Looking up at the sky, I couldn't help but feel like the world was laughing at me right now. A very familiar winged beast flew overhead, blocking out the sun with its body, and casting its own terrible shadow over the city of Feoh.
Sheo-fucking-gorath must have had something to do with the situation, the timing was just too perfect. One crisis averted, only for a brand new one takes its place.
"What in the name of the Goddess is THAT?!"
"That… That can't be! Dragons are myths, nothing but legends!"
"O Laurentia, Heavenly Mother, I ask that no matter what fate befalls us today, let our families survive…"
"It can't be… The Harbingers of the End-Times…"
The words of the people around me deafened as I looked up at the massive creature circling Feoh. I found myself thankful that it looked very… non-distinct. I would NOT like to fight Alduin if he ever decided to show his…
You know what? Best I don't finish that thought. I don't want to give fate (or Sheogorath) any ideas.
As it dived down, landing in an already burning portion of the fortress, I steeled my nerves to face it. "Princess, take the Elves and my dog, Rex, to go look for her," I told her, already grabbing one of the ladders that the soldiers had laid down before to give myself a way down. "I've got a date with a big-ass lizard."
"What?!" she shouted, cutting in front of me to look me in the face. "You're going to fight that thing?!"
I pushed past her and began lowering the ladder. "Yes," I stated plainly. "That creature is a natural disaster with wings. If it isn't taken care of, then Feoh might not fall to the Black Dogs, because there won't BE a city left to fall."
"Is this some kind of joke?! You can't take that thing alone! You'd need an army to have any hope of bringing a beast of that size down!" she protested.
I glanced back at her. "Then what do you suggest we do? Wait for it to get pissed off enough to attack the inner fortress? With all the survivors and refugees inside it? Or maybe let it destroy most of the city while we sit here waiting and hoping it loses interest?" I asked sarcastically as I hopped over the wall, holding tight to the ladder rungs.
Alicia glared at me hard. "And you think you can stop it by yourself? That somehow you'll magically be able to defeat something of that size?!" She paused for a moment as if she realized something. "You're planning on fleeing, aren't you?"
I met her glare with one of my own. "No, but I'm not so stupid to think that this is a problem we should wait out." I looked down, just to make sure there were no Black Dogs or monsters trying to come up. "You and the Elves need to find Princess Prim. I'll take care of the Dragon." I started to climb down, but pulled myself back up for a moment.
"By the way, in order to get them to help you… you may want to exaggerate the reason why you should go get the Princess. While I said they are willing to help, they are quite selfish. If I hadn't made it clear their best chance of surviving the situation was by helping out, then they wouldn't have. So if it sounds like Prim's safety may or may not hurt your chances of winning, they may be a bit more inclined to help."
Alicia gave me a disapproving look. "No," she finally ground out.
Ah, well, I tried.
Placing my hands on the outside of the ladder, and adjusting my footing, I began sliding down. While it was a bit risky, I figured if push came to shove, I could heal myself. I would rather avoid being a slow moving target for any enemy archer to take pot shots at. Once I hit the ground and got off the ladder, I watched the knights pull it back up and into the inner walls.
Okay, time to go fight a Dragon…
All I had to do was follow the biggest plume of smoke, and it would lead me there in no time.
The Princess of Feoh watched as the so-called "adventurer" left the safety of the inner fortress and began rushing in the direction of the dragon that had landed in Feoh. She watched him for as long as she could, and realized that he was being fully serious about going to confront it. Not once did he look back at her, or even try to change course, even though there was little they would have done to stop him, being so far from the wall. He maintained his course, and even as he took a turn out of sight, she couldn't help but wonder if he was mad or not.
She cursed under her breath. "Damn it. Suicidal fool…" she said quietly. If he isn't leaping head-first into his death, then he's a deserter. Either way, she had a more important task at hand. Looking around and catching sight of a pink-haired woman, Alicia called out to her.
"Captain Lily!"
The pinkette ran over. "Yes, Lady Arcturus?!" She stopped a few feet away, ready for orders.
"You are in charge of holding the Inner Walls until my return," said the blonde princess to her second in command. "I have to go find Prim before she is captured… or worse," she added, her voice taking on an edge as she thought about the possibility of losing Prim…
She wasn't sure if she would have the heart to go on if anything happened to her.
"I… I see…" Captain Lily said slowly. "Good luck, and may the Goddess watch over you both."
With command officially passed, Princess Arcturus felt only slightly better about going off to find Prim. Lily was a good second in command, but was untested in a situation like this. No one was, and the stress was getting to everyone, but she felt confident the captain would hold the line until her return.
Now, the next thing to do would be enlisting the Elves for aid. Alicia began heading down the wall to where they were last seen. Hind had told her he managed to convince them to help, but to be totally honest, she was skeptical. What could he have said to them to make them change their mind?
In the end, it didn't matter. Whether they actually agreed, or simply lied to him, she would be out searching for Prim soon.
The Princess found them near where she had last left them, but rather than alone as she had expected, they were actually surrounded on all sides by scared people. A situation they were surprised and uncomfortable with, she could tell from looks alone.
"You can fight it, right Lady Sorceress?" one such person asked, desperation evident in their tone.
"She can protect us, she's powerful! Did you see how she reduced Aberrants and entire groups of men to ashes?!"
"Please, I swear I'll do anything you ask, just keep us safe!"
For a few moments, Alicia could only stare. For someone who refused to help them fight, it seemed like many of her people saw her as something akin to a beacon of security. It stung a bit that they would flock to a total stranger rather than her and her knights for protection, but so long as they were safe…
"Enough!" the other Elf yelled out. "Stop crowding Lady Olga!"
Alicia froze for a moment upon hearing her name. Olga… the same as the ruler of the north wasteland… a Dark Elf… and a Sorceress.
For a moment, Alicia wondered if this Dark Elf was indeed who she suspected her to be. At the same time, that didn't exactly make sense. Why would she leave her tower? Why would she come here? Why would she be willing to help humans?
