Mutants Misplaced
Chapter 37
Paarthurnax
"Paarthurnax? You're… the leader of the Greybeards?" Tyroth asked in disbelief as he looked upon the monks' master, he wasn't at all what Tyroth had expected. He had pictured the master being a very old human, or maybe even an elf, but Paarthurnax was actually a dragon, and a very old one at that.
His grey skin was dulled by age, and the same applied to his eyes. The wing-membranes were tattered and so was the tip of his tail, his horns and chin-spikes were chipped and broken, not to mention his teeth of which several were missing. Despite all this, the old dragon did not look the very least hostile, in fact, his smile looked very friendly.
"That I am. And you are the second Dragonborn of this age. But that is not all you are, there is more to you than meets the eye. I noticed this when you slew one of my brethren, and that is why I personally summoned you here."
"Lokdrogyol didn't give me any choice, I had to kill him to save my friends."
"He was always ambitious, and immature, but I do not blame you for his death. He did what dragons have always done, ruled over mortals."
"Then what about you?" Tyroth asked, curious to learn more of the dragons of that world.
"All dragons lust for power, it is in our blood and spirit, it is what we are, but that is not what I want to be. A long time ago, when dragons ruled this world, I betrayed my brother Alduin, and with the aid of other dragons who felt the same, we taught the mortals the Thu'um and together rebelled against Alduin's tyranny. It was on this very peak that he was finally defeated, but now he has returned, as he would."
"So, you are a traitor."
"Indeed. A traitor to my leader and my own kind. But I do not claim innocence, I have committed just as many atrocities as any other dragon during our rule. Since then, however, I have remained here in solitude, meditating upon the Way of the Voice. Without its guidance, I would surely have returned to my savage nature, but as it is now, I am at peace."
"Interesting, but I didn't come all the way up here for small-talk, I came because I need your help, and you had to have some reason to have summoned me in the first place."
"Of course. It has been long since I had anyone to properly converse with, my apologises. Speak, Dragonborn, I will listen."
Taking a few short moments to organize his thoughts, Tyroth began telling the ancient dragon his story. He left very little out, telling Paarthurnax about how he and his friends were from another world and that half of them used to be animals while the rest were humans at one point. Tyroth did not go into detail about the exact circumstances regarding their transformations, such as how he, Sephie and Mona all had been attacked prior to their mutations, but he did tell the old dragon everything about the legacy left by the dragons, how they came to Skyrim and the battle against Lokdrogyol, not to mention what happened after the battle.
"I see… Quite a fascinating tale, but a true one, without a doubt. I can see it in your eyes. Though, I have to admit that what you told me about Lokdrogyol's soul has me worried." the old dragon said.
"Trust me, I'm more worried than you. Is there anything you can do to help me, or will this continue until he is victorious?"
"We shall see. Sil Genun Vahzen!"
Once Paarthurnax had said those three words, his eyes glowed with a silver light as he looked at Tyroth, and he could really feel how the old dragon peered into his soul.
"I understand." Paarthurnax said after a few minutes and the glow faded. "Your soul, it is different from that of a dragon. It is more than a dragon's and yet also less, dragon and still not. You are trapped between worlds, between dragon and mortal, in a way that not even a Dragonborn is. I felt this… unusual soul of yours when you felled Lokdrogyol, and that caught my curiosity. That is why I summoned you."
"What about Lokdrogyol then?"
"His soul is being absorbed by your own as we speak, it has been since you slew him, albeit slowly. However, his threat it real, he could take your soul and body, though, his time is growing short, soon, he will gone."
"If he is weakening, why does it feel like he is growing stronger?"
"A good question, and one I believe that I know the answer to. It is because of your fear, fear that he will succeed that has allowed him to harm you. And since you have not slept for a long time, your fatigue has only weakened you further. Your will is strong, but it has wavered during all that you have been through. Steel yourself, and he will not be able to threaten you again."
"I understand, but I'm not sure if I got the strength to endure this any more."
"That, I might be able to help you with. Sil Dwiin Mul!"
An unseen force poured over Tyroth, and he could feel how the ancient magic entered his soul. The sensation only lasted a short moment, and once it passed, Lokdrogyol's constant presence seemed to have been drastically suppressed.
