The Dragon's Song: Scarlet Rising
Chapter 1
Fire writhed inside the woman's soul; it shrieked and clawed at her heart as she gazed into the blood and flames burning in front of her. She didn't even notice the man that walked inside the room and quietly made his way over the rubble and dead bodies piled upon the floor, terrified of disturbing her majesty.
The man gripped his Akatosh amulet from his neck, muttering silent prayers. He prayed that he would come home safely, and that he would be able to see his wife and children, for he could feel the heat of the woman's fire breathing dangerously on his neck.
Her silhouette was stark and powerful against the harsh red light that stretched upon the walls and reached out its claws to the rest of the dark room; like it thought the darkness a pest and needed to be killed.
"Akatosh, please protect me," he whispered shakily. His heart pounded in his head and his legs trembled. He walked up to the woman, leaning forward slowly, careful to not get skimmed by the screaming fire.
It took everything in the man's power not to shout, or to even release a breath out of his mouth. The woman's face- it was horrifying. Against the harsh shadows and the fire, her face looked anything but human, with her dark pools for eyes gleaming brightly with a harsh red tint. Blood was leaking down from her face and her ebony armor, dripping from her arms and running down her sword which she gripped tightly in both hands.
Someone could've easily mistaken her for a daedra, and yet people still called her a woman, but the man knew in his heart she wasn't truly a human, for he had heard of the things she's done: the madness she's created, and the horror and terror she's struck in everything that has heard of her or seen of her.
It was truly a shame. He had seen her captivating beauty and the raw power of her presence.
She was the hope for the people, but now she is a monster.
"M'lady, are you alright?" the man asked. He noticed movement and looked down at her hands. They were trembling.
The woman inhaled shakily. He tensed when he saw her lips move. The words that breathed from them were filled with brokenness and regret, it cut through his heart.
"...What have I done?"
The Awakening
4th Era, 201, Morning Star
Asena's eyes shot open in shock. "What did you say?" She gasped.
"There's no time to stand on ceremony, my friend. I need your help again. I want you to go with Irileth and help her fight this dragon. You survived Helgen, so you have more experience with dragons than anyone else here."
"You want me to…" Asena gulped. "Help kill a dragon…?"
Jarl Balgruuf nodded. He put a hand on Asena's shoulder. "I understand that you're afraid and trust me I am too. This is our people we are talking about. All these men, women, and children are now at risk of dragon attack. But you..." His brown eyes gleamed. "You have experience, and you retrieved the dragonstone for Farengar. I trust that you will help Irileth greatly."
Asena smiled nervously, glancing at Irileth who had a shocked expression.
"I really don't think I'm capable-"
"Asena," said Balgruuf gruffly.
Asena stopped her sentence and nodded. "I will, my Lord."
The Jarl tightened his grip on her shoulder, then let go and turned away to look at the map, his robe swaying behind him and the guards around him acknowledging him with a slight bow.
"My lord, what should we do?" They asked.
"You three guard the gates, the others will split in half and watch over each side of the wall. Be prepared for anything."
The guards nodded and immediately ran to their duties.
The wizard, Farengar, burst from his lair in excitement.
"I would very much like to join their fight, my Jarl. Seeing a dragon so up close would be an experience of a lifetime."
"No. I cannot afford to risk both you and Irileth," said Balgruuf sternly. "I need you working on ways to defend the city against dragons."
Farengar sighed. "As you command..."
Asena watched Baalgruuf in amazement. The amount of power and command he had...even his presence radiated leadership.
Asena wished to become like that one day, but she knew she never could. She didn't like to admit it, but she knew it was the truth. The cold hard truth. She had always thought that, perhaps, if something were to be granted to her, like a power, or a blessing, then things would be different. Her heart quivered at the thought.
Asena's daydream was broken when Irileth shoved a sword at her face. She gingerly grabbed it and almost fell under its weight, stumbling to keep her balance stable with a yelp.
Irileth sighed tiredly.
Anxiety pulsed through Asena as she shuffled down to Whiterun's gates.
"I won't be able to do this," she whispered. "I'm going to fail, and I'm going to hate myself for it."
She yelled as something ran in front of her. The creature stopped and turned to look up at her with large brown eyes.
Asena sighed in relief. It was just a child.
"I'm not afraid of you," the child sneered. "Dogs, boys, elders, there's nobody I won't fight!"
"...good for you, kid," said Asena with a pause. She admittedly felt jealous that a child was braver than her and shoved the child out of the way, perhaps harder than she needed to, and continued walking down to the gates.
"A dragon is attacking the Western Watchtower and is certain to return. It is our duty to go and fight this dragon and kill it!" Irileth shouted.
The guards murmured to each other nervously.
"We've never fought a dragon before."
"Is she serious?"
"We're all going to die…"
Asena agreed. She trusted the Jarl, but where did he get the idea that a group of guards and a novice warrior could fight a dragon? All she wanted to do was leave but now she was dragged into this situation.
"You heard what I said, milk drinkers! A dragon is coming! I don't care if it came from the depths of Oblivion or was sent from Akatosh himself, it made a mistake messing with Whiterun!"
"But Housecarl," Asena protested. "How could we fight a dragon?"
Irileth narrowed her eyes. "I can sense everyone's uneasiness. But her question is right! How can we defeat a beast like a dragon? We've never expected to see one, and especially fight one in battle. But we are honorbound to fight it, even if we fail. This dragon is threatening our homes and our families! Could you call yourselves a nord or a soldier if you ran from this monster? Are you going to let me face this thing alone?"
Asena swallowed hard, grasping the helm of her steel sword with a trembling hand.
"I expect more from you than anyone in this city, and just imagine what Ulfric Stormcloak would think when he hears the news that Whiterun's warriors dared to fight a beast they've never had before."
The guards were silent.
"So," Irileth continued. "Who is going to be a coward, and who is going to be a warrior that will die bravely for their people? Who's with me?"