For a few moments, Alicia considered the possibility of this woman truly being the Dark Queen, but then quickly discarded the thought. The Sovereign of the Black Fortress was the enemy of the entire kingdom, maybe all of humanity. To actively help defend against Aberrants and invaders was the last thing she would do.
She gently pushed through the small crowd that had formed. Upon reaching the center, she found the Dark Elf Sorceress sitting down, her hand affectionately petting a dog that had begun resting its head on her lap.
"Lady Sorceress," she politely addressed, "Hind told me you had agreed to help us?"
A single, small nod came from the Dark Elf as she rose to her feet. "I did. Where is he?" she inquired, a cold edge in her voice. "I would have words with him now that a creature of myth has spontaneously appeared."
"He left," Alicia stated. "He said he was going to fight it, but I have my suspicions he may have simply deserted."
The Dark Elf's expression turned unreadable as she processed the Princess's words. "I see. I suppose I will have to find out if you are lying, one way or another," she said slowly, sounding more as if she was talking to herself than to Alicia. "Seeing as he isn't here, and you are, I assume you have a need for us?"
Alicia nodded. "I do. Princess Fiorire is missing, and I can't spare anyone to leave a post unattended. The only people available to help me find her are you two."
"You would have us go back out there?! With those men attacking these walls, and a damn dragon to boot?!" the Dark Elf with the ponytail asked, sounding almost outraged at the notion that she would ask something like that. "How dare you ask my Lady to-"
Olga gave the other Elf a side glance that she took as a sign to stop talking.
"Why must this 'Princess' be found? If she was taken, then she is simply another casualty of this battle. She is hardly special in that regard," she argued.
The Princess of Feoh wasn't happy to hear that in the slightest, obviously. "I don't know who you are, exactly, but don't speak of her as if she is already lost!" she almost shouted.
However, Alicia's own anger was met with a cold gaze. "Give me one reason why special exceptions should be made for her safety over anyone else's," the other woman challenged.
Alicia growled at the Dark Elf. "I should have known you had lied about 'helping'," she finally spit out, before turning around and quickly walking away. Before she made it very far, though, the other Dark Elf barked at her.
"Did you just call my Lady a liar?!" she asked in indignation over the perceived insult.
Turning on her heel, she glared at the blonde Elf. "I was told you had agreed to aid us in this fight, but when I came to you asking for assistance, you refused. You tell me how that is not 'lying'?" Alicia countered.
"Well, maybe if you gave us a good reason as to why we should risk our own safety to go out there and find a single person, we might have considered it!"
Alicia growled as she thought of a way to retort. Their argument, however, was interrupted when a great shadow passed over them, followed by a man crashing from the sky. It took Alicia one look to recognize it as one of the Knights of Prim's protection squad from Ur. He had deep stab wounds lining his waist, like something had bitten down hard enough to rend the metal. It only took Alicia a few moments to recognize the knight before she rushed over.
"Sir Oliver!" Alicia exclaimed as she ran to the side of the dying man.
Upon closer inspection, the man, Oliver, was in bad shape. In addition to the deep holes along his middle, his legs were bent in incorrect angles, and his armor was covered in a layer of frost that was unnatural for this time of year. Alicia removed his helmet and nearly recoiled at the sight. She had never seen frostbite affect someone's face like this before.
"L… Lady… Prim…" he spoke slowly. "Hargar… Kidnapped…" he continued in shallow and labored breaths.
"Rest Oliver, we can get you some help, just hold on!" Alicia told him, watching her troops run around to grab whatever they could to patch up the wounded man.
"No… Li… Listen," Oliver protested, grabbing Alicia's arm. "Hargar… kidnapped… Prim," he choked out through icy and frosted breath. "He… H-he is going to…" He tried to focus. "Reinforcements will be led by King Fiorire… they plan to use Prim as a hostage to buy more time to entrench themselves-!" he forced out, every word accompanied by pain and hurt as he tried to get out his message. "Tried… to stop them…-"
Alicia looked at him with wide eyes. "Where were they?! Is Prim alright?!"
"Landed… right on us…" His words got weaker and his final breaths began leaking. "It got me… it… dropped me… the… d…rag…on…-" was the last word Sir Oliver uttered before his grip went slack and his body went limp. Death had finally taken him, and Alicia felt grief. Oliver was a good man, one of the few she trusted to keep Prim safe, and now he was gone…
But now was not the time to mourn. As his last word registered with her, she quickly stood up and ran back up the wall. Prim was near the dragon… Prim was near the dragon!
"Someone get me a ladder, I need to get down there!" Alicia ordered, the urgency in her tone having her troops scramble to get her a ladder to return to the city. Every thought about the situation angered her to an absurd degree: Prim being kidnapped, the Dark Elves refusing to help her, losing a good man like Oliver, and to top it all off, her beloved cousin was dangerously close to that damn winged devil!
Once her ladder was set up, she mounted it and began to climb down, only stopping for a brief moment when she spotted both Dark Elves approaching, but even then only for a second. They had already declined to help, so whatever they decided to do now didn't matter.
She slid down the ladder and began sprinting towards where the Dragon had landed, intent on rescuing Prim. She would not allow anything to stand in her way!
Unfortunately for her, the situation was not nearly so straight forward, as the city was now crawling with enemies; all raping, pillaging, and burning to their hearts' content. It pained Alicia to see this; her beloved people being treated as toys, her city burning, and monsters walking its streets as if they owned it. Gripping the Blade of Iris tightly, she pressed forward. Rescue Prim first, then the rest can be saved…
Hearing the cries of her people, their wails of anguish, pain, and forced pleasure, tore at her sense of reason, and ultimately her own nature to help the weak and innocent proved stronger. She charged at an orc from behind, and with a single swing of her sword split it in two, with a following swing that severed its head from its body. This act got the attention of many others, and while she was confident in her ability to slay them, it was a waste of precious time.
She fought with the skill and valor one would expect of a Commander of the Knights of Iris. Monster after monster fell to her, as did man after man, and for a few moments she had thought she had won this battle.
That is, until she turned around and found herself staring up at an Orc. And not just any orc, but a Chieftain.
