Chapter 14
The End of the World-Eater
XxXxXx
Raven Rock, Solstheim – Mid Year 4E 201
Captain Veleth looked out over Raven Rock from on top the northern cliffs, eyes narrowed as he searched for anything amiss. He had been pushing his patrol routes further and further out ever since he had returned from Blacklight, driven by a nagging apprehension that refused to settle. Things had only gone from bad to worse in the past few months, which hadn't helped his stress levels any.
It had all started not long after he returned. His guards had reported nothing out of the ordinary within the city walls but had noted a few oddities with the reavers' movements. That had caught his attention and he had set out to investigate with a guard or two. The reavers were as thick as ash hoppers on the island and were as dangerous as they were stupid. Usually the bandits were easy enough to predict. They were very much creatures of habit and stayed to their own territories and routes. This time though, Veleth had passed through completely abandoned camps and followed their random trails through the remains of the forest all the way to the north of Tel Mithryn. That had really befuddled him as the reavers were terrified of the Telvanni wizard and avoided the giant mushroom tower at all costs. This time they had gone right along the shore, well within striking distance. That was when he had made the strangest discovery of his life.
Reavers surrounded the Sun Stone, one of the All-Maker stones that dotted the island. Some had been kneeling in a circle around the stone, chanting and bowing to the stone while others busily went about constructing elaborate stonework, all the while chanting in the same low obnoxious drone. They had either not noticed the three Redoran openly watching them or hadn't cared. Even when Veleth had boldly strode right up to them and tried to shake a reaver out of the trance, they had not paused in their work.
They had returned to Raven Rock and a few days later, during a night patrol, Veleth noticed a few of his guards walking perfunctorily through town. At first he had thought they were sleepwalking. He had a few sleepwalkers in the ranks. He once had to drag one back after he wandered out of the gate. This time he had followed them to the Earth Stone on the edge of town and they started to do the exact same thing as the reavers had, chanting and bowing to the stone. He couldn't get them to stop no matter how hard he had tried to snap them out of it. Over the course of the next few weeks more guards and even townspeople started to work on the stone, building the same stonework. The most maddening part of the whole thing was that nobody remembered a thing. In fact, most barely seemed to remember that the Beast Stone was even there. Veleth knew he had asked people about it but…he could barely remember what they had said. Every time he tried to bring up the memory of the conversation it would slip away like ash in the wind. It was absolutely maddening and he had no idea how to stop it.
With a sigh he began to make his way back down. The mystery at the stones was not all that had been going on. A week ago Veleth had heard a strange roar echoing down from the mountains. He had heard many sounds roll down from the slopes before. Horkers often raised the most ruckus, bristlebacks, wolves and bears also had a tendency to wake people up in the middle of the night, but this roar…this was something that actually sparked fear in his heart. While in Blacklight he had heard stories of dragon attacks in Skyrim. If he didn't know any better he would have thought that that roar came from a dragon.
Not too long after that, the strangers had come into town. He never saw them himself, but his guards had reported that two robed figures had come in late in the evening and had gone straight to the docks. The next morning the ship for Skyrim was gone, along with the two strangers. That in and of itself didn't raise any alarms, except that Gjalund wasn't scheduled to leave for another two days. He hadn't been too happy to hear of that.
"I was wondering where you were." Veleth looked up to see Dreyla Alor walking towards him. He glanced around and stepped behind a rock outcrop so they could talk out of sight.
"Don't worry. My father is busy arguing with Geldis about something." She smiled a little wearily, "He caught Geldis in a bad mood. It'll be a good hour before he settles down enough to think to look for me."
Veleth rolled his eyes but didn't comment. Dreyla was a grown woman. The fact that her father still would bellow and search for her like she was a small child was more than a little obnoxious, but obnoxious best described Fethis Alor. Fethis was, understandably, extremely protective of his daughter. He had lost his wife when the Argonians had invaded Morrowind and destroyed their village. It had haunted him ever since, causing him to second guess just about everything he did and hover over his grown daughter. Most people tolerated Fethis, for they held a certain amount of sympathy for him, but he was a rather over-bearing annoying fetcher when he got going. Dreyla often was the one going around soothing tempers that her father left ruffled in his wake. Veleth really didn't care one way or the other about the man but his constant accusations that he was after Dreyla for the East Empire Company contracts were ludicrous and getting extremely old.
"You've been incredibly tense lately." Dreyla said gently, "Does this have anything to do with those strangers coming into town? I know you were upset you didn't see them yourself…"
"It's nothing to worry about." Veleth lied, "Don't let that worry you." Veleth frowned as he looked up at the sky. The hazy light filtering through the smoke from Red Mountain was slowly turning red. It was starting to look like an ash storm was trying to form. That would be the fourth one this month… "Dreyla, we should go into town. Seems another ash storm is coming."
"Red Mountain certainly has been angry lately." Dreyla looked across the bay where the silhouette of the volcano was barely discernable through the rising ash, "You know, I've heard rumors…"
"Rumors?" Veleth asked as he led her back in towards town. Outwardly he was doing his best to be polite to Dreyla but inwardly he wanted to scream in frustration. He was so sick and tired of rumors.
"One of the infrequent updates from my father's East Empire Company contacts, whoever that may be." She said, "Most of it is just nonsense. One rumor said that the Thalmor were doing something on Vvardenfell. They had found something or another. No one knows what but there's supposed to be some big excavation."
"The Thalmor…on Vvardenfell." Veleth said skeptically, "There's nothing there but ash and ruins. They have their sights set on bigger targets than to dig through ash and smoke. What else are you hearing?"
"Well…" Dreyla tapped her fingers on her elbows, "There's been a lot of chatter about the Heart of Lorkhan…"
"The heart?" Veleth's mind spun a little at that, "The heart was destroyed long before you and I were born!"
"You asked what rumors I heard…"
"You're right, I'm sorry." Veleth forced himself to calm down. It wasn't fair to take it out on Dreyla. "Seems I've been doing nothing but chase rumors. I'm having a hard time with that lately."
Dreyla pulled him into the shadow of one of the abandoned buildings, "Modyn, don't lie to me. I know you're tense and I know something is going on. You haven't been sleeping, you've been short and your men are grumbling about your increasing…vigilance."
"I feel like I've been watching shadows." He finally admitted, well aware she was using the polite version of his men's grumbling. "Watching and waiting for something to happen. I don't know what and I don't know who I'm looking for but I don't think it's going to be good. It's like…watching Red Mountain and wondering if today is the day it will erupt again. I'm running on rumors and old stories and I'm not sure what is true or not anymore."
"Modyn, you never did well with rumors." Dreyla smiled, "If there was no concrete evidence, you weren't interested. Now here you are, letting rumors bother you so badly."
"Stupid, isn't it?"
