Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling while the Elder Scrolls series belong to Bethesda.

"Normal Speech"

"Thoughts / Mental speech"

*Other Speech*

"Other Language"

"Dragon Speech & Shouts"

Chapter 21 – The Dragon and the Guard

Whiterun Hold, Skyrim

When Harry awoke, the inn was practically empty, and not even the bard had arrived yet. He made sure to eat something before departing, being quite hungry. Uthgerd was seemingly still asleep, as there was no sign of her in the inn, and the door to the room she had rented was closed shut. Harry made sure to write a note to her, so that she would wait for him in Riverwood until he returned. Giving said note to the man at the counter, Harry left the Sleeping Giant Inn, his broom on his hand, and so the young Breton flew towards High Hrothgar, intent of giving the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller to the Greybeards. It was a snowy day, and even Riverwood had been covered by the snow. The climate on the Throat of the World however, was a little rougher than down there in the small towns.

The monastery was nearly covered in snow, and it wasn't even near the pinnacle of the mountain. There was a clear storm occurring above High Hrothgar, more than half of the mountain covered by dark and grey clouds, to the point where one could not see either the top of the mountain or its base. Harry landed on the courtyard, and immediately ran towards one of the doors to the monastery. Entering it, the young Breton stored away his broom, and made his way to Arngeir, who was meditating in the main hall.

"Master Arngeir." greeted Harry.

"Ah, Dragonborn. You have returned." Said the old man "Have you recovered the horn of Jurgen Windcaller?"

Harry opened the bag and took out the horn that Delphine had given him, handing it over to the old monk, who took it before examining it.

"And so you have passed the final trial, as we expected." declared the Greybeard "Now, with your trials complete, it is time for us to formally recognize you as Dragonborn."

Arngeir told Harry to wait in the hall, and the old man left with the horn. Moments later, he returned, accompanied by the other Greybeards, who formed a semi-circle around Harry.

"Before the ceremony, you shall learn the final word of Unrelenting Force, 'Dah', which means 'push'." said Arngeir.

One of the Greybeards, which Harry recognized as Master Wulfgar, moved forward, and removed the cloth around his mouth.

"Dah…" whispered the man, enough to cause a small rumble.

As it had happened before, the word of power appeared carved on the floor, emanating a reddish glow. And as Harry looked at it, his mind registered the word, but not what it meant to the dragons. The knowledge he had was not enough regarding that.

"And with all these three words together, the Shout is much more powerful. Use it wisely, and remember that the more you use the Thu'um, the more potent, and dangerous, your shouts become." stated Arngeir "Were you not Dragonborn, you would eventually be required to cease to speak, as the Thu'um and its power would superimpose themselves over your own voice, much like it happened to my colleges and the ancient Tongues."

Harry nodded in understanding, silently grateful over the fact that he would not be required to cease the use of his voice.

"With your knowledge over Unrelenting Force complete, your training has been completed, Dragonborn. We would Speak to you." Said Arngeir, as the others moved to form a circle around Harry "Stand between us, and prepare yourself, for few can withstand the unbridled Voice of the Greybeards."

"Nice to know that…" he thought.

"But you are ready." continued the old man.

Harry moved towards the centre of the circle, making sure that he was in the right spot. He watched as the Greybeards, removed the cloth around their mouths, before raising their hands, and he anxiously waited for whatever was to come.

"Lingrah krosis saraan Strundu'ul, voth nid balaan klov praan nau."

When Harry had heard the Greybeards summoning him after he had killed Mirmulnir, he had thought that their shout had been powerful, as it had been heard in Whiterun, while they had been on the mountain, far away from the city. However, at the moment he had been far away from the source of the shout.

The Greybeards were around him, and when they shouted, was as if he has being pushed by a titanic force from all sides, yet strangely enough it caused him no pain or any kind of physical damage. In fact, despite having this feeling, and the horrible ringing on his ears, Harry simply lost his balance with the strength of the Voice of the Greybeards and the strong rumble caused by their Voice as well.

"Naal Thu'umu, mu ofan nii nu, Dovahkiin, naal suleyk do Kaan, naal suleyk do Shor, ahrk naal suleyk do Atmorasewuth."

