Chapter 18

Magic Lessons and Preparations

The next three days were filled with rigorous training for Renee and Bane, with Hiccup and Toothless as their teachers. It was a little easy for Renee to ride Bane on the ground as she had experience with horseback riding. However, when it came to flying, she was still nervous. Because of Bane's injured wing, Renee had to learn to fly on Toothless until Bane could recover.

In the meantime, Rahm-Ku and J'Kiir worked on the town wall and, when she got the time, worked with Renee on the cemetery. After burying the blacksmith, Roth and Greta Silverglass were next. It seemed that Greta had fallen out of bed when she died, which was why Renee did not see her remains when she encountered Namira. Following the Silverglass burials were the remains of the trader's family and the tavern staff. This gave the Argonian and the Khajiit their own places without feeling disturbed at the sight of literal skeletons in their closets.

But as they days passed, Renee's curses were becoming unbearable. On the night of the Fifth Day, she started to eye her brothers with a hungry look. While hunting kept her wolf's blood in check, there was still the issue with Namira's curse. Thankfully, J'Kiir spotted some boars near Emeralda and killed a few before Renee returned. He knew boar meat would subdue the wicked hunger from something his foster father taught him. Apparently, human flesh tasted like pork. Or was it beef? Whatever the flavor, it seemed to satisfy his sister.

On the dawn of the Sixth Day, Rahm-Ku decided to speak with Hiccup about an important matter. Seeing the Viking leave the smithy, the Mage hailed his brother.

"Hiccup. I need to talk to you."

Curious, Hiccup spoke.

"Well, alright. What's on your mind?"

Folding his arms, Rahm-Ku began to speak.

"You know what tomorrow is, right?"

Hiccup took a seat as he thought for a moment. It didn't take long for him to realize what Rahm-Ku meant.

"The Seventh Day of Namira's Curse on Renee."

The Mage nodded.

"You know what we have to do, right?"

Hiccup nodded.

"Of course. We've been planning for the past few days. It's what on Renee's mind the most other than training with Bane and…her hunger."

Rahm-Ku nodded again.

"We know Renee and J'Kiir will do fine and I have my magic. But what I am most concerned about is you."

Hiccup's eyes widened in confusion.

"Me? Why me?"

"Because outside of killing three dragons, you've only killed one mortal and that's this Orchendor elf. Not to mention you don't know magic or alchemy. Which is why I am here. I want you to spend today as my student and learn a spell or two just in case."

Hiccup's eyes widen with surprise.

"You…you're gonna teach me magic?"

Rahm-Ku nodded as he pulled out a Destruction spell book from his mage's robes and handed it to Hiccup.

"Remember that Healing spell book I gave you when we were making the trek to Bleak Falls Barrow?"

Hiccup nodded and returned to the inside of the smithy, coming out with the book.

"I've been working on my reading with this book."

Seeing this, Rahm-Ku continued.

"Well, since you can read our language better, I suggest you learn at least the Healing spell."

"But I don't know how to use magic like you and the others, Rahm-Ku." Hiccup protested.

Rahm-Ku then proceeded to hand the Destruction book to Hiccup as he stood up.

"That's why I'm going to help you. J'Kiir's hunting, the Companions called for Renee, and the dragons are still asleep. That should give us some time. And if we're lucky, I can teach you the Flames spell as well."

Before Hiccup could say anything, Rahm-Ku grabbed the Viking by the wrist and pulled him outside Emeralda's gates. Once they were a good distance from the wall, Rahm-Ku released his grip and turned to Hiccup.

"We'll work out here. That way, there's less worry about damaging the town."

Seeing that Rahm-Ku was intent on giving him magic lessons, Hiccup placed the books on a nearby rock as Rahm-Ku began the lesson.

"While not everyone has the ability to use magic as easily as I can, everyone is capable of casting magic. But before you can cast a spell, you must first get in touch with your Magicka."

"That's our magical energy, right?" Hiccup asked, earning a nod from Rahm-Ku.