"He he he…" it chuckled in a deep and guttural tone. "Been waiting for chance like this for long time," the beast said as it slowly approached.
Alicia prepared for battle, only to hear footsteps all around her. A quick glance to either side revealed to her that she had let herself get surrounded by orcs. "I don't have time for this! Leave now and you will be spared. If you refuse, then you shall die like the other beasts I have slain today!" she proclaimed, pointing her blade towards the towering chieftain.
It barked out another laugh. "Ha!" It couldn't help itself. "Strong spirit… Will be fun to break," it said as its mouth twisted into a sadistic smile. Alicia grimaced at the sight, but attacked anyway… only to find out the Orc had been ready for her, batting away her sword with its club with enough force to send it sliding across the street. The Princess Knight felt shock, alarm, and most prominently fear, as her only defense was now well behind a wall of orcs slowly closing in on her.
She had nowhere to run, every exit was blocked. Whatever hope she had of emerging from this situation unscathed and untarnished was becoming dimmer by the moment. The Chieftain grabbed her by an arm and lifted her up to eye level, smile broadening as it saw the fear in her eyes.
It allowed itself a moment to relish the chance to take her purity, dragging its rough tongue along her face, savoring her flesh before throwing her down on the ground. A few of its brothers grabbed at her arms to keep her still, and allowed their leader the pleasure of first penetration…
"Disgusting."
Suddenly, an explosion enveloped the Orc Chief and the two to its right and left. A fire so intense and instantaneous that Alicia had only a brief moment to shield her eyes from the flames. Once they died down, however, the Chieftain was no more, its lower half the only remains left, collapsing and disintegrating soon after.
Princess Arcturus' eyes widened at the sight of her savior. None other than the Dark Elf Sorceress stood there, staff in hand and a coldly neutral expression on her face, as though the act of completely destroying these creatures was nothing more than squashing insects under her heel.
"AARGH!"
"GRAH!"
The two orcs holding her arms cried out as their own hands were severed at the wrist by the other Dark Elf. She then removed the heads of the dark creatures in a few moments, slicing across their brow first, followed by another quick slash across the neck, killing them.
The remaining orcs saw this and charged, aiming to attack them all, but a few more spells from the Sorceress rendered them as nothing more than ash and gore. Those who weren't incinerated wisely ran away from the situation, leaving the three alone in the street.
"Leaving the safety of the inner walls alone was a profoundly idiotic action," said Olga, her tone cold and judgmental. "Were it not for my intervention, you would have been violated, captured and enslaved, the other princess would remain a captive, and this battle would have been lost."
Alicia could only stare dumbly at them. She had many questions to ask, but…
"Thank you," she quietly muttered…
The Sorceress looked around. "On our way, we noticed the Dragon has been flying around the northern gates. If this other princess is around where it was, then that is where we had best start looking," she stated, walking past the downed princess, who simply looked surprised.
"Wait, are you going to help me get her?!" Alicia asked. Didn't they consider her a lost cause?
Chloe looked back at Alicia. "We will… but only because the sooner those reinforcements arrive and repel the invaders, the sooner My Lady and I will be free from this threat." She remained there for a few moments, turning to look down on Alicia. "Be warned, however, if I have to pick between the other princess, you, or my Lady? I will pick her every time," she told the Alicia, before turning and following her Mistress again.
Alicia sat there for a few moments, a mixture of emotions running through her; gratitude, shame, anger, and a fierce determination.
She would not fail her cousin. These Dark Elves were a miracle from the Goddess, and she wasn't going to squander the chance they had provided her. She picked her sword up, and with a renewed spirit, she began her search for the lost princess with them. She would recover Prim, no matter what.
"YOU DAMN FLYING LIZARD, GET THE FUCK DOWN HERE AND FIGHT ME!"
So, want to know what I didn't realize at first when I went to fight this dragon?
It doesn't like to remain in one place for very long.
It flies around, breathing fire and ice on different portions of Feoh, circling a small section of the city. It doesn't help that despite the wide streets and squares it lands in, I have to run back and forth, trying to actually get close enough to get its attention. I would Shout, but there would be a lot of collateral damage, and I haven't even gotten close enough to actually hit it.
Despite this odd game of cat and mouse, where the mouse was chasing the cat, I couldn't help but notice a strange sight. Everywhere I looked, there seemed to be a stray knight fighting, an innocent woman cowering in fear, or young men and children trying to hide from the monster that now occupied this part of the fortress. Strangely enough, there were not many Black Dogs, even though this portion of the city was overrun first.
If I had to guess, most of the Black Dogs ran when they realized it was orbiting this area specifically, leaving those who would have been their slaves and captives behind to save their own skins. Which is good for me, because I don't have to worry about getting caught fighting them and the Dragon at once. Then again, that's if the Dragon would stop for a couple of seconds and FUCKING STAY STILL ALREADY!
Needless to say, my temper was being tested. I thought actually fighting it would be the hard part, but no, actually getting close enough to do something is MUCH harder.
I don't understand though, what was the point? If it wanted me to fight, why did it keep moving around then?
Was it looking for me? Was it toying with me?
The only time it stayed anywhere a little longer than normal was when it would occasionally let out a stream of fire or ice towards any unfortunate soul that couldn't get out of its line of sight, usually a Black Dog or a monster that decided they'd rather take their chances in the open rather than in cover.
Good riddance.
However, while I would love to let it just wreak havoc on the Black Dogs around the area, I needed to stop it from destroying the whole city, and I was feeling a bit hungry. However, my meal was currently flying around like an asshole and I was stuck playing catch-up, running down streets, through alleys, across squares and intersections.
I stopped in my tracks, watching it turn back the other way. It vanished over a few buildings, but I knew it landed close. This wasn't working, I needed to ground it somehow.
If I could do that, fighting it would be much easier, since it would be forced to try to deal with me… or maybe it would start stampeding through the fortress, but honestly, that might be easier to deal with.