All the guards yelled in unison, aiming their swords into their air. They straightened their shoulders and gripped their swords tightly, their eyes burning with determination.
Irileth held up her sword with a fierce gaze that pierced through the soldiers in front of her. She looked proudly at every one of the guards.
Her expression turned sour when she saw Asena in the middle, who was slumped forward from the weight of the armor and had shaking legs. She perked up a little when she noticed Irileth was looking at her and murmured a weak "Y-yeah."
The dunmer heaved an exasperated sigh.
"Asena…" she began.
"I'm ready, trust me!" Asena straightened her posture and held up her sword, but two seconds later she began to lean backwards, and she quickly grabbed onto the guard next to her.
Aesena felt sick to her stomach when she heard the snickers from the other guards and their gazes barring on her, especially Ireleth's, which were cold and unblinking. She turned her face to the ground and prayed to all the Divines that she would just turn invisible.
"I'm sorry, I'm just not used to this," Asena said. "I come back from a cave and all of sudden I'm thrown with having to kill a drago-"
"Don't be sorry!" Ireleth yelled, which made her wince. "Just do your job and fight! Or at least look the part!"
The dumner brought out a dagger and threw it at her. Asena screamed, leaping back. Before she knew it she was falling, and then her body met the concrete ground with the loud bang of steel. She groaned and rubbed her head as it began to pound.
"She can't even catch a dagger. So much for reflexes," Ireleth scoffed.
The guards began to laugh quietly amongst themselves.
Asena breathed heavily. She was trying her best not to shed any tears and she didn't, but the water clouded up in her eyes and she couldn't see anything
Asena struggled to sit up and rolled onto her knees with a sigh. Maybe it was good that she couldn't see, because she knew that the image of the guards and Ireleth's face would haunt her forever. Their mocking already rang in her head like bells.
"Alright, let's move," commanded Irileth urgently. The murmurs of the guards died down like wind, and their footsteps became quiet.
Asena shut her eyed. Not only was she embarrassed but she failed her…
Frea. Her words echoed in her mind, but instead of comforting her mind they stabbed and punched her in the stomach.
Asena let out a sob despite her efforts to hold it and fumbled to find her sword on the ground as she stood up. She then heard the sound of footsteps nearing and her stomach twisted.
The steps stopped, and Asena looked up. It was Irileth, but instead of seeing a disappointed face, it was surprisingly soft.
Ireleth held out her hand. Asena looked at it but didn't move.
"Well? How else are you supposed to get up?"
Asena sighed and gingerly took her hand, glancing up at Ireleth's looming figure. Her silhouette was sharp and large against the morning sky. She was strong, and she could only dream of becoming like her.
The dumner lifted the breton onto her feet.
"I would recommend staying here," said Irileth. "I don't want you to get hurt or wear down any of the guards." Her voice still remained fierce but had a soft tone to it, like she was disciplining a child. Asena didn't know whether to feel comforted or insulted by it.
Ireleth cursed herself for being so generous, but she couldn't help it. The young breton was a pain to train and a hassle to work with, but she wasn't a poor soldier. She could sense that there is fire in her just waiting to be released, but her own mind is holding it down. She could see it in her eyes which glared back at her in anger and admiration.
The dunmer patted her shoulders, gave her a slight smile, and then turned around and ran to catch up with the guards.
Asena stood in the middle of the busy roads of Whiterun, her hand loosely grasping her sword and her eyes wide and red as she watched Ireleth march with the guards to the Western Watchtower. She heaved a tired sigh and wiped her tears away.
In her heart she felt humility, but that grows, changes, and is forgotten in the history of memories. The two that mostly fought for her attention were a scream that pleaded that she give in. The other was a voice: Frea's voice.
"Of course," said Asena quietly.
Frea's voice always came back to her during times like this. The voice told her to keep on fighting. The challenge was if she was willing to listen. Words are empty unless you are willing to see what they carry, which Asena knew by heart.
Asena closed her eyes. Her shoulders dropped and a quiet sigh escaped from her mouth. It was the easiest thing to do; to throw off the armor that stabbed into her frail skin and take a drink of mead; it was as tempting as a skooma addict in a room filled with moon sugar.
Her fingers twitched. Even her flesh called her to rest, but the guilt she would have afterwards would be choking.
Frea.
Asena waved the thought away as she felt tears build up again. The thought of her sent her mind spiraling into a pit that she didn't want to fall in. And she didn't want to watch on the side as people were slaughtered by something she could've helped stop.
Asena opened her eyes, looking out into the distance and sighing. "You're right once again, Frea".
She gripped her sword tightly and walked slowly to the gates, her head up high, and her unwavering gaze focused in front of her.
Asena's legs began to pick up pace, and they didn't stop moving.
The fresh morning wind blew gently on the vast plains of Whiterun. White puffy clouds danced across the blue sky and the looming snowy mountains painted the landscape with their majesty. Golden light spilled over the buildings and the trees and woke the many creatures of Skyrim from their slumber.
Asena looked around her, subconsciously admiring the beautiful view as the wind brushed back her short brown hair. No one could ever imagine a dragon attacking on this peaceful morning.
She looked behind her. She saw the Whiterun gates become smaller and villagers watching them. Some were children, eyes wide and curious, while some were older with sorrowful and hopeless faces, their murky eyes staring into the distance.
Asena turned around and took a deep breath, knowing that they were probably the guards' families or friends, waiting in fear and hoping and praying that they were going to leave this mission alive.
Then, the thick smell of smoke hit her nose, and she began to cough. Her eyes darted to the ruined watchtower.
The tower was surrounded by rubble and pieces of stone, scattered and thrown across the place like a child with its toys, and the pathways and stairs were split in half and crushed. Some parts of the grass and stone were still burning as tall dark smoke rose into the sky. The scent of burnt flesh hung in the still air.
Asena walked up to the group of guards with stinging eyes. They didn't even glance at her but gaped at the horrific scene before them. There was complete silence except for the crackling and popping of fire and embers. Even Irileth was staring at it all like she was stuck in some sort of trance.