From his limited knowledge of the language of dragons, Harry could understand bits of what the Greybeards were saying, something about 'Dragonborn', 'power', 'Shor' and 'Atmora'.

"Meyz nu Ysmir, Dovahsebrom. Dahmaan daar rok."

As soon as the thunderous rumble stopped, the Greybeards placed back their cloths, while Arngeir approached Harry, who was a bit stunned after the experience.

"Dovahkiin. You have tasted the Voice of the Greybeards, and passed through unscathed." He said "High Hrothgar is open to you.2

"Erm…thank you, I guess." said the Breton, still a bit out of balance "But what was that all about?"

"We spoke to you the traditional words of greeting to a Dragonborn who has accepted our guidance." Explained Arngeir "The same words were used to greet the young Tiber Septim when he came to this monastery, before he conquered the Ruby Throne."

"And what did you say to me?" inquired Harry "I just understood a few words, and I could not even understand some of the words you said, mostly due to the loudness."

"It is understandable, as you are not as versed in the dragon tongue as we are. I can give you a rough translation of the ceremony." said the old man "Long has the Stormcrown languished, with no worthy brow to sit upon. By our breath we bestow it now to you in the name of Kyne, in the name of Shor, and in the name of Atmora of Old. You are Ysmir now, the Dragon of the North, hearken to it."

"Ysmir?" asked Harry "Isn't that name attributed to both King Wulfharth and Talos?"

"A name and a title, Dovahkiin. When Talos came here, answering the summons, the name was bestowed upon him, yet history does say that Wulfharth had been called Ysmir as well." stated the old Greybeard "I cannot claim to know the absolute truth, and the origins of Ysmir are clouded to the Greybeards as well. But Wulfharth and Talos are no longer amongst us, and as we said before, you are now Ysmir. Take it as a name or as a title, the choice is yours. However, it is something that has been marked in you by the gods. If you so wish, meditate on this, Dragonborn."

Harry thanked Arngeir for the explanation, and the hospitality which he had received from the Greybeards. And as he left the monastery, the young boy came to realize that the weather outside High Hrothgar was now clear, only a few clouds in the sky.

Riverwood, Whiterun Hold, Skyrim

When Harry had arrived at Riverwood, he went quickly towards the Sleeping Giant Inn. Once inside, he noticed that there were more people there than when he had departed to High Hrothgar. Looking around for Uthgerd and Delphine, Harry realized that they were not there. Or at least, they were not in the inn proper. Entering Delphine's bedroom, Harry went towards the secret passage, and after opening it, the teenager went to the hidden basement, where the two women were waiting for him.

Unlike before, Delphine was no longer in her usual attire, now sporting a leather armour which had a rather old appearance, while on her belt was an Akaviri katana. Uthgerd was sitting on a chair, eating a piece of bread, although Delphine had been looking at something on the table, before noticing Harry's arrival.

"We heard the 'shouting' from here. Well…at least all of Skyrim did." said Delphine "I assume you gave the horn to the Greybeards?"

"You assume correctly." he answered.

"Then I guess we can begin our work. I have briefed your companion here on the current events that surround us, and what we are going to do."

Harry approached the table, and looking at it, he saw that Delphine had been looking at a map.

"So…what it is that we are going to do?" he inquired, rather curious.

"My study of this map and of my own field research have made something clear." She declared "The resurrection of the dragons is not occurring randomly, but in a pattern which begins from the southeast and begins to spread north and west. If I am correct, then the burial mound near Kynesgrove is the next."

"I guess that's where we are headed then." said Harry "We have a dragon to kill."

Delphine nodded, while Uthgerd ate the last piece of her bread.

"I took the time to prepare myself for this." stated the Blades' agent "Let's get to Kynesgrove. I only hope we are not too late."

Kynesgrove, Eastmarch, Skyrim

Harry did not feel comfortable upon entering Eastmarch, considering that it was Stormcloak territory and he was a public figure in the Empire. Still, despite being on the lookout for any Stormcloaks that could cause trouble to him, Harry and the other two went as quickly as possible to Kynesgrove.

The trip was not made in silence, and Harry came to realize that Delphine still seemed to be still wary of him, while at the same time she also seemed to see him as some sort of beacon of hope, if that was the correct way to put it. Still, considering that her Order had been decimated by the Great War and the Thalmor, not to mention that she had to spend her life hidden away…he was sure that his own personality would suffer drastic changes as well.