"That's right. And it is about the hardest energy to tap into at first. You need to be able to sense the magicka before you can use it. That is the first lesson I'm going to teach you, today. Sensing and tapping into your magicka reserves."

Now Hiccup was curious.

"How do you do that?"

Rahm-Ku took a seat on a nearby rock and motioned Hiccup to do the same on the opposite rock. Once the Viking sat down, Rahm-Ku proceeded with the lesson.

"When you are able to touch your magicka reserve, then you won't need to do this exercise as much. First, close your eyes. And don't question why. I made that mistake when the Breton patriarch started to teach me."

Following Rahm-Ku's advice, Hiccup closed his eyes.

"Now, push every single thought out of your mind. Make your mind blank."

That proved to be a little difficult for the Viking. He was known for having a plethora of thoughts and ideas. So emptying his mind took a lot of effort. But once he did, he nodded his head, letting Rahm-Ku know he was ready for the next step.

"Now, allow yourself to sense the energies within you. Your Magicka will be the newer, unfamiliar sensation. Well, other than the Thu'um, that is. If I have to give Magicka a color, it would be blue."

As Rahm-Ku proceeded, Hiccup allowed himself to sense the energies within himself. There was nothing at first. But soon he saw streams of red and green. When he told Rahm-Ku this, the Argonian answered his mental question.

"The red is your heath. As long as it's long and red, you are healthy and fine. The green is your stamina. The green 'ribbons' will get short every time you use your stamina, but it will always restore itself with time. Unless you use stamina potions. The same goes for your heath and health potions. However, you cannot see how long your life reaches. Think of your red ribbon as a thick shield surrounding your Thread of Life. Now, try and locate your Magicka reserves."

Hiccup continued to focus, searching for a ribbon that stood out. He found one, but it was bright white.

"Must be my Thu'um." He thought as he continued to search.

He didn't have to search long as he found a shimmering blue ribbon amongst the colors.

"I see it." He told Rahm-Ku.

Hearing this, Rahm-Ku spoke.

"Now…touch the ribbon."

While Hiccup's physical form held out his hand, his consciousness in the form of a tendril reached for the ribbon. Then…he touched the ribbon. Rahm-Ku smiled as an Argonian could upon seeing a blue aura surround Hiccup.

"And there you have it. You've unlocked your Magicka."

Hiccup opened his eyes as he stared in awe at the blue light that coated his body. The feeling of magic was…sensational. No words could describe the touch of his Magicka felt to him other than a cool breeze one would feel on a hot summer day. Looking to Rahm-Ku, Hiccup spoke.

"So this is what Magic feels like?"

The Mage shrugged his shoulders.

"Basic magic, yes. But when it comes to the different Schools of Magic, each feeling is different. For example…"

He then picked up the Restoration book and handed it to the Viking.

"…The School of Restoration gives of a warm sensation. Like being embraced by a loved one, like a parent. This is, of course, the most accepted and one of the three more popular Schools of Magic."

"What are the other two?" Hiccup asked.

"Destruction and Conjuration." Rahm-Ku replied.

Hiccup blinked about the latter of the magic.

"I can guess why the Destruction School, but why Conjuration?"

Rahm-Ku proceeded to answer.

"Despite the reputation the School of Conjuration gets thanks to some Less-Desirables, Conjuration magic is very useful. Especially if you are in a bind. For example, say you and Toothless get separated and you need a distraction. By using Conjuration magic, you can summon a familiar or a Daedra from the realm of Oblivion and they can distract a foe. If you are fighting, you can conjure up weapons such as a sword, a battle axe, even a bow. Though for the latter, it would be best if you have a quiver of arrows with you. There is one spell that is either useful or wrong depending on your perspective."

"And what spell is that?" Hiccup asked.

Rahm-Ku pulled an item out of his pocket and tossed it to the Viking. When he looked at what he caught, he was surprised that it was a pair of small pink crystals, one duller than the other.

"What are these?"

"Soul Gems." Rahm-Ku replied.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow at the crystals as the lesson continued.

"Using a special spell called 'Soul Trap,' these gems can be filled with the soul of a defeated enemy, ranging from skeevers to mortal enemies."