In Skyrim, the only surefire way to ground a Dragon was the Dragonrend shout. Sadly even though I remembered the words, I lacked the fundamental understanding necessary to actually give them power. Then again, maybe I'm thinking of this a bit too closed-mindedly… How else have I seen dragons grounded in other games and stories?
Obviously, ruining the wings and tail would be a good place to start, but therein lied the issue of getting close enough to even attempt to break them or cut them. Maybe I could sneak around it and get on its back or something? Or if I can find a harpoon or something similar, could I pin one of its wings to its body? There were about a thousand ways I could do it, but only a few that are available to me at the moment. Unless I can find a ballista or something, I think sneaking is my best bet.
With that idea in mind, I began making my way over to where it had landed. It was a little market square, mostly empty, save for two or three people cowering underneath their stalls or hiding behind some barrels or crates. I did my best to be as quiet as I could, as I didn't want it to take to the sky and make me chase it again. So I made sure to use the stalls and crates as cover, and prayed to God that it didn't know what I smelled like just yet.
As I navigated through it, I stumbled upon a small weapon stand with some well-made weapons on it. None were exactly better than what I got, but I took note of the weapons on display: a jousting lance, a greatsword, and even a warhammer. None of this was useful to me at the moment, but if I lost anything, I could probably get another weapon from here if I needed one.
I quickly peeked around the corner and spotted it perched on a building scanning for me.
"Hmm," I heard it hum. "The dov pretender has not arrived yet. Perhaps that joor kopraan is not as strong as I had thought?"
I frowned. How did I understand that?
Maybe it's because of the Dragon Soul I absorbed before? It gave me an understanding of Ro after I killed it, after all, so perhaps I got some other non-words of power in my vocabulary. That's the only explanation I could think of, as far-fetched as it seemed.
Regardless, it kept its eyes moving, sweeping the area for me, or anyone who had the misfortune of being within line of sight. I carefully crept closer, using a carriage as cover, and doing my best to avoid moving when it was looking my way. Thankfully, it hadn't noticed me yet, even as I got closer to the building it sat on. If I could get to the roof, I might be able to ambush it with Unrelenting Force and knock it down to the ground. If it was on its back, I would have a much easier time clipping its wings, I think.
I found myself freezing in place as I noticed it start to turn its head back in my direction, and prayed to whatever Divines were watching that it didn't notice me.
"Hurry the fuck up! We just need to get this little bitch to the gates, and then we'll be-" I heard someone exclaim as two men entered the little market. Black Dogs, from the looks of them, and they were pulling along…
Oh, you have got to be shitting me-
"Ah… I suppose while I await for my prey, a little snack wouldn't hurt," I heard the Dragon rumble, and faster than I could blink, that massive jaw clamped down around the first man, swallowing him whole.
I couldn't help but sit there in shock as he was gone in less than an instant. The second man tried to run, but-
"YOL!"
The man was incinerated, nothing left but a shriveled and charred corpse of what used to be a human being. Once the flames dissipated, I saw it lower its head down to the pinkette Princess Prim, who stood there looking up at the dragon with eyes full of tears. She was frozen with fear, her own body refusing to move, as she just stared at the creature that would devour her, like it happened in so many old stories.
It inspected her for a moment."I've never seen a Joor like you before… Perhaps you will taste different from the others," it said, opening its maw and lunging at her small form, and I simply reacted.
"FUS RO!"
NOTE: Now, I want to make it clear, while the Dragon's dialogue is in english, No one but James can understand what it is saying. The only reason it is in English is because unfortunately the Dragon Language doesn't have a complete dictionary. However, I do want to keep as many Dragon Words in it to try and emulate how Dragons speak in Skyrim at the very least.
Knowing that, back to it.
Time seemed to slow down, for all parties involved. Prim slammed her hands over her ears as the loudest sound she had ever heard spread through the air, shattering every window in the area and making the ground quake underneath her own feet. She could barely bring herself to look at the dragon rapidly closing in on her, only to watch as a wave of magical energy seemed to strike the beast of legend, right at the center of the neck.
It bent unnaturally, carrying the closing maw of the dragon away from her and forcing it to fall forwards. Its neck and head crashed into, and then through the building it sat on. Its body was forced to angle itself to not break its neck, leading to it falling off its perch.
Prim stood there confused, but still afraid, even as a knight grabbed her by the hand and pulled her into the building opposite of the mythical beast. While it recovered from its forced fall, the Princess of Ur found herself held closely by this mysterious stranger.
"Are you alright?" he asked, looking down at her through the visor of the helmet, and Prim found herself at a loss for words at the moment, her mind still trying to process what she had just witnessed.
"You seem fine to me, but just in case…"
A soft golden glow began emanating from his hands, and carefully he moved them over her.
"Who… Who are you?" she asked, awe leaking into her voice.
The glow stopped, and he pulled his hands back. "James Hind," he answered simply, pushing her aside to peek at the dragon. It made noises and grunting sounds as it tried to right itself from the strange situation it got stuck in. "Sorry to cut introductions short, but I can't let that thing get away. Stay here, and remain hidden," he ordered and began walking back outside.
Prim was awestruck by the man, watching him fearlessly leave their hiding spot to go and confront a beast that only existed in myths and legends. As he exited the building, she peeked out of the window and watched as the dragon finally managed to right itself and turn towards James.
"Ah… seems you've finally decided to stop hiding, Dovahkiin," it seemingly spoke, in a language that Prim could not fathom, its voice deeper and more frightening than any the Ur Princess had ever heard before.
"Funny, 'cause from my perspective, you were running from me," he replied, drawing his sword from his belt. "Gonna try to fly away again, or are you actually prepared to fight?"
The beast of myth laughed.
"Hah… Running? No, I was merely ensuring you could not escape me," it gloated, raising itself up to look down on the human.
James seemed to realize what it meant. "Ah, I get it now. You've got me boxed in."
"The fires I have set here ensure you have nowhere to run. All the time you spent chasing me, and you didn't even realize you were the one trapped," it informed James smugly.
Prim felt fear and terror grip her heart, and tears of fright formed around her vision.
If it had trapped him… that meant she was trapped as well.