When they had finally reached Kynesgrove, Harry found it strange that the town was seemingly empty. It seemed that Delphine had realized that too, as she began to mumble.

"Something is wrong…"

The three ran towards the inn, and into the path towards the burial mount, but where interrupted when a woman came from the inn, shouting.

"No, don't go up there!" she yelled "A dragon…it's attacking!"

"Where's the dragon!?" asked Delphine.

"I-It flew right over the town, towards the burial mound." said the scared woman.

As soon as she said that, the trio began to run towards the burial mound, as fast as they could. Taking several shortcuts, they quickly reached the area, and so, they took cover behind a large boulder. There was a strange energy emanating from the burial mound, and a black dragon was hovering above it.

"Hold on…that's…!" though Harry as he recognized the dragon, apparently Alduin, the Nordic Dragon God of Time.

"Lorkhan's eyes, look at that big bastard!" whispered Delphine "Keep your head down, let's see what it does."

Harry and Uthgerd nodded, and looked at Alduin, who was focused on the mound.

*Sahloknir! Zill gro dovah ulse!* he spoke *Slen Tiid Vo!*

As Alduin shouted at the mound, moments later the very ground seemed to explode, as the skeleton of a dragon rose from the mound, seemingly alive and conscious. The three watched with amazement as the skeleton became engulfed in flames, as its body was restored to a normal state.

"By the gods…" whispered Delphine.

"That was…amazing." said Harry, rather fascinated with what had happened, but for utterly different reasons.

The resurrected dragon looked at Alduin, and so it spoke.

*Alduin, thuri! Boaan tiid vokriiha suleysksejun kruziik?*

Harry was understanding part of the conversation, and so he could figure out the rest by filling the gaps on his mind. He made sure to listen carefully when Alduin spoke next.

*Geh, Sahloknir, kaali mir.*

However, Harry had not been expecting Alduin to suddenly turn towards him, seemingly being aware of his presence.

*Ful, losei Dovahkiin? Zu'u koraav nid nol dov do hi.*

Oh, but that was something that Harry understood in its entirety. And so he decided to respond, in the best way he could, considering his limited vocabulary of the dragon language.

*Hin mindol los voth nid vahzen, Alduin*

Alduin was certainly surprised, having believed that the small mortal was not even able to speak in their tongue.

*Bein rot nol hin jot.* spoke Alduin before turning to the resurrected dragon *Sahloknir, krii daar joorre.*

Alduin flew away, leaving Harry and the others to face the newly resurrected Sahloknir, who rose from the ground and began to fly.

"Look out!" shouted Delphine as the dragon flew right above them.

"I am Sahloknir! Hear my voice and despair!" roared the greyish dragon *Fo Krah Diin!*

From its mouth came a great jet of ice, making the three run from Sahloknir's target zone. The shout had frozen the ground where it had made contact, large spikes and blocks of ice having formed just from the single shout. Harry turned to the dragon and used the Ice Blast spell against the dragon.

Delphine and Uthgerd were firing arrows at the flying dragon, some hitting it while the others simply missed. And while Harry had felt part of his magicka being depleted upon casting the spell, he continued to attack it with magic, now using fire balls. Sahloknir was certainly not liking the fact that the little mortals were causing actual harm towards him, but he could not help but admire their courage and persistence.

*Grik Ahkrin.* said the dragon *Nunon hi fen mah.*

Harry felt that his magicka was nearly depleted, and so it was time to try a new tactic. In fact, it was time to try something new. He looked at Sahloknir, and making sure of the dragon's position, Harry shouted.

*Fus Ro Dah!*

His Voice was like thunder, and a great near-invisible wave of power came from his mouth, heading straight towards the dragon. Sahloknir felt Harry's Thu'um striking his very skin, and he knew that this mortal was clearly not to be trifled with. The fact that this one was able to use a full shout at a young age was a sign of this one's power, but of the truth as well.

"Your Voice is strong Dovahkiin." He declared "But it is no match for mine!"

The greyish dragon turned towards Harry, and stroke back the same way.