Hearing this, Hiccup dropped the gems in shock.

"Souls?! These jewels have souls in them?!"

Rahm-Ku quickly held up his hands as he tried to calm the Viking down.

"Only the mages on the wrong path can place innocent souls into Soul Gems. I can use Soul Trap, but I would only capture the souls of those that would harm me and those around me. Like how we absorb the souls of the dragons of Skyrim. You could say we are also living Soul Gems, designed specifically for dragons."

Hiccup found this surprisingly true. Based on what Rahm-Ku said about Soul Gems and the Soul Trap spell, he and his siblings could be considered as living Soul Gems. So there wasn't exactly much to argue further. After all, he could tame and train dragons yet he was born with the ability to slay a dragon completely.

It was quite the paradox.

Rahm-Ku then proceeded to speak.

"We can learn more about Conjuration magic another time. For now, let's begin with learning the Healing spell."

When Renee and J'Kiir returned to Emeralda hours later, they found their brothers outside the town while the dragons watched nearby. They also took notice at what Rahm-Ku was talking with Hiccup about.

"It seems that the lizard is teaching our northern brother magic. That's good. He needs to be better prepared for what may come."

Renee only nodded. She wasn't exactly feeling good at the moment. She hunted game as usual, but unbeknownst to her brothers, it wasn't enough. A couple days prior, she received a message via courier from Aela. She needed her help in taking down spots where the Silver Blood had set up shop. She had to inform Aela about her curse by Namira first, in case she became feral. The Huntress acknowledge it, but remained unafraid. Surprisingly, she found this beneficial. They would kill the Silver Hand and use their blood to satisfy Renee's savage hunger.

Renee barely complained. The second curse was becoming unbearable and she needed to tend to it. If she did not feed on human flesh, her mouth would feel so dry that no other drink could quench it. The dryness was aided by a prickling sensation and intense cravings on human flesh. Over time, she would become delusional if she had not fed on humans. On the other hand, her guilt when she ate members of the Silver Hand would grow larger and larger despite the werewolf hunters killing Skjor during her post-werewolf initiation.

For Renee, the second curse was a living nightmare.

After placing hers and J'Kiir's game in the storage huts and leaving the Khajiit to begin skinning the meat, Renee returned to her house and deposited the spoils from the Silver Blood spots in a storage room within her house.

Jewels and jewelry went into a small bag to sell in Whiterun. Weapons she claimed, including a beautiful silver sword, were placed on weapon mounts and in one chest. She had given alchemical ingredients and food such as tomatoes and wheat to J'Kiir since he now owned the inn. Books she had collected were placed on a bookshelf, though she gave a couple to Hiccup by setting them on his bed. This included a book from an ancient ruin known as Silent Moons Camp that could teach the Viking how to make Lunar Weapons. Having killed the bandits there on a job and cleaning the place up, she figured her brother would be interested in creating these weapons.

Like her brothers, Renee knew what day it was. She began searching through the other chests and began to collect what she would need in the morning. She brought out a set of scale armor and fresh leather boots and armbands. She placed an empty satchel on the table in the main room of the house and began filling it with potions. J'Kiir said he would be the one to handle the poisons. She would pack food in the morning, but set some fruits and vegetables aside to plant in her freshly-tilled garden. She had informed her brothers a day ago to plant their own produce gardens, though J'Kiir was also planting an alchemic ingredients garden as well.

She then began to select which weapons to choose. She debated about a bow and a quiver of arrows, but decided on a steel greatsword. She wanted to deal as much damage to Dralsa Nethrend as she could. She wanted him to pay for all the suffering he caused both directly and indirectly. And it was just to her and her village. The eleven women's villages also needed to be avenged and who knew what had been happening to those girls over the years. If Dralsa was as bad as Namira and her own instincts claim, she needed to be prepared.

After she gathered what she needed and set them on the table, Renee set her weaponry aside and headed outside. She headed to the gate and made a left turn once she passed it, facing the two ally dragons. She approached Bane, who looked like he was bored out of his skull until he saw Renee. The Juggernaut happily approached his rider and allowed her to change his bandages. It was still going to be another week or two before he could fly again, but he knew he was being given the best of care the Dragonborn siblings could provide.