"No. I think you are being cautious." Dreyla stood on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek, "Whatever happened in Blacklight put you on high alert and you aren't letting anything get past you. That stubborn persistence is something I always admired about you. Just don't forget to eat or sleep, please."
Veleth smiled and kissed her back, "With luck, the shadows and rumors will stay just that and all I have to do is watch for Hlaalu spies and drunk reavers thinking it's hilarious to set each other on fire."
Dreyla beamed broadly at him, "I have to go now, before my father starts bellowing. He's been on edge as well. Gjalund is late and father has been expecting a shipment of some odds and ends. No need to incite further riot by being late."
Veleth rolled his eyes again and gave her a kiss before she went off. As he turned to go back into town himself he winced slightly and rubbed at his left side as he made his way towards his normal patrol route. Definitely an ash storm on the way.
By the time afternoon came, the sky was brick red and every inhalation came with a mouthful of ash. The wind hadn't fully picked up yet but if the stabbing pain in his left kidney was accurate, and it always was, it wouldn't be long before the storm fully broke and most everyone would take shelter indoors. Everyone except the Redoran Guard that is. Ash storms were the perfect cover for reavers to launch a raid. Well…it used to. They weren't as interested anymore with the mines dried up but they still liked to cause trouble just because they were bored and they could.
Veleth stopped his patrol from on top the Bulwark, looking out into the shifting ash. At first glance there was nothing but empty landscape but something wasn't right. The ash that was piling up was swirling against the wind. The captain shook his head. He couldn't tell if he was just seeing things in the storm or if something really was happening.
"Sir…the ash shouldn't be doing that, should it?" the other guard on duty was also leaning over the side, watching the dancing ash. So it wasn't his lack of sleep playing with his mind afterall.
"Go get…" Veleth trailed off, staring incredulously as the ash swirled up. "What in Azura's name is THAT?!"
As he watched in horror, the ash coalesced into the form of something that might have once been humanoid but it was impossible to tell now. It resembled a badly burned body; the ash formed a burning husk around its misshapen form. Limbs had buckled and bubbled under the super heated ash, its face was twisted into a horrible mask of anguish. It growled and snarled like a rabid bear and began to lurch towards the Bulwark.
Next to him, the guard shrank back, shaking. "It's an ash vampire. Azura save us, the curse is back! We're all going to be killed!"
"Get a hold of yourself!" Veleth barked, "It's not an ash vampire. Ash vampires were actual living creatures but they are all gone with Dagoth Ur. This is NOT an ash vampire. Find your courage and go rally the guard! GO!"
Honestly, Veleth had no idea just WHAT these things were. He hadn't lied to the guard though; he was positive that this thing wasn't an ash vampire. Ash vampires were minions of Dagoth Ur, twisted by magical means and driven insane by his mental manipulations. They had all once been men and mer and all had still drawn breath. This smoldering husk lumbering towards the Bulwark didn't seem to be alive, didn't seem to draw breath. Didn't make it any less alarming though.
All 15 of his guards came up on the wall, each of them taking a quick look at the monster below. Veleth carefully watched their reactions, not particularly liking what he saw. All but 3 recoiled to some degree when they saw the creature below. That didn't bother him so much. What DID concern him were the few that jumped so badly he thought they were going to fall off the other side of the wall. That kind of reaction was going to get someone killed. He couldn't have that.
"I'll be honest with you, I have no idea WHAT that thing is." Veleth said, "However, I don't tolerate creatures clawing at MY wall. We-"
"Uh, sir…I hate to interrupt but…more are rising!"
Mentally Veleth cursed colorfully as he turned just in time to see five more creatures rise from the ash. He leaned over to see what the original was doing and had to draw back quickly as a fireball flashed back at his face. Apparently, the things were not friendly.
"Drarana, Brelo and Daynil. You three go continue patrol in town. If this is a reaver trick, we will not leave the town unguarded." Veleth highly doubted that the reavers were smart enough or capable enough to summon a creature like this. However those three were the ones who had flinched the hardest. If they were going out there to fight these burning creatures, he needed the ones most likely to panic out of the way. This was the best way to keep them out of the way while saving face. "The rest of you, we need to stop these…whatever they are…"
"Ash spawn." Veleth looked up at the twins Minassour and Zebduipal and raised an eyebrow. "Well…they spawned from the ash and they aren't ash vampires right? Ash spawn."
Veleth sighed. The twins often gave him headaches. "Sure. Ash spawn. Whatever. I don't care what the damn things are called. You can give them names and birthdays for all I care but I want them killed before they start tearing down the Bulwark and getting into Raven Rock! Now listen up, Mirvon, Farvyn, Velyn, Tvynu and Kummi-Namus. You lot are our best archers. You stay up here and keep those things distracted. Ziron, Ralis, Alpia, Varon, Elo and the twins with me. We go in fast and hard. No playing around." He directed that last bit at the twins. They were his more…enthusiastic guards. That was putting it mildly. He often spent more time chasing after them than he did chasing after reavers. "We are going in not knowing what these things can do. Stay on your guard. We need to keep Raven Rock safe."
"Aw Captain, your girl will really be impressed after this!" Zebduipal piped up. His twin coughed to hide a laugh while the rest of the guards slapped their hands to their faces and groaned in exasperation.
"Guess who is scraping Netch crap off the Bulwark for the next two weeks?" Veleth said cooly.
"It was worth it!"
Veleth rolled his eyes, but didn't comment further. He would find some suitably annoying task for them to do later. Not too annoying, though. They inadvertently raised moral with their antics, distracted the rest of the guards. They had gotten over their initial fear and were standing a bit straighter now. They had a plan to follow and they had fools to distract them. All that was left now was to fight and win.
"Just…go. Get below before I change my mind and just throw you both over the wall first."
The Redoran guards ran into position, Veleth feeling confident that this wouldn't be much of an issue. He had spent years training them and they had proven themselves time and again to be capable fighters. He just needed the twins to not do something "creative" while they were fighting. Like the time they tried to "get a reaver to flip midair" with one hit. One twin nearly got his head taken off and the other came away with broken armor and limping a little. Idiot twins.
The newly dubbed ash spawn immediately turned their attention from clawing at the wall to the group of guards that came bristling through the gate. Veleth watched as crude swords formed in the creature's hands, made of the same material that their bodies were composed of. Suddenly, this simple extermination of a pest was turning more into a battle.
"Nchow…" Veleth muttered as he tightened his grip on his weapon.
"Well, that's new." One of the twins muttered.
"No more different than a reaver knowing how to summon a weapon." Veleth growled, his fighting blood starting to boil, "Don't give an inch, men! For Raven Rock!"
"For Raven Rock!"