She would never see her Alicia again, or Mother and Father.
She wanted to cry, but her tears stopped when she heard laughter from… James?
"Aha ha ha…" he laughed at the great beast. "I don't think you realize yet, but I'm not trapped in here with you. You're trapped in here with ME!"
At that declaration, the battle had begun. The dragon's mouth swooped down, teeth bared and mouth wide open ready to swallow him, only to immediately pull back when, rather than getting eaten, James stabbed upwards into the roof of its mouth. And an impossible sound reached Prim's ears… the sound of a Dragon in pain.
For a creature so large, so invincible, the idea that anything could cause it damage, let alone hurt it, was something she had never thought possible.
But despite the pain, they fought on unequal terms. The dragon immediately spread its wings, and with a few great flaps, took to the skies. Once it was airborne, James ran towards the center of the square and began raiding the merchant stalls for… something. Was that a lance? Once he had what he was looking for, he ran to the edge of the square and opened his mouth.
"FUS!"
Whatever that word was had a great effect in clearing most of the square's stalls and other things. The Princess looked in awe as she realized he was making his arena bigger, clearing it of anything that could get in his way.
Who was this man? He commanded a power similar to the Dragon… And it called him some strange word. Dovahkiin… What could it mean?
Prim saw the Dragon begin to descend on the square.
"FO!"
A stream of cold escaped its mouth, and James had no more than a moment to dodge out of the way as the breath froze everything, coating it in an unnatural layer of frost that made it seem like winter itself turned into a weapon. Ice and frost covered the area that had barely missed James, who in response ignited his hands with magical flames, melting the frost and allowing it to evaporate, but he was still pointing to the ground in various places.
While it circled the area, James looked up and called out, "Is that the best you got?! A little chill?!"
The dragon roared in response, and stopped flying, allowing itself to crash into the ground with enough force to crack stone. It had tried to land on him, but he had seen the attack coming, and had managed to move himself out of the way just in time. After it had landed, James did something she did not expect, and ran directly towards it.
For a moment, it looked as though the Dragon would just snap its jaws, and that would be the end of it. He was going to be bitten in half, burned alive, frozen to death or any number of things… But rather than any of those happening, something even stranger did.
"FUS RO!"
"YO-!"
The Princess of Ur witnessed a sight that would be forever ingrained in her memory, as James had used nothing but his voice to send a dragon onto its back. Scales flew off its body, and it hit the ground with a hard crash, but as it landed, explosions ripped across its backside and wings.
"RRAGAARGR! WHAT TRICKERY IS THIS!?"
While it struggled to get up, James ran around to its side, and as it raised a wing to try righting itself, James charged into it, running through the burnt and weakened wing, and embedding the lance deep into the side of the dragon's body.
It cried out in pain, throwing its body around even more, forcing James to retreat so he won't be crushed, as it finally managed to roll itself back over. It glared at James with a newfound fury.
"YOU WORTHLESS LITTLE JOOR!" It let out an ear-splitting roar that forced Prim to clamp her hands over her ears once more to keep her hearing safe.
Prim watched the fight continue and found herself in awe. He kept fighting, kept dodging and attacking the mythical beast. She had never seen such bravery in anyone but Alicia!
The Princess of Ur felt no small degree of admiration for his courage, for his strength to stand up against a beast such as this and meet it head on.
She… She wanted to be brave like that too.
Her breath hitched as she watched as the dragon spun itself around, and slammed its tail like a flail into James' body, sending the mysterious knight flying. Only a moment later did she realize that he'd been sent towards her hiding spot, crashing through the window just next to the one she was watching the fight from.
"Sir James!" Prim cried as she rushed to his side.
She had little she could do to help him, but she wouldn't just leave him after a blow like that!
To his credit though, he managed to laugh the attack off… and by that, a golden glow encompassed his hands as he slowly ran them over his injured and bleeding body.
"Haha…ha…" he laughed in a weak tone. "That went a bit better than I thought it would, to be honest," he muttered, as he slowly forced his body to sit up.
Prim couldn't help but feel a tad bit confused. "What do you mean?" she had to ask.
James looked out of the window he broke through and stared at the dragon as it snaked its head around itself, trying to remove the lance from its wing. "I managed to ground it for a bit without a greatbow, or a specialized Shout," he explained, and Prim found herself simultaneously confused, intrigued, and terrified all at the same time.
"Is that what you and the great beast are doing? 'Shouting'?"
The Knight nodded, as he began trying to sit up. "Yes…" he said with some effort as he began forcing himself back to his feet. "Sorry, but the answer is a long and complicated one. I would love to explain this, but I need to kill that…" His voice trailed off as the dragon finally removed the lance that kept it from flying, almost immediately taking to the air.
James, understanding something she didn't, grabbed her by the hand and took off running to the side. She learned why he ran so quickly in mere moments.
"YOL TOOR!"
What came next, she could only call an act of divine providence. The building they had been in was covered in so much fire that she didn't believe she would have escaped it, were it not for James' quick thinking. The structure didn't burn, it was reduced to ashes in a few short moments…
There was hardly anything left of the once former building, totally consumed by flame. It melted the stone and left a small pond of cinders and molten rock.
If James hadn't grabbed her and run… there wouldn't have been anything left of her to bury. She would have been nothing more than ashes scattered to the winds.
But he kept his grip on her arm, pulling her and navigating through the neighboring buildings, slamming his body and breaking open the doors. The Dragon continued to shout those same two words, and Prim realized the entire block was being erased in a raging inferno that only a god could create. She nearly screamed when he pulled her in front of his body, one hand reaching down and sweeping under her knees, while the other went around her back to hold her in a new bridal style.
She felt confused and afraid, but placed her trust in this mysterious knight that had come to her rescue. Pressing herself close, she closed her eyes, and offered a silent prayer to the Goddess for their safety.
"FUS!"
The Shout above her was loud, and she swore she could feel that raw power pass above her as it destroyed the wall, allowing James to run out of the building as fast as he could without having to drag her behind. Prim peeked behind James for only a moment, and witnessed a sight that would haunt her dreams.