As Renee changed the bandages on the dragon's wing, she spoke.

"Hey. How about we go for a run after I patch you up?"

She did not need to say anymore. The dragon was eager for some action and he loved going for runs whenever he could. Taking his grin for a yes, Renee quickly tended to his would and returned to her house to fetch the saddle Hiccup had made for her. With great care, she placed the saddle on Bane's back and secured it so it wouldn't slip and slide. Once the saddle was on, Renee called out to J'Kiir, who was working on the torches on the recovering wall.

"Bane and I are going out for a ride. We'll be back in a while."

J'Kiir only nodded. He knew that his sister was becoming more stressed as her Judgement Day approached like a fired arrow. Going for a run on Bane seemed to be the best thing to lower her stress. Well…aside from smashing everything in her makeshift training yard or hammering away in the mine. Once they passed the gate, the Warrior pair galloped out and onto the plains of Whiterun hold.

Over the past five days, Renee had been under the tutelage of Hiccup and thanks to her experience in riding horses, riding Bane proved to be an easy and exhilarating feat. She still had to learn how to ride a dragon while flying and she was struggling to get over her fear of flying, but perhaps it would diminish over time. After all, like most children, she wondered what it would be like to fly.

That wonder vanished when Emeralda was taken from her.

For now, going for a "run" on Bane would satisfy them both. Not that either of them were complaining. As they ran, Renee noticed that the dragon's footsteps weren't thunderous as they should, given the dragon's weight. As they slowed down for a drink at a river that flowed along the Reach, Renee dismounted and began to drink with her dragon. She took further notice of Bane's feet and once she was finished, she turned to Bane and spoke.

"Mind if I take a look at one of your feet? I'm curious about something."

It was an odd request from his rider, but Bane allowed her to examine one of his back legs while he continued to drink. As she examined it, Renee noticed that the foot wasn't flat or thin like human feet or that of the other dragons. Instead, Bane's feet were padded with a dark yellow cushion of flesh, similar to that on a dog or cat. She touched the padding and much to her amazement, despite the running, the padding was still soft yet sturdy.

"These pads must muffle your steps. So you can sneak up on unsuspecting prey and protect your feet when running." She pondered.

This was definitely something she would have to tell Hiccup, knowing how excited the Viking would be. What other secrets did the dragon unknowingly held?

Suddenly, Bane jerked his head from the water and looked toward the horizon. Noticing the tension in the dragon's body, Renee released the foot and looked to where dragon was facing.

"What is it, Bane?" she whispered.

A snarl appearing on the Juggernaut's face was enough for Renee to take action. She withdrew the sword and shield she took with her that she had purchased from Whiterun and stood at the ready.

Flying over the mountain was a dragon.

Renee mentally cursed as she realized the dragon was making a bee-line for her and Bane. The Juggernaut was willing to fight as his tail flailed around and his teeth were exposed, demonstrating that he viewed this new dragon as a threat.

"Get ready, Bane." Renee spoke. "You're about to have your first taste of battling this kind of dragon."

As the dragon was just about on top of them, Renee and Bane moved opposite of each other as the enemy dragon released a breath of ice at where they stood. Seeing this, Renee groaned.

"Of course they can breathe Ice. We have the same power as them."

As the dragon turned around and went for a second strike, Renee retaliated with her own Voice.

"Fus Ro!"

The unfinished Unrelenting Force was enough to knock the dragon's head aside, missing Renee as he struggled to recover.

After another three swoops, Renee was becoming more and more frustrated.

"Ugh! The damned thing won't land and I didn't bring a bow and quiver or a Firebolt scroll."

She then turned around and found that Bane wasn't anywhere.

"Bane? Bane!?"

No response. Renee gawked as she dodged the enemy dragon once again.

"I can't believe it! He bailed on me!"

But a familiar roar made Renee think otherwise as she looked to the source. Bane was on a ridge that was at the enemy dragon's level. Renee was baffled.