Veleth focused on an ash spawn and charged in. The ash spawn howled and raised its weapon to strike at Veleth's face. It found that hard to do as Veleth buried his axe into its neck. The skeletal system of these things was not as complex as that of a man. His axe shattered through what he assumed was a shoulder bone but there were no ribs to halt his momentum. His weapon kept slicing through ashy skin, leaving a burning smoldering scar in its wake, until it buried itself into a spine. At least he thought it was a spine. It was easily twice as thick as a normal creature's spine and his weapon got lodged in burning bone.
Meanwhile, without any skeletal support, the arm holding the weapon fell limp. However, instead of blood spurting, Veleth instead got a face full of hot ash and the ash spawn swiping at him with the other hand. He caught a clout in the ear which made him jerk back, fortunately jerking his weapon loose at the same time. He slapped a hand to his ear. His gloved hand came away bloody. Adrenaline pumping through his veins prevented him from feeling the pain just yet. That would come later, after the fight was over. Right now, he was just plain angry.
He swung his axe in a vicious upward stroke right underneath the ash spawn's chest, trying to finish the cut he already started. It was a strike that would be a mortal wound in any other being, but without the telltale gush of blood it was almost unsatisfactory. Ash began to pour from the wound, causing the spawn to scream in Veleth's face. He continued to follow through the swing, putting his weight behind it. More ash poured out and Veleth fell sideways as the spawn's body began to completely disintegrate. He caught himself before he hit the ground and spun to watch the creature finish turning back into a pile of ash. That was…interesting.
"What in oblivion…ugh, I got ash down my cuirass!" Veleth shook his head. It seemed the twins had at least refrained from being overly experimental and came through without a scratch.
He looked around and watched with satisfaction as the last of the ash spawn were cut down easily by his men. It was a fairly easy fight; the half a dozen ash spawn did not stand a chance against his well trained guards. Good timing too. The wind picked up and the ash storm began to break over them.
Veleth sighed as he watched the remains of the monster get blown away in the wind. This was just another problem without answers stacking up on all the other problems with no answers. Idly he considered going over to Tel Mithryn to see if that old wizard could perhaps shed some light on this but quickly nixed the idea. Neloth, by and large, ignored Raven Rock's existence and the town, by and large, ignored him as well. Every now and then the over-worked steward would come into town for a few supplies. She wouldn't speak to anyone, kept her eyes lowered and would immediately set back off to the strange giant mushroom tower once her errand was complete. No one in town was going to volunteer to go across the island, especially not after this attack, and Veleth couldn't spare any of his guards in case there was another attack. He needed a break but there was none in sight. This…was going to require a lot of planning and more than a little luck.
XxXxXx
Whiterun, Skyrim – Mid Year 4E201
Nevano stood next to Gunjar on the great porch of Dragonsreach, waiting for the jarl to arrive. After the peace talk meeting, which had turned into more of a power struggle of egos than actual temporary peace, the two had set off immediately for Whiterun. Gunjar had been quiet the whole time, barely uttering more than five words. Nevano understood and didn't push him to speak. Playing the hero and diving into caves and sewers and ruins and doing the jobs no one else could was one thing, but facing a room full of political discourse was quite another. Nevano was positive that Gunjar had never been exposed to politics before beyond doing errands at the behest of someone else, like a jarl or the Blades. He had been…innocent. That was the best way to put it: innocent. Outside the dirty whirlpool of lies, deceit, words hidden in words and subterfuge. Gunjar represented a hero of old: the man who embodied strength, valor and the want to help those who couldn't help themselves. Instead, he had been tossed into that den of wolves. Actually, Nevano amended himself, a den of kagouti. Big on acting tough, shaking their horns and snorting, but bring something much bigger into the picture and they would piss themselves and run. The whole negotiation had been an infuriating tug-of-war that left even Nevano, who had actually been expecting such a fiasco, feeling drained and exhausted. He could only imagine how Gunjar felt.
"You are letting all that mess get to you." Nevano said carefully.
"I…handed over cities. I displaced Jarls. Entire cities full of people were suddenly affected by MY choice. How can I not?"
"Gunjar, people would be far more affected if it all fell apart and Tullius and Ulfric stormed home in a huff because you refused to play their little game."
"These are LIVES!" Gunjar spun on the elf, "This isn't a game!"
"To the men you were talking to, it is a game." Nevano said calmly, "They run a war based off a little painted board with colored flags stuck to it. Couriers run in with updates saying how an assault was successful or how a patrol was lost. Not once mentioned are the lives taken to accomplish such. So, yes, to them it IS a game. A game they want to win at whatever cost. Lives are numbers and the point is to keep your numbers low and the other side's high."
"That's not…"
"Right? Just? Fair?" Nevano looked back over the tundra, eyes distant. He knew the game all too well. "No. It's not. But nothing ever is. This civil war is being run by one man who thinks the Nord way of life is meaningless and another man who forgets to look beyond his own city walls. Fairness was out the window before a sword was ever drawn. However, pouting and throwing a fit won't fix a thing. These people need a hero, someone who is actually thinking of the value of life, their lives. That they aren't numbers but actual people. Are you that hero?"
"I want to be…"
"Good. Then listen to me: you made some hard choices back there, choices that Tullius and Ulfric had in mind to force you to make as soon as they read that letter inviting them to High Hrothgar. They are only thinking conquest. You made a choice thinking about every life in this country. Actually, not just Skyrim, every life on Tamriel, on Nirn. Whether you want to make this war yours is a choice further down the line but today is about Alduin and stopping him so that Ulfric and Tullius can continue their stupid little war."
"I hate this war."
"Good. Shows you still have a good soul." Nevano said, "It's the ones who say they love war I watch carefully. It's one thing to enjoy a good fight but it's totally another to crave war."
Gunjar sighed and nodded, "Another thing that has bothered me. Delphine…she said that…that I had to kill Paarthurnax."
"I was wondering when she was going to throw something like that out." Nevano huffed. The elder of the Blades seemed a decent sort, even standing up to convince everyone to put aside their pride for once, but Delphine had set his teeth on edge the instant he had laid eyes on her. Truth be told he trusted her even less than Tullius and Ulfric. Those two he could predict what they were going to say and how they were going to react to a statement. Delphine cloaked herself in good intentions but her true motives Nevano couldn't guess. She had bullied her way into the council with an arrogance that Nevano hadn't seen in decades and he had known the entire Telvanni council. He had seen her pull Gunjar to the side after the pissing match called truce agreement had concluded and had immediately gotten suspicious but didn't ask. Maybe he was being a paranoid Dunmer but he was willing to bet that Delphine wanted Paarthurnax dead less because he was a potentially dangerous dragon and more to exercise power and control over the Dovahkiin. That scenario was more typical of a Blade than any thought to public safety. "Your thoughts on that are…?"