A monstrous silhouette framed in the smoke and embers of the incinerated building, teeth bared and wings spread.
This beast was no mere harbinger… this monster was death.
It swooped down towards them, ready to tear them asunder and end them. James moved faster than she ever could have, barely managing to avoid it as it crashed into the building he would have hidden her in. He carried her away while it pulled itself free of the destruction, dropping her off, away from the fight. He was about to tell her something before the dragon pulled itself free, looked over and Shouted.
"FO!"
The temperature dropped instantly, and she saw a blizzard shoot straight at them. The corpses caught in it were frozen instantly, fires were snuffed out, water turned to ice, and the ground itself was covered in a thick layer of frost.
Prim didn't know if she was frozen with fear or cold as she stared at the approaching death. Her last thoughts were of Alicia, how she wished to see her kind face one more time…
…
… Only they weren't her last, as she realized something: She wasn't dead. The blizzard had hit, but James had done something to stop it.
Both of his hands were out in front of him, between her and the blizzard of death, each emitting a barrier blocking it. "Damn it… I fucked up…" he said, voice straining. "I should have looked for a stronger Ward spell when I had the chance…"
And Prim saw it, the barrier starting to waver… and then it broke.
She felt the chill of the blizzard, the cold wind and frigid gusts, like being locked out in the middle of winter with nothing on. James spread his arms wide, and she realized why she hadn't frozen to death.
He was taking on the brunt of the frost breath.
He was… he was sacrificing himself for her…
Once the worst of the Shout had passed, she felt terribly cold, her breaths visibly coming out in little puffs. But she was still alive.
She looked up at James and saw that his armor was covered in frost. She almost thought he had frozen solid, but the slow breathing told her he wasn't. One thing was clear, though; while she thought she felt cold… he was freezing.
"Is that all you got? 'CAUSE I'M STILL STANDING!" he roared, and for a moment, Prim could have sworn she didn't see a man shielding her, but another dragon.
He took the axe from his back and charged at the beast, and for a few moments of exchanging blows, managed to penetrate what she had believed to be impenetrable scales. He embedded the axe in the side of its head, before it roared in pain and threw its head around, throwing him away.
"ARGH! I'LL TEAR THE FLESH FROM YOUR BONES!" It roared at him, charging after where he had been thrown.
James recovered quicker than she expected, however, and began fighting back with a greatsword taken from the destroyed weapon stand. A single slash across the dragon's face made it recoil slightly, but that was all the opportunity he needed to climb onto the mythical monster. He jumped and grabbed onto the axe, even as the Dragon tried to shake him off as much as it could.
It then spread its wings wide and took off to the air. Prim watched as it took him to the sky, trying to throw him off. It spun, it shook itself, it looped, everything it could do to make him fall, but James kept his grip, holding on tightly. The dragon finally took a nosedive towards the ground, vanishing over the buildings…
*CRASH*
Prim sat there for a little while, her feet stuck to the floor as if rooted in place by fear and shock. She looked around at the destruction that surrounded her, the buildings now little more than piles of cinder and ash, the frozen corpses and ice on the ground, the destroyed buildings, cracked and ruined roads…
All this between one man and one dragon.
"PRIM!" She heard a familiar and very much welcome voice call out to her.
Alicia, followed by two Dark Elves, sprinted towards her, the others following at a more cautious pace.
"Are you okay?! Are you hurt?!" she frantically asked, dropping her sword close as she began inspecting the pinkette for injuries. "You're as cold as death!" exclaimed the blonde, feeling the skin's icy temperature seeping through her gloves.
"Alicia!" Prim couldn't help but cry as she buried herself in the familiar and protective arms of her fellow princess. "I saw it, I saw the Dragon! It was here!"
The Princess of Feoh pulled back for a moment to look Prim in the eyes with an alarmed and almost panicked expression. "You saw it?! Are you alright?!"
Prim nodded quickly. "Yes, a man saved me and fought it off… Alicia, please, you have to go help him!" she begged. "He… he managed to hurt it, he used this strange… 'Shout' to fight it! He needs help!"
The Dark Elf with the staff approached. "Hurt it?" she inquired, Prim nodding in confirmation. "Hmm…" she hummed to herself, taking a moment to examine the damage over the area, before walking towards where the Dragon had vanished over the buildings, the other Elf following close behind.
"Prim, we need to get you back to the inner fortress. It's not safe out here," Alicia told her calmly, taking her hand. "Come on, we need to get you somewhere safe."
She then noticed the two Dark Elves walking away.
"Where are you going?! The inner fortress is the other way!" she called to them.
"That creature is far more dangerous to leave to a single man to deal with, no matter how powerful." The sorceress glanced back at them. "We have found your Princess, but the situation has changed." She gestured with her free hand to the ruined square, the ice covering much of it, and the fires consuming the surrounding buildings.
"Look around at this devastation; at the death, the fire, and ice. It doesn't matter if you get her safe, if that beast can just burn down the entire castle. Or what if it destroys the reinforcements? If it can incinerate an entire building in moments, what could it do to an organized group of soldiers? I would love nothing more than to return to a safe place, but this? If it isn't dealt with, then we won't be safe, even if we do take her back."
Alicia wanted to argue, but knew she couldn't. Her city, her home, was being destroyed by both a dragon and the Black Dogs. She looked down at Prim, who in turn looked up at her with pleading eyes.
"Please Alicia, you have to help him!"
Clenching a fist, the Princess Knight tried to argue against both them and herself. "What could be more important than getting her to safety?! If anything happens to her, we won't be getting any support from Ur! We need to get her somewhere safe!" she said, trying to plead for Prim's safety. "It's not safe for her… can't we just take her back and then go help?"
The Sorceress shook her head. "If we do, we may lose the chance to press the attack. That dragon poses too much of a threat to ignore," she said plainly, before turning back around and continuing on.
Alicia gave Prim a worried look, which proved to be a mistake, as her cousin's expression caused her own resolve to crumble.