"Shor's bones," murmured a guard. "Did it kill them all…?"
Asena looked around with them. She couldn't blame their silent reactions; this was a finality to the notion of dragons returning an official sign. They weren't legends anymore, nor something that could've been waved off as a myth, but the beasts that nearly enslaved all of humanity centuries ago are returning, and they're returning with blood and fire.
It gave Asena chills down her spine.
"Alright everyone!" Irileth shouted, snapping out of her state. Asena jumped and dropped her sword, which fell to the ground with a steel clank.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry," she said hastily. She fumbled the sword into her hands and bolted up.
"No signs of any dragon right now," said Irileth. "But it sure looks like he's been here. I know it looks bad, but we've got to figure out what happened. And if that dragon is still skulking around somewhere. Spread and look for survivors. We need to know what we're dealing with."
The dark elf turned to Asena. "And you..."
Asena gulped nervously. "I promise that I can fight-"
"Captain, what is she doing here? She should go back to Whiterun," one of the guards protested. "She'll just weigh down our progress and is a waste of armor that could be worn by an actual soldier."
Asena gritted her teeth together. She began to feel her temper boil. She knew that she always had a quick temper, even Frea even told her all the time, but the guard was making it hard to control.
"As I was saying-"
"Irileth, are you really going to let her stay? I trust you are more sensible about this than Jarl Balgruuf was-"
"Silence!" Irileth hissed. The dunmer gave her a cold gaze, and Asena in turn gave her a pleading look. 'I promise that I can do this', was what she was chanting in her mind, and despite it being unrealistic, she hoped that Irileth would hear it.
Asena, in a painful moment, understood why they doubted her. She wished that they could understand her sudden desire to fight, how she could see Frea's eyes looking back at her in anticipation. She knew that if she said it aloud, they would all mock her again. They wouldn't understand, but what else could she say to prove to Irileth?
Asena gripped her sword tightly, even tighter than before, to where she could feel the steel digging into her flesh.
"How can I prove myself to you?" she asked.
Irileth narrowed her red eyes. "Prove it to me in battle."
"Irileth, this is nonsense! Don't tell me you just considered her in?" The same guard as before paused his way past the group, his eyes wide. He glared at Asena.
"She's weak, her strength will do nothing against a dragon, this a waste of our ti-"
The man's words were cut with the loud sound of hand against flesh. The guard took a step back and rubbed his cheek.
"What in Oblivion was that for?" He yelled.
Asena narrowed her eyes at him.
"Why you little-" the guard began to draw out his sword.
"Halt, soldier," Irileth commanded. "There is no time to fight, especially over petty matters like this. You two shall respect each other during the rest of your time together, and Asena," the dunmer looked at her with amusement.
"No hitting people on our side."
Both Asena and the guard nodded.
"Good. Now, go look around and prepare for battle. Remember, the dragon can come at any time."
All the guards quickly spread apart, with the one she slapped sneaking a spiteful glance at her.
"Thank you," Asena said.
Irileth acknowledged her with a tilt of her chin and walked around the tower.
Asena breathed shakily. She knew what she had gotten herself into. She was afraid, as anyone would've been, and slightly reconsidered what she had promised to Irileth, but as she was walking through the tower and saw its ruined shape, she knew that Frea would be proud of her.
Somebody then nudged her shoulder, and a guard was standing right beside her.
"Don't fall again," she said smugly.
Asena ignored the comment and walked up the stairs. She couldn't help but reach out a hand to touch the stone walls, so filled with history and now with terror. She could only imagine the fear the guards had when they saw the dragon flying near, or the things they prayed or cried out when they looked death itself in the eyes.
Asena was also curious about what the dragons were like, their power, their size. Could they speak human languages? And they can't just breathe fire or frost, can't they? They can summon power unimaginable to regular folk. Asena was certain that the damage of the tower was the dragon being merciful. She realized how horrible the dragon war must've been...
Asena finally arrived at the top of the tower, and if she wasn't anticipating death, it would've been a very peaceful and relaxing moment.
The breton inhaled deeply. She was getting nervous again, and the many thoughts of dying and running away circled around her mind like hawks. Watching, waiting for the right time to tear apart her mind and consume it.
She wiped her sweating palms on her armor, afraid of looking fearful in front of anyone.
A nice, long gust of wind blew, but then suddenly it was snuffed out like a candle. The air became eerily still, and Asena could feel the hair on the back of her neck rise.
She put her hand on her sword, aware that there was no danger but couldn't help but be nervous.
"Do you see anything?" Irileth yelled.
"Nothing yet," said a guard who just walked up near Asena. The guard crossed his arms and sighed.
"It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" He said as if they were having a calm lunch on the tower.
Asena furrowed her brow. "Are you not afraid?" She asked.
The guard shrugged, sighing peacefully as he gazed at the majestic view. Asena was astonished at how he was so calm.
"Of course. I think we all are. But I'd rather die in the beautiful lands of Skyrim than anywhere else."
Asena nodded slowly and turned around. What an interesting man, she thought. To be so still at a time like this.
Asena's eyes then caught a small dot in the sky. She tilted her head curiously.
The dot circled the tops of the mountain like a bird. It hovered above the mountains and switched its direction downwards. Asena thought it disappeared until she saw its figure swoop down, straight towards her.
Asena quickly felt her armor straps, making sure that it was on tight enough, and then drew out her sword.
"Do you guys see that?"
The guards turned their heads to the sky.
"By the gods...it's here," gasped Irileth.
"Talos save us! It's a dragon!"
The ringing of swords and the pulling of bows sliced the air. Asena's breath became shallow as she gripped the helm of her sword.
She then realized how stupid she was to decide to go on top of the tower. No wonder why the only other person up there with her was an unsettlingly calm man who welcomed death. Joining this battle was a death wish.