"Paarthurnax has been the only truly helpful one besides you. Sure he sent me to get an elder scroll of all things but he did it not because he needed to see if he could trust me or for me to prove myself, but because it was something I had to do to stop Alduin. He gave me all that information freely. I'm pretty certain if I tell him he had to die, he would sit there and let me do it." Gunjar's shoulders slumped a little, "I can't kill him. He's a living creature that went from a monster destroying whole cities to teaching wisdom and wanting to stop the madness. How can I destroy that?"
"Simple. You don't."
"There is no way things are that simple."
"Another bit of Modryn Oreyn wisdom: the world is simple, people screw it up." Nevano shrugged, "Sometimes you gotta please people. You gotta kiss arse and stroke egos to get things moving. The rest of the time, go with what your gut is telling you is the right thing to do. In this case, I wouldn't consider kissing the arse of that Blade bitch to be a good thing."
Gunjar sighed and nodded but Nevano could see that he was finally starting to process everything in his mind instead of wallowing in it.
"Now, you need to put all that out of your mind. You got a dragon to catch." Nevano shivered in spite of himself at the thought, "Not that I'm looking forward to that, mind."
"You're right. Time to bring Odahviing in."
"Ohda…what?"
Gunjar finally cracked a smile and chuckled, "Odah-viing. Means Snow-Hunter-Wing. It's the name of the dragon we're calling: Winged Snow Hunter"
"More snow. Great. You know, after I leave Skyrim I don't want to see or hear of snow ever again for however Azura lets me live." Nevano gave an exaggerated roll of his eyes, throwing his hands in the air.
Gunjar chuckled again, "You know…I have to admit. As bad as that whole negotiation was, it was pretty funny watching you hit the roof when Elenwen walked in. You made a bigger fuss than Ulfric did over it. I mean, I'm glad we got her to leave, and I'm pretty sure everyone else was too, but you about stalled out everything right then and there with a fight, especially when you cursed her out in your native tongue. I think she understands Dunmeri."
" 'There to make sure the Whitegold Concordant was followed' my grey-skinned arse." Nevano folded his arms across his chest. "I don't care if I called that much attention to myself over it. I didn't want to chance a sudden attack of insanity that would end with Truefire down her throat and Hopesflame up her arse."
Gunjar grinned, "I think only Arngeir would have been upset over that and would have given you a stern talking to about spilling blood on stones that were dedicated to peace or something like that."
"Forget shouting, he'd kill me with boredom listening to him drone on." Nevano rolled his eyes, "I've had to listen to lectures in the Temple of Stendarr in Chorrol that were more interesting. Mind you, I fell asleep every single time and some priest would slap me upside the head."
Gunjar finally laughed fully. Nevano grinned himself, pleased that he accomplished exactly what he wanted to do. Just in time too, as the jarl finally came out onto the porch. Immediately Gunjar turned serious but the gleam was back in his eyes. He was ready for battle and not stuck in the quagmire of guilt.
"We're ready, Dragonborn. Just say the word." While he sounded less than pleased about a dragon being on his back porch, there was a bit of boyish excitement lacing Balgruuf's voice. It made Nevano almost want to shake his head. It was like watching a kid getting excited over catching frogs, but no frog in Skyrim was capable of breathing fire.
"Jarl." Gunjar squared his shoulders, "Are you ready to spring the trap on this dragon?"
"As I promised, my men stand ready. The great chains are oiled. We wait on your word."
"I'm ready." Gunjar gave a confident smile, "Let's go trap a dragon!"
"My men know what to do, make sure you do your part." Balgruuf gave one last bit of guarded warning, "I'm putting my city in your hands."
Everyone went out from under the covered porch and out into the open air. Nevano hung back a bit. He had every bit of confidence in Gunjar. He said he was going to call a dragon in and Nevano knew there would be a dragon. However, there was going to be a live, wild dragon landing right in front of them. He didn't think that that had really sunk in for everyone yet. A real live dragon. The big fire-breathing kind with very sharp fangs that were as long as Nevano's forearm. Nevano didn't much feel like getting bit in the arse, literally or figuratively.
"You do have a plan for luring a dragon here, yeah?" Balgruuf asked suddenly, as if the thought had just struck him. Nevano stared at him. The man just now thought of that? After all the preparations, the so-called peace council, the preparing of the trap and he just now thought of how to get the dragon here? Nevano's ears twitched in annoyance. Nords!
"I do." Gunjar stepped up to the very edge of the porch, scanning the sky. Everyone was tense and ready, almost not even breathing. Then Gunjar took a deep breath.
"OD AH-VIING!"
Nevano clapped his hands over his ears the words seemed to split the air apart. He hated it when Gunjar used his Thu'um powers. It felt like a massive pressure was trying its hardest to shred his ear drums from the inside out. At least he didn't use the one that the draugr had used on him. What had Gunjar called it? Unrelenting force? Certainly made sense. That one always gave him a headache that lasted for days.
For several long tense moments the night sky stubbornly remained empty. Of all the times they actually wanted a dragon to appear and there was none to be found. Guards started to shift and mutter to each other. Irileth crossed her arms over her chest and hissed at them to be quiet. They fell silent but the disquieted shifting continued.
"Ah, now eventually you do plan to have a dragon come to your dragon call, right?" Nevano couldn't help himself. Gunjar found a rock and threw it at him. Irileth gave him a look that was so mixed with irritation and temptation that Nevano wasn't sure if she wanted to outright kill him or eat him alive. Both scenarios scared him to death, almost more so than the prospective dragon. Before he could really start to think about Irileth too much he was mercifully distracted as a slight sound made his ears twitch, "Do you hear that?"
Everyone froze, straining to hear whatever had caught the mer's attention. A long silent moment that was so filled with tension that it nearly made Nevano's ears quiver filled the porch. Then a roar split the air and the dragon suddenly appeared from over the top of Dragonsreach with a massive rush of pumping wings. Nevano recoiled as the shadow of the dragon completely blocked out both Masser and Secunda from view. This dragon was enormous. His wingspread alone was larger than the entire breadth of Dragonsreach. For a moment he feared they wouldn't be able to get the dragon to fit in the porch where the trap was waiting.
"Hold your fire!" Jarl Balgruuf ordered as his jumpy soldiers knocked arrows to their bows, "Let the Dragonborn bring the dragon in!"
Gunjar had not moved a muscle when the dragon flew overhead. He stood calmly as the dragon wheeled about and came back towards them. Fire crackled in its mouth as its eyes locked on to the one figure that wasn't quaking in fear. The dragon angled himself and came right in at Gunjar, taking in a massive breath, his tongue starting to curl to bellow a Thu'um. Gunjar, however, was faster.
"JOOR ZAH FRUL!"