"Please Alicia," Prim pleaded, and Alicia hated that she couldn't find the will to resist. A small part of her told her to still take her back anyway, but… if she did that without the Dark Elves' help, she'd be putting her in even more danger, given there were still enemy forces in Feoh.
Even on her own, she was nearly captured and violated, but escorting Prim all the way back on her own? It was all but guaranteed they wouldn't make it. There was no situation where she could get Prim safe while also dealing with the dragon.
"Damn it…" she whispered to herself, turning to her cousin and grabbing her by the shoulders. "Prim, I need you to listen very carefully, and follow every word I say, alright?"
While Alicia began instructing Prim, Chloe couldn't help but look at her Queen with worry.
"Lady Olga? Are you alright?" she asked as they walked, following a path of destruction: bodies, fires, frost, and what could only be described as a crash site, a large streak of ruined earth and stone leading through a number of buildings, ending on the other side of the block.
Olga let the question hang for a few moments, before responding.
"No," she admitted as she began walking around the destruction of the fight surely still taking place. "I had originally been hoping I could avoid this conflict if I could. Yet, here we are, in the middle of it, and our only way out is through helping repel this invasion."
Chloe looked at her mistress. That was only half the issue, and they both knew it.
"Do you think… He may have been telling the truth? About the dragons, and their return?"
"Much as I would wish to say no… it is impossible to say there is no truth to his tale. An ancient Priest," she started looking at her staff with an almost worried expression as he recalled its origin. "Dragons are no more than mere legends anymore… If what he said is true, and they are returning… I don't know what to do."
The half-elf was at a loss for words at her Lady's statement. She dearly wished to comfort her, but at the same time, looking at the destruction it created, the corpses it left in its wake…
What could kill a creature that can cause all this…?
"I killed a dragon and ate its soul."
She stopped in her tracks as she recalled that information. She had originally thought the human had been lying. After all, no man she had met had ever been honest, so why would he be?
But what if he wasn't? What if he actually could, as outlandish as it sounds, eat their souls? Perhaps he could…
Ugh, why was she even considering his help? Her Queen could figure something out, she was sure of it.
"Back when we met with him again, he mentioned he ate a Dragon's Soul, correct?" Olga asked.
"Ah, yes, he did say that," Chloe confirmed.
"He mentioned what?" asked Alicia, finally rejoining the pair, Prim in tow.
The two Elves glanced back, noting they had the Princess of Ur along with them. "Before this attack happened, James had told us something that may have a connection to current events," Olga informed. "He knew of dragons, and if what he told us is true, then he may be the key to stopping them."
Alicia and Prim looked surprised. "What do you mean?" questioned the former.
Chloe answered for her Queen. "When we were on our way here, we encountered… something. An undead priest that worshiped dragons as gods; or at least that is what James had told us. And they had been defeated by their own powers; I believe he called-"
"Shouting?" Prim offered, earning curious looks from everyone. "He said that is what he and the Dragon were fighting with…" she said meekly, somewhat uncomfortable with the looks the others were giving her.
Placing a hand on her chin in thought, Olga pondered the information. If Dragons were defeated with the very force they used, and James could use that same power…
"YOL TOOR!"
"FUS RO!"
The Shouting came from the other side of the buildings, and Olga felt her knees buckle from the raw power that came from those words. If she hadn't caught herself on her new staff, she would have fallen to the ground.
"That power…" she whispered to herself in awe as she felt the magical energy radiate through the area. It felt… overwhelming.
Alicia felt nervous as they got closer, not because she was afraid of the Dragon, but fearing for Prim. "They are close, are we certain we should-?"
"We keep going," Olga stated, insisting despite how dangerous it was. She needed to see this beast for herself, see its strength.
Leading the small group through one of the ruined buildings, Olga stopped at a corner on the other side, and found herself in awe of the sight before her: James was surrounded on all sides by monsters and mercenaries, but none were interfering with the battle, all dumbstruck at the battle between two impossible powers.
Their prisoners and captives had all been taken out of the city or escaped during the chaos of the clash. But one thing was clear; they were frozen in shock and fear. Alicia and Chloe were in a similar state, staring up at the gigantic beast as it attacked with tooth and claw, using its own massive body and Shouts to try killing a single man.
However, James stood against it still, every time it closed in with those massive jaws, it would receive a powerful swing that sliced into its snout, and hit it with enough force to divert its head away.
"What in the Goddess's name is going on?!"
"This isn't happening, this can't be happening!"
"I didn't sign up to take on a damn dragon!"
As James fought the legendary creature, those surrounding the battle couldn't help but voice their fear and terror. Alicia, Prim, Chloe and Olga shared a similar feeling.
"FO!"
Olga felt her knees weaken again as the blizzard breath swept across the small arena, freezing dozens of the fear-stricken mercenaries as it swept its head from one side to the other, James barely managing to keep just ahead as the Dragon tried to chase him with it.
Before they could even muster the courage to fight, it ended in spectacular fashion.
It snapped its jaws at James, striking like a snake, only for James to counter with his own voice
"FUS RO!"
The wave of force threw the Dragon backwards, knocking it onto its back. He wasted no time mounting it, climbing onto its stomach and stabbing the greatsword down into its stomach, slowly dragging it up its belly. It thrashed around and made attempt after attempt to kill him, biting at him over and over before it finally rolled over and forced him off, dragging the sword out with him.
It tried to crush him under its body, but barely missed, and tried instead to rip him apart with its teeth, striking at him faster than a human could react.
But James was no mere man. As the beast closed in, he leapt onto its head and held on with a vice grip as it tried to shake him, avoiding getting smashed and killed when it tried to get him off by slamming its own head into buildings and into the ground.
He, however, was quicker, and got to the top of its head, raising the greatsword above his head and plunging it straight downwards.
"RAAAA! DOVAHKIIN!"
In its death throes, James braced himself over his sword, preventing himself from falling off as it fell, dead.
The Black Dogs stood stock still. No one dared move or even speak for a few moments after it stopped moving.
"Is… is it dead?" Prim quietly asked, looking up at Alicia.
"I… I don't know," Alicia answered honestly.
