Dovahkiraan: The Story of the Dragonborn

by HawkeyeNextGen

Adonis "Don" K'hotei is no ordinary Dunmer. His earlier years were almost nothing short than that of a tragedy. Trying to remember a past he had long forgotten, he comes across new and familiar faces in the land of Skyrim, and sure enough begins to walk a new path of life, the path of the Dragonborn.

4. Dragonborn

Chapter 4: Dragonborn

As we passed the Honingbrew Mead towards the path to Bleak Falls Barrow, I couldn't help but feel this strange sense of comfort journeying along with Inigo and Sofia, as if we were meant to be a team. "You don't really see a lot of Khajiit these days." Sofia said as we walked up the path to the tomb. "I guess they must've gone Elsweyr. Get it? Elsweyr? Elsewhere?"

"Yes, very funny." Inigo said back sarcastically. As we ascended, the air got only colder, nipping our skin. After passing by an abandoned Nordic watchtower, we soon came across what was Bleak Falls Barrow. It was far bigger than I anticipated, and much more mesmerizing. It boggled my mind, to comprehend how the Ancient Nords could construct such amazing architectural edifices out of almost nothing but pure stone, especially in the harsh weather of Skyrim. Just then, I saw three bandits rushing towards us from atop the stone platform in front us, weapons drawn. I drew my sword as did Inigo and Sofia. "Let us fight together my friend!" Inigo said as he raised his branded Iron shield at one of them, blocking a landing attack. Sofia readied her other hand with lightning magic, attacking her target as well as weakening them. The bandit attempted to swing at her, but Sofia seemed to outmaneuver easily. I sidestepped when the bandit attacking me trust his sword forward. Using a technique, I quickly wrapped my elbow around the bandit's neck tightly before he was too far to grab. I then wasted no time jamming the blade of my sword through his gut, ending his life. I looked to see that the other two also had finished fending off their attackers. "I would admire your courage if I wasn't laughing at your stupidity." Sofia taunted as her attacker dropped dead. Suddenly, an arrow landed right by my feet. I turned to see two more bandits guarding the area. I quickly looked around and found a stone pillar for some cover. I wasn't very experienced with a bow and was outnumbered. Sofia seemed to be in the same position, as she hid behind a rock. Inigo on the other hand drew his bow, and drew and arrow, shooting it at a bandit with seemingly unmatched speed. The arrow found its target as did the next. I looked at Inigo. "Where did you learn to shoot like that?" I asked.

"It's quite the tale. I shall tell it somewhere more appropriate." He said.

"Fair enough." I answered as we continued up onto the platform and walked towards the massive doors of the Barrow. As I pushed them open, I felt like I was stepping into a different world entirely. Once we were inside, we saw two figures talking amongst themselves up ahead near a tunnel, possibly bandits. I crouched down and slowly approached them. They spoke of some bandit named Arvel gone rogue and stole from them a Golden Claw of sorts. We made short work of them.

"I do not like the smell of this place." Inigo remarked. "Let us just find that Dragonstone and get out of here." As we continued deeper into the tomb, I admit I began to feel quite nervous, as if the very place itself was trying to tell us to leave. Soon enough however, we heard another voice coming from within, one much clearer. "Is…is someone coming? Is that you Harknir? Bjorn? Soling?" We quickened our pace to find the source of the noise. We found a large room covered in webs. At the end seemed to be a figure, trapped in some webbing. The strange thing was, I saw no Frostbite spiders lurking around anywhere among the walls. "This doesn't feel right." Sofia said as I pulled out my sword and began to approach the figure slowly, keeping watch for anything that might ambush me.

"No! Above you!" Arvel said. I looked up, and to my sheer horror, a Giant Frostbite Spider the size of a Mammoth, came down from the ceiling and pinned me with its legs to the ground. I begged Azura for mercy as the unholy insect raised up its fangs, ready to end my life, when an arrow suddenly landed in one of its eyes, making it disoriented. I grabbed my sword and quickly got up to see Inigo had saved my life. He sprinted towards the spider fearlessly. Just as the creature spat some venom at it, he leaped into the air, drawing another arrow before releasing his grip, shooting the spider in the other eye. Sofia ran towards it and chopped off one of its legs. Getting a grip, I ran towards the monster, raised my sword into the air and plunged it into its skull, killing it. I panted, as I have just had a near death experience. "My friend, are you alright?" Inigo asked as he walked towards me.

"Yeah, I'm…alright. I just hate spiders with a passion." I confessed. Never had I seen anyone face such a menacing abomination with such courage. I felt a little embarrassed. I walked up to the individual trapped in the webbing, a fellow Dunmer to be exact.