The dragon was huge, bigger than how everyone else described them and how she imagined. The wingspan was as big as the watchtower, the body being the same size. Its shadow had its own soul as it slithered forward on the grass like a wolf, wild and hungry.
Asena felt as if she were being pulled back by a thousand ropes. She narrowed her brow and tensed her muscles, preparing, but then- her eyes widened.
Asena took a step back. It continued flying closer, growing larger. She felt like her heart was lodged inside her throat and it would slip out any second.
Suddenly, Asena heard words being spoken, powerful ones that gave her chills despite not knowing what they were. It wasn't human, nor magic, it was something entirely different.
In the blink of an eye the dragon teleported to the tower. Asena barely had time to react and stared, wide eyed, at the gaping jaws opening up before her. She began to accept her fate in a split second before the world turned sideways.
The wind blew against her back and her hands barely held onto the stone walls of the tower. She was falling, but slowly, inching downwards as the stone crumbled under her feet. The guard pushed me off, she realized.
Suddenly something fell past her.
The object landed on the ground with a wet thump. Asena looked below her and let out a cry. The guard's mauled body stared back up at her with a pair of blank lifeless eyes. His body… She turned away.
The ground was too far for her to land, so she desperately clung onto the old dusty walls of the watchtower, slipping down faster by the second as if the gods were pushing her away from the sky.
Asena dug her fingers into every groove and crack in the stone that she could and gritted her teeth together. She would have to get rid of the armor to stay alive, but the dragon would kill her.
Asena desperately wished to be anywhere else at the moment, she would do everything she could to escape. She could hear the screams and cries of the guards and the heat of fire dangerously brushing against her skin.
The dragon flew over and shook the ground. Asena screamed and fell. She clawed at the walls, falling and falling, and then landed hard on the roof of the entrance. The ground shook again as the dragon circled around.
Asena fell over the rim and face planted onto the stone stairs. She cried out as pain shot through her face and crawled all over through the rest of her body. She looked down and saw red droplets of blood on the stairs and touched her nose, which was wet.
The dragon landed and Asena and everybody else were shaken to the ground.
Asena was paralyzed. She couldn't move a muscle; she couldn't even breathe.
You have to move, she told herself. But she couldn't.
The dragon's massive head turned in her direction. Its face was narrow and sharp, eyes gleaming, glaring at Asena as if it knew of all the things that could bring her to her knees, all her deepest fears and secrets. It licked its snout; painted with the crimson of innocent soldiers, with a long and blackish purple tongue.
Asena knew that this dragon had killed hundreds, even thousands of humans, probably remembering it as if it was yesterday.
The thought sent a frightening pulse through Asena that tightened a knot in her stomach and turned her skin pale. She looked for her sword, but in a throb of panic she realized that it was gone. She skimmed her hands over the stone wildly, but it was nowhere to be found.
Asena turned back to the dragon. What was her meek spirit, her weak body, going to do against the soul and body of a thousand warriors and the united forces of Akatosh and nature?
The dragon lifted its neck, murmuring with a deep earthy voice. "Yol…"
Asena closed her eyes. "I'm sorry Frea," she said under her breath, knowing that she had failed her. She prepared to feel the searing heat of the dragon's fire.
Asena heard the dragon's ear-piercing shout but didn't feel anything. She opened her eyes and saw a man standing in front of her, blocking the fire with a magicka spell. The man's armor was torn, and his helmet was missing along with his gauntlets.
He turned around to look at Asena, who she recognized as the one she hit. His face was strained; he wouldn't be able to hold on much longer.
"Here take this," said the guard, throwing her an extra sword.
Asena caught it and stared at him in shock.
"Move!" He screamed.
Asena leaped onto her feet, running away from the dragon's line of attack. She ran near the farthest piece of a broken pathway and hid behind it.
Asena breathed heavily and she felt like her heart was going to burst from her chest. Her throat burned and her legs and nose ached with a throbbing pain. She then looked into the distance, blowing her messy hair out of her face, and saw the looming figure of Whiterun.
The dragon is distracted, I can make it, she realized.
Asena looked behind her, and despite the smoke clouding her vision she could still see the silhouettes of many guards and the dragon fighting. She swallowed hard, her consciousness hammering down on her heart like an axe.
Asena leaned her back against the stone and gasped for air. She felt like she couldn't do it, her own strength wouldn't be able to sustain her, but how could she leave? She had overcome her dread of fighting for nothing.
Asena watched the ashes that fell from the sky. Every ash that fell, more and more innocent people died, and she did nothing about it.
A slight glimpse of hope burned itself into her mind, urging her on. She clenched her fists together and used the pain to keep her senses high.
Leaping from hiding, she ran straight for the dragon, adrenaline breathing through her body; from her head to her feet, it seemed like the wind itself was guiding her.
She ran through the thick walls of smoke and leaped over bodies; and then crawled on top of the dragon's wing.
Asena lifted up her sword, cracks of sunlight from the dark clouds gleaming against its steel body, and she threw it down and began stabbing and tearing into the dragon's skin. The woman screamed while thick red blood sprayed onto her armor and her sword.
The dragon let out a strained cry and snapped its jaw near her, sending shockwaves that made her ears ring. She leaped off of the dragon and threw her sword at its neck but missed.
The dragon neared the man that saved her, who was on his knees. Asena quickly searched for any sort of weapon next to her. Behind her, she saw Irileth who was walking with a limp. Grasping in a bloody hand was her sword.
"Hurry... take this," Irileth said between coughs.
Asena nodded, her eyes stinging from the thickening smoke, and she ripped the sword from her hands and then sliced open the gums of the dragon.
The dragon shrank back with a yelp. It tried to lift the wing that Asena had stabbed but it fell back to the ground in pain.
Asena almost couldn't believe herself. She swore that this was all a fantasy, that she transformed into a new person.
While the dragon was distracted, she helped the guard up and quickly gave him a cloth to wrap around the wound on his leg.
"What's your name?" Asena asked.
"Valdemar."
"Asena."