"When did he get up there!?"

As the dragon was coming back for another round at Renee, Bane crouched down to the ground just like a cat and waited. When the dragon was at the desired position, Bane, much to Renee's surprise, pounced onto the dragon's back and began to cause a spectacle in the sky.

Renee watched in awe as Bane clawed at and bit at different parts of the dragon, causing it to roar and lash out in anger.

"Hi krilon wah iidah zey, mey?! Hi fen biis fah daar, hi valdrekaan vax!" (1)

As Renee struggled to get out of the way, she could've sworn she could hear Bane speak.

"Zu'u krilon, hi kruziik tholaar! Zu'u fen ni vos hi aax dii braan dovah fron! "(2)

Shaking her head after coming to the conclusion that it was just her imagination, Renee climbed onto a pile of boulders and called out to Bane.

"Bane! Tear at his wings! They'll ground him and I'll finish the rest!"

Bane heard Renee's call and tore into the enemy dragon's right wing with his claws. Not only did the dragon howled in pain, but they were losing altitude quickly. Seeing that they were going down, Bane jumped off the dragon and landed back on the ridge he jumped off of. Seeing that Bane was safe, Renee ran towards the fallen enemy dragon and lifted her sword. She was quick as the blade pierce the enemy dragon right in the brain. The dragon whipped his head around in an attempt to rid himself of the sword imbedded in his skull, it was all for naught. After a few minutes of thrashing, the dragon's head fell to the ground, dead.

As Bane approached Renee, he jumped as he saw the dead dragon disintegrate like burning paper and ethereal tendrils enveloping around the Nord girl. He would've jumped toward Renee had he not notice that Renee wasn't being harmed. As the threads began to fade, Bane remembered Renee's story about how she and her kin discovered they were the legendary Dovahkiin. Remembering that story was what helped Bane figure out what was going on.

Renee was absorbing the dragon's soul.

The Nord in question was expecting Bane's hesitation when it came to the "perks" of being a Dragonborn. While she was grateful that Toothless had accepted their "talents" as they were born with the power, Renee wondered about Bane. Which was why she told Bane about her and her brothers being Dragonborn days prior.

Once the soul had been absorbed and the enemy dragon had been reduced to nothing about bones, Renee looked to Bane, who gave an unsure look.

"I told you about this." She replied.

After minutes of silence, Bane approached her and lightly nuzzled Renee's side. The motion caused Renee to chuckle as she stroked the Juggernaut's muzzle.

"Guess it's alright with you, huh, Bane?"

The dragon "purred" as he received the attention from his rider. The Warrior smiled as she placed her forehead on the dragon's in an affectionate way. "Thank you, my friend." She then backed away to mount Bane as she spoke once more.

"Let's go back to Emeralda. I'm curious as to how Hiccup is doing with his magic lessons."

Bane snorted in agreement as he walked in the direction of Emeralda.

As they walked, a song was coming back into Renee's mind. She recognized it as the one song her mother would often sing to her for a lullaby. The words were sung in an elvish language long forgotten by all but a select few. Greta Silverglass being one of them. Normally, she would only listen to the song in her mind. But this day, for some reason, she couldn't hold it in anymore and began to sing.

(3)

Hahren na

melana sahlin

Emma ir abelas

Souver'inan isala hamin

Vhenan him dor'felas

In uthenera na revas

Renee vocalized the section between the first and second half of the song as her mother did. Bane didn't really mind the song. In fact, he found it rather soothing as Renee continued the song as they rode on home.

(/: :/)

Vir sulahn'nehn

Vir dirthera

Vir samahl la numin

Vir 'lath sa'vunin'

(Repeat /: :/)

Notes:

(1) You dare to attack me, fool? ! You will pay for this, you wretched traitor!

(2) I dare, you ancient relic! I will not let you harm my fellow dragon kin!

(3) This is Leliana's Song from "Dragon Age: Origins." For the English Lyrics, please visit the Wiki.

When I wrote this, I have just gotten into Dragon Age. I may put in "The Dawn Will Come" in a much later chapter.