"Now you will be safe from him long enough for you to recover, and by that time, he will be little more that a faint whisper before he finally is silenced. Meditation will aid you."
"That's a relief, thank you. That leaves me with one less problem, still have to deal with the rest somehow though."
"You are referring to how to return to your own world, are you not?"
"Among other things, yes. You wouldn't happen to know anything about it?"
"Perhaps. This amulet you spoke of, how did it look?"
"Let me see… It had a seven-pointed star with a round diamond in the centre, seven crystals the colours of the rainbow around the star, and the edge was shaped like a snake biting its own tail. I think that's all, but I never got a good look at it."
"Hmm… I know of this artefact, the mortals have named it the Talisman of Misplacement."
"Fitting name, but what do you know about it?"
"To call it 'a' artefact, is misleading. It is one, but also many, all connected and spread across all realms, this one, Oblivion, yours and beyond. One in possession of this artefact, could travel to any other artefact in any world and back again in an instant. Such is its power."
"So finding the talisman in this world, is the key to get back to our. But, you said that one would travel from one talisman to another, but is that really how it works? Because we came into this world several hundred meters up in the air."
"You should have appeared wherever the talisman would be located, if it would be safe for you, however, it is possible that the magic was disrupted. Look behind me." Paarthurnax moved slightly to the side, revealing that further back on the mountain, was a strange ripple in the air.
"That is the Time Wound, left from when Alduin was defeated long ago. The mortal champions could not best Alduin in combat, though they fought bravely, so they used a powerful artefact, an Elder Scroll, to cast Alduin into the future. It has not been many moons since he emerged from the wound, and I believe that his return has left a lasting effect that interfered with your arrival."
"Will the same happen when we try to leave?"
"Perhaps, however, I believe that if you bring the talisman here, it might attune itself to the distorted time of the wound, and work as it should. You will still have to understand how to use it, as it was activated by accident, and that could have played a role in you arrival."
"I understand, never use magic unless you know how. I don't suppose you know where the talisman is?"
"Sadly no, but we dragons are especially sensitive to the flow of time, and since the talisman crosses time and space, I felt its presence when it brought you here, and can point you in the right direction. To the North of a settlement called Morthal, somewhere underground, lay the talisman. Most likely with in a city that once belonged to the Dwemer, the Dwarves, before they disappeared, perhaps because of that very artefact."
"Morthal, huh? That's where we are heading, nice to have some good luck for a change. But before I leave, what about my new powers? They have me very worried, but also… intrigued."
"I do not know, but if I were to guess, I would say that they are a result of the knowledge you have earned. When a dragon, or Dragonborn, absorbs the soul of another dragon, they take more than just power, they take knowledge as well, and since you already possess knowledge given to you by the dragons of your world, the two might have merged and granted you with power greater than either. Regardless, you need to learn how to control them, for your own sake as well as those close to you. Master these new powers, and you will be a force unlike any other."
"An advice that I definitively will follow. Power without control could be just as dangerous as any foe I might face."
"You speak wisely, young Dragonborn. I wish you the best of luck on your search, and will await your return."
"You have my deepest gratitude, old one." Tyroth said with a bow. Paarthurnax seemed a bit surprised by by Tyroth's polite manners, but he smiled and bowed his head in return.
"See to your inner fire, and let it light the way."
With that, Tyroth began his trek down the mountain to the temple again, at least this time the weather had calmed down considerably. Many questions still remained, but he had gotten answers to many as well. There was no doubt of their next destination, but they would have to stop for more supplies first, the path would be a long one.
Hope that this chaper wasn't too much dialog for you, but Paarthurnax does love to converse, and things needed to be explained.
The shouts that Paarthurnax used are custom ones that I made up. Sil Genun Vahzen means Soul Reveal Truth, and litteraly let you see into the deepest part of someones soul. Sil Dwiin Mul means Soul Steel Strength and reinforce someones soul to protect them from things like possession.
With that out of the way, next time, our heroes head of for Morthal, for real this time I hope. However, there will be one short stop at a specific point first. Come back next time to see what.