Some of the Black Dogs got some of their nerves back, and tried to approach the dead beast and James. A few even took note of the women, but were more concerned with the death of a legendary beast to focus on what their real objective was. As the silence stretched longer, Olga, Alicia, and Chloe noticed the surrounding buildings weren't empty as they had thought, women and children beginning to peek through windows and through the broken and destroyed parts of the buildings.
"Damn James, I had no idea you had that in ya," one of the men stated as he approached, James remaining still.
A few more got braver and approached the head of the dragon, each making the others a little braver. However, as they got closer, Olga noticed the corpse of the Dragon began… to burn. The Black Dogs and their monster allies noticed this only moments after.
"Whoa, whoa, what's it doing?!"
"Is it burning?!" she heard among other shouts of alarm, but then… whatever happened next forced her to her knees. Raw unbridled power began flowing from the dragon's body and into James. Olga couldn't keep her stoicism and queenly mask up as she felt that energy.
"Lady Olga!" Chloe cried out as she dropped to her aid.
"By the Goddess…!" Alicia spoke in awe, while Prim could only put her hands over her mouth with wide eyes.
Chloe stared in amazement as the pure energy flowed from the dragon's body and into its slayer, James' words echoing once more inside her mind.
"I killed a dragon and ate its soul."
James hadn't lied to them… he was devouring the soul of such a mighty creature, after defeating it using its own power.
When the energy and fire finally finished flowing into James' body, the only thing left of the once legendary creature was nothing but bones. He killed it, and as his reward was power, so much that it still radiated like fire off of his body for a few moments more before finally vanishing into him.
But it was at that moment that Chloe realized that while they had sat there in awe, the next wave of Black Dogs had arrived, now that the threat of the dragon was gone. Hundreds of them were slowly marching into the fortress, slowly approaching the small arena that had been made by James and the Dragon.
"Damn, James… maybe you getting away wasn't such a fluke, huh?" one of them asked loudly as the dragon slayer slowly rose from his spot, pulling the greatsword out of the skull.
However, their slow growing fear died just as quickly as it had arrived with three powerful words.
James took a slow breath, before Shouting with a power that trumped even what the Dragon had shown.
"FUS… RO DAH!"
Those words were nearly ear-bursting to hear, but the effect was far greater than any she had ever seen before.
A wave of pure energy flew from his mouth, destroying all in its path. Men, monsters, the street, the buildings; all were ripped apart, unable to withstand the push of the Shout. She could see people and monsters both torn apart by the sheer pressure and power, and those that didn't turn apart were splattered on the walls they hit, or were beaten to death by the debris.
Their entire next wave was completely pushed out before they could spread out and dig into the fortress.
The Black Dogs that hadn't been caught in the Shout tried to attack, but James fought like someone who hadn't just gone up against a dragon. There wasn't even a sign of him being winded from the battle, and he easily overpowered and defeated the few brave enough to fight him.
The four were then taken out of their amazed stupor when the sound of a horn was heard. The Black Dogs around heard it and began running away. While Alicia wondered what had happened, another horn followed the first.
When Alicia and Prim heard it, relief flooded their bodies. Alicia knew that sound well: reinforcements from Ur had finally arrived, and if she had to guess, that first horn was to signal the attackers' retreat. She didn't let her guard down, not until she saw the last of the retreating Black Dogs get intercepted by the newly arriving Knights of Ur.
Knights bearing Ur's flag and symbol on their shield poured into the Fortress, the Black Dogs and monsters that crossed their paths cut down. Those who remained in the city found their time limited, as the Knights of Ur came in force. They may not have been the most powerful force, but the mercenaries were unable to gain a foothold. Without that, they were little more than cornered rats, caught in a corner.
The Battle of Feoh was over, the Black Dogs forced to retreat with their tail between their legs.
And the fortress city, though wounded and hurt, remained standing.
It was over. I won.
Feoh didn't fall, I killed a dragon, and for being caught off guard and having to come up with plans and strategies on the fly, I think I did pretty well.
A-, James.
I couldn't help but take a moment to just bask in the feeling of victory. However, I knew this was just the beginning. From here on, I'll need to give stopping Vault my maximum effort. Beating him here was more luck, but from here on out I need to give it my all to stop him. My knowledge is now limited to traitors, and only that.
"He… He killed it."
My good feeling evaporated at the soft voice from behind me. I turned around and saw knights, captives and… children, all crowding around the skeleton and me, leaving a large gap between the two of us.
"A dragon… dead!"
"How… how is this possible?"
"He must have been chosen by the Goddess! That's the only explanation!"
"Did you hear that power he used?! It wiped out all those Black Dogs!"
"It may be dead now… but where did it come from?"
"I don't believe it…"
Uh-oh.
People were looking at me, then at the Dragon's skeleton, and… I'm not sure if I liked the awe in their faces or not.
Before I could say anything, I spotted Olga, Chloe, Alicia, and Prim on the other side of the Dragon, staring… very intently at me.
… I'm so not looking forward to all the questions I'll have to answer.
Special thanks to LittleWhiteMouse for proofreading this chapter.
AN: Well, the Battle of Feoh has come to a close, and as much as I want to say I gave this my best effort… I kind of dropped off near the end due to one of the last family pets passing away. Losing a pet is never easy, and as much as I would have liked to say that my writing was unaffected, I cannot say that with certainty.
I am sure LittleWhiteMouse is going to rip me a new one over some things which I am fully anticipating.
BUT enough of that sad stuff, I want to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for staying with me thus far. I feel almost as if I am repeating myself every AN when I take a moment to thank you all for the support, but it is a message that bears repeating. To each and every one of you, and I cannot stress this enough: Thank you for everything.
Now, the more… unfortunate news.
Dovah Vs Dogs will be taking a small hiatus while I work on a story for my friend and editor, LittleWhiteMouse. Ideally if everything goes well I can still keep this story updated, but I am not optimistic since my own update schedule has made it more than apparent that I cannot be trusted when it comes to consistent updates.
You are all awesome, and here's to another 20 chapters… hopefully.