The building fire died in a puff of smoke in Odahviing's mouth as his shout was cut off. Instead he screamed out, a shrill noise that made everyone slap their hands over their ears, writhing in mid-air as a blue light seemed to grab him by the chest like a massive fist and dragged him to the ground. Men scattered as the massive dragon was slammed onto the porch, rocks and timber shattering under the immense weight. The blue light shimmered and when the dragon spread his wings to try to take flight again, the light shimmered brighter and held him down like an anchor. The dragon bellowed in outrage, flapping his wings and stomping one foot in a temper tantrum that further shattered the already abused stone floor.
"Hold! Do NOT engage!" Gunjar stood in front of the dragon, grinning confidently. "Come, Odahviing! Come catch me if you can!"
The enraged dragon bellowed again, his eyes flushing red as Gunjar ran out of range of his snapping teeth. Desperate to catch the impetuous human he stormed after him under the roof, each footstep shaking the entire keep. He was completely blinded by his anger. Had he taken just a moment to look around him, he would have seen that it was trap. As he lumbered into place, the guards let loose the chains and a massive yoke crashed down on the dragon, the mechanisms clicking into place around his neck as soon as it touched scales.
"Nid!" it cried, it's massive voice shaking ancient dust loose from the ceiling.
"I think it's holding!" someone cried.
All at once it was over. The dragon gave one last groan but even its incredible size could not shift the yoke off its neck. The fight drained from it like water through a sieve. He knew he had been beaten.
"Horvutah med kodaav. Caught like a bear in a trap…" the dragon sighed, a putrid gust of air making everyone wrinkle their noses and Nevano gag. It smelled as if it had been feeding on something rotten before flying to answer the call. "Zok frini grind ko grah drun viiki, Dovahkiin. Ah. I forget. You do not have the dovah speech. My…eagerness to meet you in battle was my…undoing, Dovahkiin. I salute your, hmm, low cunning in devising such a grahmindol – stratagem."
"Odahviing yes?" Nevano edged closer as Gunjar stood confidently in front of the dragon, close enough that he could reach out and touch the dragon's snout without having to stretch. Now that the dragon was not a threat, or as much of one, Nevano could take the time to appreciate just how magnificent the beast was. Thick blood-red scales covered muscles that moved like liquid steel under leathery skin. Spikes grew in an angry ridge along the back and tail, tapering down then flaring into the spade-shaped tip of his tail. The wings intrigued Nevano the most. They seemed so fragile, indeed they were actually the weakest point of the dragon, but he had to remind himself that these seemingly delicate appendages actually lifted the entire dragon off the ground in one sweep and kept him airborne with seemingly effortless grace.
"Zu'u bonaar. You went to a great deal of trouble to put me in this…humiliating position. Hind siiv Alduin, hmm? No doubt you want to know where to find Alduin?" Odahviing wasted no time in getting straight to the point. Fairly unusual for a dragon but Nevano supposed he was eager to find a way out of his binds rather than indulge his need for roundabout speech.
"That's right. Where is he hiding?"
"Rinik vahaz. An apt phrase. Alduin bovul. One reason I came to your call was to test your Thu'um myself. Many of us have begun to question Alduin's lordship, whether his Thu'um was truly the strongest. Among ourselves of course. Mu ni meyye. None were yet ready to openly defy him" Ah there it was. Seemed he couldn't help himself after all.
"You were telling me where to find Alduin?" Gunjar interrupted impatiently.
"Unslaad krosis. Innumerable pardons. I digress. He has traveled to Sovngard to regain his strength, devouring the sillesjour…the souls of the mortal dead. A privilege he jealousy guards. His door to Sovngard is at Skuldafn, one of his ancient fanes high in the eastern mountains. Mindoraan, pak ok middovahhe lahvraan til. I surely do not need to warn you that all his remaining strength is marshaled there." The dragon hesitated, "Zu'u lost ofan him laan…now that I have answered your question, you will allow me to go free?"
"Not until Alduin is defeated." At Gunjar's statement Nevano felt a brief moment of sympathy for the dragon. Dragon or no, nothing deserved to be held captive like this.
"Ah. Well. Hmm…krosis. There is one detail about Skuldafn I neglected to mention."
"Tell me what you know, then" Gunjar frowned.
"Only this. You have the Thu'um of a dovah, but without the wings of one, you will never set foot in Skuldafn. Of course I could fly you there. But not while imprisoned like this." Nevano was impressed. Sneaky dragon.
"Fine. I'll set you free if you promise to take me to Skuldafn."
"Onikaan koraav gein miraad. It is wise to recognize when you only have one choice. And you can trust me. Zu'u ni tahrodiis. Alduin has proven himself unworthy to rule. I go my own way now. Free me, and I will carry you to Skuldafn."
Gunjar nodded and turned towards Nevano.
"Well…this is it my friend." Gunjar kept up the bold façade but Nevano knew him well enough to see through to the edge of nervousness beneath. It didn't concern Nevano. Fear was a good thing, a healthy thing. It kept the mind alert for danger, kept the fire of survival alive in the belly. As long as fear didn't rule, it was a very good thing indeed to have when facing a dragon of legendary proportions.
"I…have a request of you." Gunjar said quietly, glancing around to make sure no one else was listening. "Should I not make it back…There's a house in Falkreath Hold, on the western tip of Lake Ilinalta. Just…can you give something to her?"
"Her?" Nevano raised an eyebrow but at the pained look on Gunjar's face didn't push, "I will. Though you'll come back. Don't think because I've agreed to this that you have permission keel over and die. I will find a way to bring you back to life to kill you myself, got it?"
"Yes dear." Gunjar grinned briefly.
"By Azura…" Nevano groaned, realizing just how much like a nagging wife he sounded just then. "Alright, what do you want me to take to your mystery woman?"
Wordlessly Gunjar reached into his pack and pulled out a medallion that had been cleverly carved into the likeness of a dragon. He ran a thumb over it before handing it to Nevano. "She'll know what it means."
"When you come back alive, because I know you will, I'm dropping this into the bottom of a mead barrel and you're going to have to drink your way to it." Nevano said with a perfectly straight face. Gunjar was grinning but he had no idea that Nevano meant to keep his word on that.
"Incredible! Uh…sir, you have no idea how long I've waited for such an opportunity!" Nevano and Gunjar turned to see that Farengar had finally made his appearance. He had all but been leaping with excitement when he had discovered they would be trapping a dragon in the keep but, like every good coward, he had waited for everyone else to do the hard work for him. "I would be most appreciative if you permit me to perform some, ah, tests on you. Purely in the interests of the advancement of knowledge."
"Begone, mage. Do not test my promise to the Dovahkiin." Odahviing was clearly unimpressed with Balgruuf's choice in court wizard.
"I assure you, you will not even notice me. Most of them are hardly painful at all to a large dragon such as yourself." Farengar moved around to the back of the dragon, prodding at the massive scales.