Valdemar's blue eyes flashed with admiration. He put his hand near his chest and opened his mouth, like he wanted to say something, but nothing came out.
The dragon writhed as everyone surrounded it and released all the power that they had. The sky lit up with blood-red fire and bright flashes of violet and icy blue. The ground spilled with blood, flesh was torn open, and many souls lost their bodies, traveling to whatever afterlife they soon called home.
Soon every part of the ground, and every person that was still breathing, was painted in deep crimson.
The dragon bared its sword-like teeth. Its growl sent vibrations through Asena's chest as she aimed her sword at its face. She held her hand up, prepared to launch, but her body was frozen again.
She swallowed dryly. "I'm going to miss this shot," she muttered under her breath. Her eyes were watering as the smoke gathered around them, and she could only see the blurry silhouette of the dragon blending into the canvas of the fire.
"Throw it!" Cried Valdemar.
Asena held her chin up. The dragon began to crawl near her, muttering those strange words that sent an icy fear down her spine. She knew that this was a life or death, that if those words were completed there would be chaos. They would all die.
Asena narrowed her eyes. The dragon's eyes glared back at her, swarming with hatred and fear.
With all her might and power, Asena threw her arm forward and watched in silence as the sword pierced through the air, aiming straight at the dragon.
Everyone that was still alive caught their breath.
Dark brown eyes followed the flying silver gleam.
The dragon didn't have time to react. With a sickly sound, the sword stabbed through its left eye.
The beast threw his head to the sky and screamed. The roar shook the earth beneath it.
Asena gasped from relief and shock and stood back with the rest of the remaining soldiers.
With the neck being vulnerable, everyone took their shot at throwing their swords, and each one of them pierced into its flesh.
The dragon twisted its serpentine figure and lunged at Asena. Before she could stop him, Valdemar leaped in front of her, and the dragon snapped it's jaws around his waist.
Asena let out a cry. The dragon then mauled him as he screamed, waving its head madly back and forth before throwing him onto the side.
"You demon!" Asena shrieked.
The beast whirled its head at Asena, glaring down at her, still fighting to keep breathing, its
menacing figure contrasting with the red behind it.
The dragon stumbled under its weight.
"Dovahkiin! No!" It cried with agony, trying to crawl at Asena.
Asena felt a dread come down upon her, but it was a different type of dread. Not the one she felt when she first saw it flying, but this was different. Asena could feel hopelessness eating into her mind, even despite the knowledge that it was almost dead.
She knew she had won the game, but the feeling left a bitter taste in her mouth. It was then that she understood more of the threat of the dragons' return. The creatures were relentless, just like humans in a way, stubborn to not let their pride fall.
Even despite losing an eye, being punctured in the neck, and at its last breaths, it still dared to challenge its murderers. The dragons aren't just animals, they're the embodiment of everything horrid about mankind. And lucky for Nirn, they're one of the most powerful entities in Tamriel.
Asena gulped, praying to the divines that it would die. The thought of desiring a living soul to die gave her a sick feeling, but in the moment, she couldn't help herself.
The dragon growled as it slowly lowered its head and slumped onto the ground. She could feel its breaths becoming slower. Its chest heaved only a small amount of air.
Asena crawled towards it, not knowing why, and reached out her hand to touch its head, gently caressing its rough and thick scales. Somehow, she felt it's heartbeat. The heartbeat slowed, then came to a sudden stop, it's emerald eyes becoming dull for eternity.
Silence was all that was heard.
Asena sighed. Her body relaxed. She was ready to sleep forever, but a sudden thought came to her. She threw herself onto her feet, even despite her body aching, and ran into the battlefield.
The air was hard to see with the plumes of smoke and fire, but she pushed through it anyway.
"Valdemar!" She cried. "Valdemar!"
She turned and saw a man that looked familiar lying on the grass in a pool of blood.
Asena rushed over to him. Valdemar was gasping, in what sounded like pain and fear.
"It's alright, you're going to be okay," Asena said, trying to reassure herself. She pushed hard on his wounds, but it was no use, blood continued to pour out of them until it coated Asena's hands.
Asena tore out a piece of leather from her armor and pressed it against his body.
She took a glimpse at the wounds, her breath sucked out of her lungs. She swore she could see some of the organs. A hard lump began to crawl up her throat, her head growing light and her vision spinning.
Before Asena knew it, she threw herself on the ground and vomited. Her arms trembled and her stomach ached. The world spun around her and her body felt like water.
In a blur of a moment, she was laying on the grass. The sun began to peek out from the dark cloudy smoke and stabbed through Asena's eyes.
"I was wrong about you, forgive me," breathed Valdemar shakily. "You have to save the rest, Asena." His breathing grew shallower by the second. "You need to help the other men. Quickly!"
"No," Asena started.
"Go! Now!"
Asena gritted her teeth together and lifted herself up, only to wobble and fall back to the ground.
"I'm not able to get up," she gasped. Her body felt like it weighed a thousand soldiers. "I'm sorry…"
Valdemar was silent. He gazed up into the sky, and his eyes began to water.
"Asena, will you please do a favor for me?"
"...sure."
Valdemar dug under his armor and pulled out a small object that gleamed brightly under the sunlight. He swallowed dryly before saying, "will you please give this to Flavia? She lives in Whiterun; her house is located in the wind district."
Asena took the object with trembling fingers. She squinted her eyes and gasped silently. It was an amulet of Mara.
"Valdemar, you're going to be able to give this to her. I promise."
Asena felt him grip her arm tightly. She turned to look at his face, which was filled with great sorrow and fear. A tear trickled down his cheek, its trail being the only part of his face not covered with dirt and blood.
"You cannot run from reality," he said quietly.
Asena was silent. She tried to fumble words into her mouth, but she couldn't.
Valdemar's eyes drooped to the grass and his body became still.
Asena gingerly touched his face. There was no reaction except for a hazy gaze.
She let out a small sob, clenching the amulet to her chest and crumbling onto the grass. Her small form was surrounded by dying warriors and ash.