*Fus Ro Dah!*

As much power Harry's Thu'um held, it was clearly not as powerful as Sahloknir's. In a quick move, the young Breton tapped into the last remnant of magicka that remained within him, and raised a shield around him. When the shout made contact with the shield, the area around Harry was blasted, creating a small crater near the burial mound. Uthgerd and Delphine, despite not being near the blast radius, were still brought down from the strength of the impact.

Under the shield, Harry felt the bull blow from his opponent's Thu'um, most of the impact being absorbed by the shield, yet still feeling as if a boulder had crashed on top of him. However, the impact was enough for him to lose control, and the shield dissipated in an instant, making the young Dragonborn lose balance and fall over.

Harry looked upward, Sahloknir's shadow above him.

"My lord Alduin requires your death." he stated "I am glad to oblige him."

Harry knew that he was in a vulnerable position, and if he did nothing…well, then he would certainly join his ancestors in Aetherius or he would be claimed by Lady Meridia. He had wasted his last drop of magicka, and he had no time to drink a potion or use a welkynd stone. Therefore, he now had to rely on…dirty tactics.

"By Meridia, I will not die today!" he thought with resolve.

In a swift move, before the dragon could do anything else, Harry drew his wand, and used the conjunctivitis curse against the flying beast. The spell hit its target, and the dragon roared in pain as its eyelids became swollen and filled with a foreign irritation, something that the dragon had never experienced before. In this moment, Harry got away from the small crater, while taking out a potion of Greater Magicka from his bag.

He drank it quickly, feeling his magic reawakening again, and so he turned towards the dragon, who was not on the ground, its swollen eyes not allowing it to stand adrift. Drawing on his magicka once more, Harry made sure to concentrate, before releasing a powerful blast of lightning towards his distracted opponent, wounding him greatly, while fully draining his magicka once more. The wounds on the dragon were enough for him to approach it with Dawnbreaker, and much like he had done with Mirmulnir, Harry climbed the beast's throat, and plunged the sword on the dragon's head, making it roar in pain.

Harry removed the sword from the head, before plunging it on the dragon's throat for good measure. At this, it was clear that Sahloknir was ended, as the once living dragon slumped dead on the ground. Harry made sure to get away from it as possible, going towards Delphine and Uthgerd who had already recovered from the blast.

"You…you did it! That was…incredible!" said the female Breton, before turning towards the dead dragon "I've been wanting to take a closer look at one of these buggers. Come on, let's…wait…"

Delphine realized that the dragon had started to burn, its skin seemingly on fire for no apparent reason.

"Something's happening…gods above!"

But Harry and Uthgerd knew exactly what was happening, and Harry was far more than willing to absorb Sahloknir's soul. He watched as the flames from the dragon's body came towards him, engulfing his own, and as images and words flashed through his eyes and mind, the memories, knowledge and power of Sahloknir becoming his. And once more, all that remained of the dead dragon was a skeleton.

"So…it's true then. You really are Dragonborn. But I guess that I already had my answer when you showed me the Amulet. But now…it is truly confirmed." She declared "Now, I guess I owe you some answers, don't I?"

"I think so…?" Harry himself was not even sure "I mean, from what you told me, and what I know, the Blades' purpose if to look for and to protect the Dragonborn, something you inherited from the Dragonguard."

"Right. But now with the return of the a Dragonborn, and the fact that you are a descendant of Reman Cyrodiil, the purpose of the Blades is once more returned." she said "But we are descended from the Akaviri Dragonguard, and so their purpose also falls to us now, even if in a…unofficial way."

"To hunt the dragons." said Harry, knowing it from study and from what Delphine had told him previously "So…what now?"

"I guess we should go back to Riverwood." suggested Delphine "We need to discuss this in private, and this open area is not…appropriate."

Harry nodded, and as the three made way back to Riverwood, Harry made sure to drink a few health potions. Just for good measure.

Pocket Guide to the Story, 2nd Edition:

Hin mindol los voth nid vahzen, Alduin – Literally translated as "Your thought is with no truth, Alduin". A "polished" translation would be "Your opinion is meaningless, Alduin".

Bein rot nol hin jot – Translated as "Foul words from your mouth".

Grik Ahkrin. Nunon hi fen mah – Translated as "Such courage! But you will fall".