"Farengar, very bad idea." Irileth said, "Even for you."
"Surely you wouldn't miss a few scales…or a small amount of blood." Farengar pulled out a needle and started to poke between the scales to the flesh beneath.
"Joor mey! What are you doing back there?" Nevano bit his lip to keep from laughing. So the high and mighty dragons were afraid of needles were they? Oh that just made this entire insane adventure completely worth it.
"YOL TOOR SHUL!" Odahviing about squealed, spouting a gout of flame as Farengar finally got through the tough hide. The mage fell over backwards with a yelp and scrambled away. Though whether it was from the dragon breathing fire or because Odahviing was doing his best to tuck his rump away from the stinging intrusion was anyone's guess.
Nevano shook his head as they watched the mage run all the way back into the safety of the keep, "Mages. No matter how many time you tell them not to touch something, that they'll get burned, they just have to touch it. I've seen children with far more sense."
"Give the poor thing his due." Gunjar said as he started up the stairs, "He's been anxiously waiting to see a dragon since Alduin first destroyed Helgen."
"Seeing a dragon and stabbing it with a needle are two totally different things." Nevano said, "What's the saying? Let sleeping dragons lie? I'm going to add an addendum: don't poke trapped dragons."
Gunjar shook his head and turned to the guard by the lever who was still shaking from the adrenaline. "Something to tell the grandkids eh?" the guard said, grinning because that was the only thing TO do after such a rush.
"Open the trap." Gunjar said gently, almost apologetically.
"You sure about that? You want to let that dragon loose after all the trouble to catch him in there?" The guard's mouth fell open in shock.
"Yes, I'm sure"
"Your funeral. Someone else is gonna have to help you get him back in there again…"
"Open the gods damned trap!" Nevano snapped, his patience finally snapping. The guard yelped and ran over to the lever.
"This…seems like a really bad idea to me!" he stammered, hand on the lever but unwilling to pull it. Nevano narrowed his eyes, hands sliding to his swords. He wasn't going to kill him but he would scare this fool more than the dragon ever possibly could.
"Carry on, soldier. This is all part of the Dragonborn's plan." Balgruuf intervened before Nevano could snap again.
"Faas nu, zini dein ruthi ahst vaal." Odahviing said gratefully as the massive yoke came off. He arched his neck and shook himself, ridding himself of the feeling of captivity. Carefully he maneuvered his bulk around so he could walk out of the porch straight and proud, not backing out like a horse led from its stall. He DID however crash his tail against the door where Farengar was peeking out. Nevano could have sworn that the dragon's lips pulled back in a smirk as the mage yipped when his fingers were crushed in the door.
"Saraan uth – I await your command as promised. Are you ready to see the world as only a dovah can?" Odahviing asked. He sounded patient enough but there was a certain quiver in his wings that belied his eagerness to take to the sky again.
"I'm ready. Take me to Skuldafn."
"Zok brit uth! I warn you, once you've flown the skies of Keizaal, your envy of the dov will only increase."
Gunjar grasped the dragon's head horns and hoisted himself up, settling on the neck where the spikes were shortest. Odahviin quivered like a horse being held in. "Amativ! Mu bo kotin stinselok!" he said as Gunjar gripped his horns. Then, without wasting anymore time, he spread his wings and in one massive sweep was airborne. Another rush of wings and a triumphant roar and he was out of the keep and soaring up into the air over the tundra. Nevano ran to the edge of the porch to watch. Gunjar was headed off to easily the most difficult fight of his life, a fight that would decide the fate of the whole world…but he was certainly heading off in style. Every guard there had his jaw on the ground as they watched the impressive dragon fly off with the Dragonborn on his back. Something to tell the grandkids indeed.
"He's either the bravest person I've ever met, or the biggest fool." Irileth murmured as she stood next to Nevano, watching the dragon bank and turn east.
"He's both." Nevano muttered, earning a rare smile from the Dunmer woman. He edged away.
"May Kynareth guard you while you cross her realm!" Balgruuf said as the two disappeared rapidly into the distance, "And Talos guide you safely…"
"So…" Nevano broke the spell, pulling a small pouch from his pack. "Anyone want to play a game of dice? I have a feeling we're going to be waiting a while."
To his great shock, and trepidation, the Jarl's housecarl, the grumpy Irileth, was the first to take him up on his offer.
XxXxXx
Three days. It had been three days since Gunjar flew off on the back of a dragon. Three days with no word on how things were going. Nevano was not used to being the one left wondering and it was slowly driving him crazy. He had managed to stay optimistic for two days but his nerves slowly began to fray the longer he had to wait. He had considered looking for an odd job around town to keep busy while he waited but he found he couldn't bring himself to even leave the great porch. Instead he had made a perch for himself up on peak of the roof, where he had an unobstructed view of the sky.
"How many days do you think we should wait before we say he's dead?"
"It's been three days. He's probably dead."
Nevano frowned as his sharp ears picked up the guards chatter below. Every day the guards had gotten a little less enthusiastic and a lot more skeptical and they weren't shy about running their mouths about it. It made him want to chuck the dragon medallion at their heads but he instead would clutch it so tightly that his knuckles would turn white and a dragon would be imprinted on his palm.
He looked up at the sky again. The sun was setting. The third day was coming to a close. He watched as the sun became a mere sliver on the horizon and the sky faded from blue to yellow to orange to purple. Dusk was settling over the tundra. Already the sky in the west was a deep inky blue. Stars were just starting to twinkle in the sky and Masser and Secunda were starting to stand out, taking over the stage from the sun. If Nevano looked down he would see the last few daytime animals making their way to their dens for the night. The nighttime animals hadn't come out just yet. This was the cusp of dusk. This moment, this blink between night and day, was Azura's time. Nevano could feel her power thrumming in the air. The last puff of breeze picked up, carrying the faint smell of roses.
Nevano crossed his legs and took in a deep air to steady himself. He couldn't explain why he wanted to seek out the daedric prince. Azura, though she loved her followers, was not in the business of offering comfort. However, she had sent out an invitation and he felt compelled to answer. He turned his consciousness inward; searching for the spark that he knew was Azura's watchful gaze. It didn't take him long to connect to the daedric prince.
"And so does rage a mighty battle for the mortal world in, ironically, an immortal plane." Azura sounded amused. Nevano mentally sighed. Of course Azura was watching in amusement; to her, this was like being a spectator to a well-played board game. There would be no huge loss to her if this plane of existence were destroyed, other than a loss of playthings. The mortal plane was nothing more that a source of diversion for Aedra and Daedra both. Alduin was inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.
"Alduin is one of many." Azura said, easily seeing Nevano's line of thought.
