her most trusted friend. Irridessa's silence was answer enough for the Breton, and she nodded slowly. "...Than you have made your choice."
Delphine turned around then, fixing the Dragonborn with a cold, stern stare.
"Aye, I chose not to return his wisdom and aid with a blade to his back." Irridessa countered bitterly, wounded that the woman-whom she admired and thought of as a friend- would even demand such a thing from her.
" He is a dragon, Irridessa-and not just any Dragon! " she retorted hotly, voice rising in volume. " he was Alduins right hand! He helped him to enslave our ancestors! His treachery doesn't absolve him of his past crimes- if anything it makes him worse! He deserves to die, Dragon born, and it is your duty to kill him! " Irridessa grimaced at the emphasis Delphine placed on her title.
"It was my duty to defeat Alduin." She specified, her blood pressure rising from their heated exchange. The older woman sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her long slender nose and squeezing her brown eyes shut.
"-And I am not ungrateful, but my oath binds me... As long as Paarthurnax breathes, we have nothing more to talk about. You and your friends will need to leave tomorrow." Irridessa rocked back on her heels, struck by the finality- and audacity- of her words.
" I would remind you, " Irridessa responded venomously. "That you also swore an oath to me- The Dragonborn-, to serve me in my time of need. This temple," she raised her arms, gesturing to everything around them. " is mine by devine right! "
Delphine's jaw set and her nostrils flared. "Aye, and your time of need is over- and as for this temple, you forfeited your right to it when you forsook your purpose!"
Rage. It bubbled up rapidly inside Irridessa, and she visibly trembled as she fought the urge to draw her blade and cut the ungrateful, insubordinate woman down where she stood- the way she worded it, saying she had forsook her purpose- reminded her of her own condemnation of Alduin. Taking a deep breath, Irridessa let out her frustration as she exhaled slowly.
"Fine, Delphine. Have it your way- we will be gone tomorrow." She said finally, giving in and abruptly turning on her heel. She brushed by Esbern and Lydia as she strode by, ignoring his sad expression as he stood in the grassy yard. Lydia turned on her heel as her Thane passed and followed her back into the Temple.
' fuck them all!' Irridessa thought, seething as she returned to the blades quarters to where Alduin slept- He hadn't moved, looking peaceful as ever. She paced for a few minutes until her blood pressure went down, and threw herself unceremoniously onto one of the many beds lining the walls of the room. Irridessa wanted to cry- since she couldn't kill anything- but held the urge inside. Crying would only make her look weak- and she was not weak.
Lydia watched her closest friend's turmoil silently, keeping a polite distance - She had learned quick durring their travels that the Dragonborn needed time to herself when she was like this- She would comfort her when she calmed down...
...