She could hear their cries and prayers, their whimpers, and the songs they sang to their children to comfort them as they bled.
The terrible sounds of pain anchored themselves in Asena's mind. Her head felt light, and her eyes fell, and her mind began to fall, slowly, into a dark pit.
All Asena could see was darkness. She felt like she was floating in a black void, until a small light and a sound echoed throughout her mind. She twitched her fingers and gasped for air like she's never breathed before. The sound got louder, and the light became brighter.
Asena shook her head back and forth, muttering, "no,no,no."
"Asena!"
The breton's eyes shot open.
"It's alright," said the woman, who had a hand on her forehead. The woman's clothes were ragged and torn, her hair in a chaotic mess and sticking to her face, and her dark skin splattered with dry blood.
In a heartbeat, Asena recognized her.
"Irileth?" she gasped.
Irileth sighed. "Thank the gods you're alive. You passed out earlier, probably from all of the blood loss. Fortunately, our best healers came and stopped the bleeding. We almost thought you were dead."
Asena didn't know how to feel about those words. She remembered her mind slipping into darkness but not much else. She slowly sat up and looked around her, covering her eyes; the sun had emerged from the dark clouds and revealed the entirety of the battlefield.
Other guards helped up soldiers with blank, wide-eyed faces, while their hands shook, and their fingers twitched. They were muttering to themselves quietly, like they had too much skooma, it was a sad sight.
"Somebody! Quick- hold her back!" A priest cried.
"No! He's still alive, I know it! Please look at him he's still breathing!"
A woman was being held back by guards and priests. She desperately tried to writhe out of their grasp, reaching her hand out to a soldier with a missing head.
"He's dead!" The guards screamed at her. The woman was then cast with a paralyzing spell and fell flat on the grass with silence.
Asena breathed shakily and tore her eyes away.
Guards were helping each other walk through the field alongside the healers, and priests were praying over the bodies of soldiers wrapped in cloth.
Majority of the grass was burnt and there were plumes of smoke in the sky; burnt corpses and ashes were scattered all throughout the field. It was a horrific sight that sent Asena's stomach twisting. She swallowed dryly, grasping her stomach with a bandaged hand.
Now that the adrenaline was gone, pain began to writhe throughout her legs and her hands throbbed. In a quick moment of fear, she put her hands on her chest, sighing in relief as she felt the coldness of the amulet of Mara in her fingers.
"Valdemar," she said, turning to the side of her. She realized that he was missing and looked around.
"Valdemar? I'm sorry to say that he died," Irileth said solemnly. Her eyes followed Asena's hands. "What is that?"
"It's nothing," said Asena quickly.
Irileth narrowed her eyes and began to wrap cloth around her hands which were bruised and cut.
"I understand that he wasn't the most well-behaved guard there is, and I apologize for that. You're probably glad he's out of your way now."
Asena gripped the amulet tighter, looking at the dumner with a steady gaze. "I never felt like that, and I never will think anything of it," she said.
There was a piercing silence that followed.
There is an emptiness and dread losing a person in your arms, friend or enemy, and sometimes Asena felt insane because everybody around her seemed to not agree.
"I know this seems like the wrong time to ask this but…" Irileth looked at her. "Are you alright?"
Asena at first was completely silent, until an overwhelming wave of emotion overcame her, and she curled herself into a ball, bursting into tears.
"I'm so sorry," she said, her voice muffled in her knees.
"Don't be."
After a minute of sobbing, Asena pulled herself together and wiped her face. A piercing silence follows after, as sharp as a dagger. Silent tears still fell down Asena's cheeks.
With a thick silence still remaining, Irileth and some healers wrapped Asena in bandages. Bursts of red and shades of dark purple bruises were scattered across her chest and arms, along with dark red cuts that made Asena wince whenever they were touched.
Every part of her body ached, and she zoned out in a distant stare, dreaming longingly to be relaxing by a nice blazing fire; the sweet taste of sweet rolls on her lips and the softness and comfort of a deer blanket falling gently around her thin shoulders.
Where the laughter of people was like songs in the warm air. No death. No blood. Just peacefulness.
The silence was then broken when a guard yelled. Asena and Irileth immediately turned to the sound to see the dragon glowing yellow. Bits of its flesh slithered up into the air and disintegrated, revealing its bones, and wind began to dance around its body.
"Take cover!" cried Irileth. She leaped onto her feet and ran behind a stone pathway.
Asena tried to stand but stumbled and fell. Pain seared through her left leg, and she groaned.
The wind began to scream and whoosh into the air and Asena covered her head and curled up with her knees to her chest, but something strange began to happen. The golden light surrounded her, surging throughout her body, through her veins and wrapping around her bones, her heart, and her soul.
A wave of power unleashed itself upon her. It ran through her like honey, sweet and silky. Every part of her skin flowed and tingled with strength and an ethereal power, like she was flying.
The feeling soon died down like mist, but Asena could still feel it lurking somewhere in her body. It was the strangest feeling she's ever felt in life, like her spirit was being fed something powerful.
Asena also realized; it was like something was being awakened within her soul.
Asena slowly unraveled herself, shocked, and looked at her arms and legs in bewilderment. She then turned to the dragon's corpse and gasped. It was completely barren of flesh and laid on the ground as a skeleton.
Asena had never seen anything like this before. Not even in any legends or stories she's read as a child.
A guard came running up to her and helped her up. His eyes bulging from his face and his mouth struggling to form words.
"I-I can't believe it! You're...Dragonborn…"
Everyone surrounded Asena, gaping at her as if she had just kissed a skeever.
"Dragonborn? What do you mean?" Asena asked.
"In the very oldest tales, back when there were still dragons in Skyrim, the Dragonborn would slay dragons and steal their power. That's what you did, isn't it? Absorbed the dragon's power?"
"Dragonborn? What are you talking about?" The guards exclaimed.