Nevano knew that. Dagoth Ur, Mankar Camoran, Alduin…they were only a few in a long line of those who either wanted to conquer the world or wanted to destroy it. Sure, their place in history was burned in infamy, but there would always be another. Until the end of time, there would always be another. But as long as there was someone willing to stand up and say "No", the cycle would continue. Some would call it prophecy but Nevano didn't put much stock in prophecy. To him, prophecy was just a story someone dreamed up of and others followed it like a script in a play. No one was born to be a hero. Heroes were simply those who had been pushed to the point were failure was no longer an option.
"Are you sure about that, my champion?" Azura's voice had an edge to it, "We are gods. We know you before you are born, centuries before you are born. You were chosen before your ancestors were even a thought."
Nevano didn't answer. He had never believed that he was divinely chosen. He had followed his path because in the beginning he had no choice and then later because if he had quit hundreds of thousands would die. Not much of a choice. He had been randomly chosen, randomly framed for murder, randomly thrown onto the playing field. Another little flag pinned on the painted board. A hero because he had no way out and his will to survive was stronger than the will of those who wanted to kill him.
"Do you think I did not see that stubborn will of yours?" Azura asked, "Do you think I did not know that you had the will to not just survive but to succeed? The Aedra Akatosh guides this friend of yours, this Dragonborn. How is that not divinely chosen and guided? We are gods, my champion. You shall see."
With that, Azura swept his awareness off across Skyrim, off to the east, to the mountains. When he stopped he was suspended above Skuldafn. It couldn't be anything but. Carved into the mountain, with no discernable road or path leading down or out. It was ancient, older than the ruins he had seen all over Skyrim. What concerned him were the bodies of draugr and the two dragon skeletons that decorated the place. Those were not ancient. Those were fresh. They covered the place like rats on a ship's hold. Two live dragons were perched at the highest points of the ruins, both intently watching a swirling portal. Nevano realized that this had to be Alduin's door to Sovngard that Odahviing mentioned. The trail of corpses led right to the door…Gunjar had to have made it through!
"Could any mortal not touched by the gods be able to do that?"
"Everyone is born with courage." Nevano said stubbornly, "Some have just been forced to see the depths of their own fear and know what it means to use their courage to survive."
"Stubborn child." Azura then yanked him away from Skuldafn, not bothering to be gentle. Apparently Nevano was starting to push her patience. Not a wise thing to do but at that point, Nevano didn't care.
Snow swirled around him as he was taken to yet another mountain. Yet this time, as he shifted his awareness around, he realized that there was NOTHING else around. Nothing as in there were no other mountain peaks reaching up to this summit. This mountain rose up alone and dominated the world around it. There was nothing quite like the peak of the Throat of the World anywhere else in Tamriel and this was undoubtedly Nevano's favorite way of experiencing this lofty mountain; he couldn't feel the cold.
Then he saw a giant cluster of dragons. They seemed to be waiting, staring at a certain point. They were of all sizes, shapes and colors. There were small brown dragons that were shifting away from bigger dragons in shades ranging from green to red to bronze to white. Nevano quickly picked out Odahviing. His scales a more vibrant red than the other reds around him. Nevano noticed that other dragons did not jostle him as they did each other. However none of them even came close to the size of the massive gray dragon perched nearby. He was ancient, his wings were tattered and many of his horns were worn to blunt ends. The other dragons seemed to pay deference to him, none of them daring to infringe on his space. That had to be Paarthurnax, the grandmaster of the Graybeards. Nevano could see why Gunjar held so much respect for the dragon: as massive and daunting as he was, Nevano felt no evil in him. If anything, he almost felt safe in his presence, calm and serene. Whatever evil had once resided in this dragon was long since quelled.
The air shimmered. Every dragon stared intently, wings quivering with anticipation. Nevano realized that this was the moment that would alter history; either Alduin was going to appear and signal the end times or Gunjar was going to materialize and herald in times of peace. Nevano's consciousness twisted on itself, lacking a physical form to manifest his anxiety.
The shimmer coalesced on itself and then burst outwards in a flash of light. A shape began to form within the light. Nevano's consciousness wavered. This was almost too much for him to take. The form stood upright. Upright! Like a man, not a dragon! Only Azura's hold on his mind kept him from blacking out in excitement and relief as Gunjar stepped out of the light and onto the snow. The dragons roared, a deafening symphony that shook the mountain. They perfectly reflected Nevano's feelings.
"Alduin mahlaan!" Every dragon intoned together.
"Sahrot thur qahnaraan!" Paarthurnax called to the skies.
"Alduin mahlaan!" All the dragons spread their wings, a few taking off and circling overhead.
"Dovahkiin los ok dovahkriid!"
"Alduin mahlaan!" By now all the dragons were flying around the summit of the mountain, bellowing and crying out.
"Thu'umii los nahlot!"
"Alduin mahlaan!"
"Mu los vomir!" Paarthurnax gave one last proclamation, punctuating it with a shout that made the air split and the snow shudder mid-air. The other dragons began to thin out, flying off into the distance, bellowing out the news to the world that Alduin was gone for good.
"You think your time is over, my champion, that you are my pawn, and now that your time is over I have thrown you away." Azura said, taking him away and back towards his body in Whiterun, "Oh but I have watched you since you were born and I never stopped watching you. Your path did not suddenly end with Dagoth Ur's death. You may have strayed but you are not yet finished. You will see. But now the newly minted Hero of Skyrim is flying on the back of a dragon back to Whiterun. I believe you have plans you wish to carry out. Go. We will speak again soon."
Nevano woke up from his trance, his mind taking more than a moment to reconcile that he was still perched on the roof of Dragonsreach and not in the mountains. Then he grinned. It would take Gunjar a bit before he arrived back at Dragonsreach. Nevano had a lot to do. He leaped off of the roof and rolled as he hit the ground, absorbing the shock, causing more than one guard to jump. They had been very jumpy since the dragon had been here. Had he not been so preoccupied Nevano would have taken full advantage of that but right now was not the time for pranks. He took off at a run inside, pushing his encounter with Azura out of his mind for the time being. It was time to see if these Nords could live up to their reputations.
Nevano was waiting alone on the porch when Odahviing landed back on the porch, the dragon settling his feet in the same footprints he had left the first time, the stones groaning but fortunately not cracking further. Gunjar slid from the dragon's neck.
"Thank you, Odahviing." He said, giving the dragon a companionable slap on the neck, "Stay out of trouble."
"Pruzah sul, Dovahkiin." Odahviing said respectfully, nodding his head. Then he spread his wings and took off, making the timbers groan as the hurricane force winds battered them. Gunjar watched him until he disappeared off into the distance before turning to the patiently waiting elf.
"I leave for a few hours and everyone takes off?" Gunjar smiled wearily. Nevano knew the feeling: things were finally back to normal and all the adrenaline drained from the body. Gunjar probably couldn't decide if he wanted to first eat half a cow or drink a barrel of ale or sleep for a week.