"That's right! My grandfather used to tell stories about the dragonborn. Those born with the Dragon blood in'em. Like old Tiber Septim himself."
"I never heard of Tiber Septim killing any dragons."
"There weren't any dragons then, idiot. They're just coming back for the first time in…" the guard paused and wearily looked at the dragon's corpse. "...Forever. But the old tales tell of a dragonborn who could kill dragons and steal their power. You must be one! You have to be!"
Asena put her hand on her chest. She still felt that odd sensation inside her. Despite it being strange, it felt like it belonged there.
"I don't quite know. It's odd. I do feel like I've absorbed power, but are we sure that I'm dragonborn? It sounds like a lot of power to be given to a person, and I doubt the divines would choose me of all people."
The guard nodded slowly.
"Well, there's only one way to find out. Try to Shout, that would prove it. According to the old legends, only the Dragonborn can shout without training, the way the dragons do."
Asena looked around nervously and began to sweat.
She shook her head. "I'm not sure that I can do it, I don't fully understand what just happened to me, much less be able to 'shout'".
"You ought to try it," the guard said. "If you're truly dragonborn then it should come naturally to you."
Asena inhaled deeply, focusing on herself and the power inside her. She knew that if she were a true dragonborn that it would change her life forever, and she could be the hero she's always wanted to be, but she doubted it. She recalled back to the word wall in Bleak Falls Barrow, the foreign words channeling inside her, and the first thing that came to her mind was 'fus'.
"Fus!" Asena shouted. The power released itself from her and a wall of forceful wind blew back the guards, making them stumble onto the ground.
Asena gasped and took a step back. The guards all murmured to each other in amazement.
"That was Shouting, what you just did! By Talos, you truly are the dragonborn!"
Asena's mouth hung open. She didn't know to say, or even feel, she was the dragonborn now, a person only told in legends and stories. She had to remind herself to breathe and began to feel lightheaded. So many things had just happened: the dragon, the battle and all of its horror, and now this.
"What do you say, Irileth?" A guard asked. "You're being awfully quiet."
"Come on, Irileth, tell us, do you believe in this dragonborn business?"
Irileth turned to Asena and crossed her arms, her brows furrowed.
"Hmph. Some of you would be better off keeping quiet than flapping your gums about matters you don't know anything about," she replied gruffly. She nodded to its corpse.
"Here's a dead dragon, which is something that I definitely understand, now I know that we can kill them. But I don't need some mythical Dragonborn. Someone who can put down a dragon is more than enough for me.
The guard scowled. "You wouldn't understand, Housecarl, you ain't a nord."
"I've been all across Tamriel. I've seen plenty more outlandish things than this," Irileth retorted. "I'd advise you all to trust in your sword arm rather than myths and legends and... Asena? Are you alright?"
Asena's skin was pale, and her breath was shallow. "I'm fine," she gasped, before falling into a pit of darkness once again.
After the guards were able to rouse Asena back into consciousness, healers and guards sent from the Jarl made their way over to the tower and checked to see if they were alright. They then told them to walk back to Whiterun and so they did, limping and trudging through the long winding road back to the safety of Whiterun's walls.
The group was exhausted, and the burning sun glaring down on them wasn't helping.
When Asena entered the door, she was met with the entire city, all of them singing praises and thanking her and the rest of the soldiers with gifts. Apparently, word had already spread that Asena led the attack and helped kill the dragon.
It was a great relief from the suffering just minutes before. Asena was already starting to forget about her pain.
Ireleth was decently surprised and smiled as she walked through the crowd. Asena grinned and accepted their praises with small bows, her heart beginning to swell with warmth and pride. But at the same time the feeling of dread and sorrow lingered in her mind; she couldn't celebrate as loudly or smile as greatly with all the horrors that had just happened.
The people reached out their hands to her and offered food and weapons, which she kindly declined.
This was all so foreign to Asena. All the guilt she carried was lessening bit by bit, and she could almost see Frea cheering her one with a grin on her face and her green eyes sparkling.
As Asena was halfway through the bustling streets, she heard a small voice from the crowd.
"Where's Papa? You said that he would come back."
The breton stopped in her tracks, her body growing cold. She looked behind her and saw a young boy holding his mom's hands tightly, the mom's face still and numb. The boy's eyes began to water at his mother's silence.
Asena gingerly fingered the Mara's Amulet that hung on her neck, closing her eyes. She then looked at her surroundings, seeing many men and women waiting anxiously for their loved ones. Some were hugging the returning soldiers, tears streaking down their faces in happiness, and some others were crying out in sorrow. They fell onto their knees and held their hands up to the sky. "Why?" they screamed.
Asena gripped the amulet close to her and continued walking, trying to ignore the tragedies happening behind her. She sighed shakily and stared down at her feet.
Suddenly a young nord ran into Asena, almost pushing her over.
"I'm so sorry!" she gasped, looking at her wounds to see if she was alright. Her breathing was fast, and her long blonde hair was frizzy. She had probably run all the way from her house to the gates.
"Have you happened to see someone that I know?" she pleaded. "Please. I think he was fighting with you?"
"What's his name?"
"Valdemar."
Asena felt a chill run down her spine "...And your name?"
"Flavia. I-I live in the Wind district. He told me that he was going to fight the dragon and that he had a surprise for me, but I don't know what, and when I saw only a few soldiers return I began to panic and…"
Asena swallowed hard. She wished that she could slap the nord's face as she looked at her with desperation and anxiety. Her bright eyes were wide in fear and her mouth was curved to where it almost seemed like she was about to burst into tears.
Asena inhaled shakily, slowly taking off the bloodstained Mara's amulet, and handed it to her. She prepared for the worst.
Flavia slowly took it from Asena's grasp and stared at it with wide eyes and a pale face. She didn't breathe for a full minute, until her hands began to shake, and her eyes squeezed shut. She slowly crumbled to the ground, letting out a long sob, the amulet pressed tightly against her chest. Flavia began to cry loudly and her tears spilled onto the stone ground.
Asena kneeled down and gently touched her shoulders. She was trying to hold back tears at the tragedy before her, hoping to be a comforting figure, but she knew that a mournful woman wouldn't want comfort immediately. She stayed there for a while as Flavia cried some more.
The woman then stopped, sniffling, and wiped some of her tears away. They still kept falling down her red face as she looked up into Asena's eyes.
"Thank you…" she breathed. "For returning this to me. Please, tell me truthfully, did he did a good death?"
Asena closed her eyes for a moment. "Yes. The most honorable out of them all. Without him, the dragon wouldn't have been killed, nor would've I have lived."
Flavia tried to put on a smile as best as she could, but she lowered her head, sobbing.
Asena knew she couldn't stay here too long. She had more business to do. "I'm sorry for your loss," she said quietly. "Talos guide you." She squeezed Flavia's arm, stood up, and steadily walked away from the mourning woman.
"Thank you again," Flavia said in between breaths.
Asena sighed and pressed forward. Despair churned inside her mind and heart as she closed her eyes. She would've never imagined fighting dragons and watching people die in her arms when she was a young child. She thought that she would grow up to be a useless farmer girl living near Whiterun, gathering crops for the rest of her life as everyone around her moved up to higher places. She believed that Frea would forever be disappointed.
Now that Asena has been through the weight of war, she's rethinking that thought. Maybe life on the farm wasn't so bad after all.
Asena clenched her jaw. Was this life really meant for her? She knew that she was strong enough to kill a dragon, but is it worth all the sacrifice and pain? Asena couldn't tell. Two sides were pulling at her back and forth, just like how it was when she was deciding whether to keep fighting or not.
She looked around her, her gaze on all the men, women, and children. Her people. She wanted to protect them, she really did, but could she?
Suddenly the sky erupted with a shout. The ground shook and ripped everyone off of their feet. The clouds rumbled, and a voice bellowed from the mountains. "Dovahkiin", the voice boomed. It echoed throughout the sky and the entire city, leaving a trace of majesty and dread, and then the shaking slowly came to a stop.
Asena leaped onto her feet. "What in Oblivion was that?" she cried. She turned to a guard who looked like he'd just seen a ghost.
"The greybeards…" he gasped. "They've spoken again. This hasn't happened in hundreds of years. They're calling for you."
"For me?" Asena screamed. "I've already had to deal with so many things that I've never known about today! Who are these people? What do they want with me?"
The guard backed away fearfully. "Relax a little, they're not going to kill you. I-I'd suggest you talk to the Jarl about this. He knows more about the greybeards than I do."
"But who are they?"
"They're people who've mastered the way of the Voice. They can shout, just like you can, but they've been able to master it so well that even when they speak, the ground shakes."
Asena was silent. Before she had no clue on how powerful those 'shouts' were, but now this changed her whole perspective. She almost forgot how to breathe.
"That's how powerful shouting is?" She said slowly. "That's how powerful I am?" The fact that this shouting was something that took years to train and master, and that it could shake the entire ground...
The guard nodded. "That's why, dragonborn, you're our only hope against the return of the dragons." The guard neared her. "Please, fight for our side," he pleaded. "Fight for Skyrim with us!"
His voice sounded desperate and wanting. He too had seen the horrors of war and the dragons; his scars and blood spilled proved it.
Suddenly everybody crowded around Asena, pleading and begging her to save them from the dragons.
Asena felt her muscles tense. She gently touched her chest, convicted, and still felt that raw power inside her, lurking in her soul. Suddenly she felt a weight come down upon her and a tug at her heart. It was a weight that awakened something deep inside her bones. The crowds of people became blurry meshes.
Asena realized that there needed to be someone to stand up for good, even if she didn't want to do it, she needed to be that person right now. It gave Asena hope that she could rise to that level, that she could prove herself and many others wrong, and bring glory to Frea.
The striking images of Valdemar at his last breaths, choking on blood and his wounds bleeding out. They made her feel uneasy and guilty. He sacrificed his life for a weak woman that wasn't guaranteed to kill the dragon. Valdemar was a man with a rare mindset, usually others would cower away, but he didn't, and that's what the dragonborn needs to be.
Asena felt stupid and ashamed that she had thought of giving up earlier. She would have slapped herself, but everyone was watching her. Who was she to deny hundreds of people the chance to live? Who was she to say no to the responsibility set upon her? She knew that Frea would take the challenge and she knew that her life would be miserable knowing that she's doing nothing. It didn't matter how many times she had to fall, as long as she got back up again, there would be hope for the people of Skyrim.
Asena held her chin up and straightened her posture. "I'll fight for you," she said. She then turned to the mountains, gazing at their massive size and presence as a gust of wind blew back her hair that was stained with blood. The mountains's deep blue and gray hues paint a wonderful view of their looming figures against the vast sky.
This is when the true fire was awakened. This was the fire that will never burn out. It will waver and shrink, but it will never disappear.
Asena realized that killing one dragon and saving a few people wouldn't be enough to save the entire world.
She was more than terrified, of course, but she was willing to brave the journey.
I will take the responsibility of having this blessing, and I will use it for not only Tamriel's sake, but for Frea, Valdemar, and every other promise I make, she thought. For the people of Skyrim.
A rage began to grow in her heart. A fire of hatred and disgust for the dragons.
Asena quickly ran to the Jarl's palace. She sighed as she put her hands on its large doors. "Here goes nothing," and she pushed them open, hurrying through the giant corridors and halting to a stop in front for the throne.
The Jarl's face lit up when he saw Asena.
"Thank the divines you're alive!" He exclaimed.
"My lord," Asena acknowledged with a bow. "I've discovered something very interesting. Something that might hold the entire world in balance."
The Jarl looked intrigued. The others paid attention to the conversation.
"Continue."
Asena locked her eyes with him. The fire flared, it's harsh light dancing across her face. "Turns out I might be something called… 'Dragonborn'".