"Hours?" Nevano raised an eyebrow, "You've been gone for days!"
"Days? Huh…" Gunjar frowned, the shrugged, "I guess time moves slower in Sovngard."
"Time flows different on different planes of existence." Nevano said, taking him by the arm and leading him inside the keep, "You were in the realm of the dead. There's no such thing as time anymore. The immortal have no need for time. Some of them, usually daedra, have no concept of time nor do they want to learn of it. Makes dealing with them difficult."
"I suppose that's true." Gunjar tried to tug his arm back as Nevano dragged him down the stairs, "Why are you dragging me around like your personal pet? Slow down, elf."
Nevano stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked up at Gunjar, "Alduin…is he…?"
Gunjar stood up straight, "Alduin is dead. The heroes of Sovngard and I defeated him while Tsun, the shield-thane of Shor, stood by as witness. He's gone."
Instantly the entire entry hall of Dragonsreach erupted. Nevano smirked as Gunjar's eyes went impossibly wide as he suddenly took in just how many people were crowded inside the hall, now cheering and yelling and calling praises to the Dragonborn.
"You…?" Gunjar looked down at Nevano.
"The whole of Skyrim has been eagerly awaiting your return." Nevano said, unable to stop his smirk from growing, "I just made sure there was plenty to drink to celebrate. A hero deserves a hero's welcome."
It had been far easier than Nevano had initially expected. Unbeknownst to him, word had slowly been spreading that the Dragonborn had come and had called upon both Ulfric and Tullius to work out a temporary truce while he trapped a dragon in order to stop the dragon attacks. Since the negotiation word had spread even more about Alduin's return and Gunjar's subsequent intent of destroying him. People had been traveling from all over the province to Whiterun partly to see the captured dragon (and were highly disappointed) and partly to catch a glimpse of the hero who was going to save them from the end times. Nevano had rounded up several willing helpers and gotten them to obtain as much mead and food as they could fit into Dragonsreach. Then he had simply returned to the porch and waited.
"Go. Enjoy yourself." Nevano nudged Gunjar in the ribs, "Sure there's more work to be done but for now…celebrate."
Gunjar moved out into the crowd and was immediately engulfed by people. Mead was shoved into his hands and everyone begged to hear of how Alduin fell, of what Sovngard was like and how was it to fight alongside the heroes of Sovngard. Nevano grinned. He had celebrated his accomplishments by being stretched out unconscious for several days, followed by several weeks of incredibly painful recovery. He was happy that Gunjar could actually enjoy this party and that he managed to defeat that dragon without tearing his body apart.
"Sir, sir!" Nevano didn't look up immediately as several bards came up to him. He wasn't used to being addressed like that. It wasn't until one shook his shoulder that he realized they meant him.
"Who, me?" Nevano started a bit. "What?"
"Well… we found an old song. There was no tune or sure pronunciation to it…but since it is the song of the Dovahkiin and the Dovahkiin has saved all of Skyrim we created our own tune for it!" A Breton woman said excitedly, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet, "We just wanted your permission to sing it!"
"Why do you need my permission?" Nevano was thoroughly confused. Most bards would start singing, invited or not. Half the time he had seen people throw coins at them to get them to shut up. More importantly, why in oblivion would they be asking him for permission?
"Well…you organized this party, no?" The Nord man accompanying her asked, "That makes you the Master of Revels. Therefore, it is you we need to have permission from in order to perform."
"Uh, yeah sure." Nevano blinked, "I don't see why not. Go ahead."
Curiously he watched as the small group walked up to the raised floor where the Jarl's throne sat. Without preamble, they started to sing. It was a hum at first, but it broke through the clamoring din of the room, causing a hush. The melody was strong and hearty; much like the Nordic people themselves. One by one, everyone's attention shifted to the bards, their curiosity piqued at this tune that seemed to demand their attention. Other bards that were scattered throughout the hall began to bring out instruments, the deep beat of drums and the evocative tone of pipes accentuating the strength of the song. It began to build with intensity and filled the hall, enrapturing every person within so that they felt compelled to join in. Nevano felt himself being swept up in it as well, humming along even as his tongue tried to form the unfamiliar words.
"Dovahkiin, Dovahkiin, naal ok zin los vahriin,
Wah dein vokul mahfaeraak ahst vaal!
Ahrk fin norok paal graan fod nust hon zindro zaan,
Dovahkii, fah hin kogaan mu draal!
Huzrah nu, kul do od, wah aan bok lingrah vod,
Ahrk fin tey, boziik fun do fin gein!
Wo lost fron wah ney dov, ahrk fin reyliik do jul,
Voth aan suleyk wah ronit faal krein!
Tol fod zymah win kein meyz fundein!
Alduin, feyn do jun, kruziik vokun staadnau,
Voth aan bahlok wah diivon fin lein!
Nuz aan sul, fent alok, fod fin vul dovah nok,
Fen kos nahlot mahfaeraak ahrk ruz!
Paaz Keizaal fen kos stin nol bein Alduin jot,
Dovahkiin, Dovahkiin, naal ok zin los vahriin,
Wah dein vokul mahfaeraak ahst vaal!
Ahrk fin norok paal graan fod nust hon zindro zaan,
Dovahkiin, fah hin kogaan mu draal!"
Nevano was so caught up in the thrall of the music that when the rushing chorus ended he suffered a shock as keen as pain. He had never before heard a song sung like that before, certainly not one that inspired such emotion. Judging by the looks on the faces of those around him, they felt the same. He highly doubted that this could ever be replicated ever again, even if they tried. The only thing he didn't like was how somber and quiet the crowd had become. Then he remembered something. He jumped up on a table.
"Oi, Gunjar!" Everyone looked up to see a very evil grin on Nevano's face. Gunjar's eyes went wide when Nevano let the dragon medallion slide from his hand and dangle by one finger. "I meant what I said."
With that Nevano pitched the dragon medallion into a massive open cask of mead. It had the desired effect: the crowd roared with laughter, raising their mugs as Gunjar dove after his medallion.
"Start drinking, Dovahkiin!"
END PART 2
XxXxXx
A/N: There we go folks. A massive ending to Part 2. Y'all this broke 11,000 words. This is a first for me and I'm ridiculously excited about that. Next stop, Solstheim! Before I launch into that I want to give a huge thank you to all my readers. Y'all have been absolutely fantastic. Thank you again and I hope you continue to enjoy because I'm not stopping anytime soon! Now…on to Part 3.
P.S. – all the dragon translations and the translations to the Dovahkiin song (which, by the way, is the opening theme song. The music from Sovngard is a variation of it) can be found on UESP wiki website, mostly on Odahviing's page. Most of what the dragons say is generally repeated in English in the next sentence or two.