"You did it! You guys killed it! Now cut me down before anything else shows up." He demanded.

"Care to tell us where the Golden claw is?" I asked him.

"Yes, the claw. I know how it works. The claw, the markings, the hall of stories. I know how they all fit together!" He said.

"What are you talking about? What hall of stories?" I asked.

"Help me down and I'll show you. You won't believe the power the Nords have hidden here!"

"Fine, let me see if I can loosen these." I said as I grabbed my sword and cut the webbings off one by one.

"Sweet breath of Arkay, thank you." He said as he dropped down to the floor. I held out my other hand.

"The claw please." I requested.

"You fool, why should I share the treasure with anyone?" He rhetorically asked before he started running further into the ruins.

"Hey! Get back here!" I shouted as I started to pursue him.

"Just where do you think you're going?" Inigo said following close behind me. We ran down a couple flights of stairs before ending up in what seemed to be catacombs. Arvel, not paying attention to where he was running, stepped on a trigger stone which activated a trap of many spikes, pummeling him into a wall. The sound of the trap hitting the stone echoed off the walls, no sooner however we heard a much more haunting noise.

"Oh no…" Inigo whispered as he turned to see one of the corpses waking up and standing with an old sword in its hand. A Draugr. Inigo's eyes seemed to fill with terror and Sofia seemed to freeze in place. Admittedly, I too was also afraid of this new type of adversary we had come to face with. The walking corpse charged at us. As menacing as it was, it luckily lacked intelligence as well as maneuverability. I sidestepped before taking a swing at the corpse's back, stunning it. I then ferociously grasped it by the neck and cut off its head. The fact that it's been sitting here rotting in the tomb made its decapitation all the more easier than with living foes. I turned around to see two more Draugr arising from their sleep. This time, Sofia and Inigo pulled themselves together before we took them out. "Why are the dead so angry at the living?" Inigo asked.

"Can you blame them? I'd be pretty annoyed if I looked like the Draugr. I hope I don't die and end up looking like one of them. That would be my worst nightmare." Sofia expressed.

"You think that would be your worst nightmare? I cannot imagine how I'd feel if I was killed and left to rot in a place like this!" Inigo said as he continued looking at the walls, half paranoid that more Draugr would awake.

"I think we just need to keep our voices and our presence down. They were awoken when the trap sprung and hit the wall, so watch your step." I said, observing my surroundings as I searched the body of Arvel to find the claw. It looked very detailed for a piece of old Nordic art. As we did, we came across more room full of bones, corpses, and sleeping Draugr. Fortunately, we were all quiet enough to avoid awaking them, especially since none of us wore anything heavy. After defeating some more walking abominations and drinking a few health potions, we made it to what seemed to be a dead end. What appeared before us was a large stone slab possessing what seemed to be some sort of puzzle. "So…where do we go now?" Sofia asked as he looked around.

"Arvel said something about a hall of stories, and how it would be related to this claw." I said before looking at it. I took out Arvel's journal to search for clues. After reading through a couple pages I looked at the walls. Upon it were strange depictions, such as a face near the top of a particular wall space. It wasn't that of a human face no, but something else. I then look a look at the symbols upon the circular puzzle upon the slab. Then it clicked. The walls must be a combination to solve the puzzle! Lighting a torch, I carefully examined each individual wall. The first one, farthest from the slab, had an illustration of a creature with a long nose, and pointed ears. Either a fox or a wolf. The second one had a circular face upon it with large staring eyes. From the looks of it, it could very well be an owl. The last one, and the most impressive held the carving of a creature with a large snout and menacing horns. A Dragon. As soon as I rolled the circular pieces into place, I slid the claw into what seemed to be a keyhole. To my utter astonishment, it worked. The slab turned out to be a thick door, which revealed a pathway. "Nice going my friend." Inigo said. I thanked him before we pressed forward. No sooner did we end up in a huge cavern that lay before us. "My eyes say 'thank you' for the beauty they behold." Inigo said.

"I'm not sure if beauty is the proper word, but this is rather impressive." I remarked as we made our way towards the end of the cavern, were there was this lone stone coffin. Just behind that was a strange looking wall with some sort of inexplicable writing on it. I couldn't understand what it said, and yet as we drew nearer, I began to hear a voice, a whisper coming from the wall, as if it was calling out to me. I felt as if I was in a trancelike state as I approached closer to the wall. Sure enough, the voice seemed to be loud and clear before me. When I got close enough, my vision blurred before me as the word seemed to pour itself into my very soul. It was there and then that I understood what the word was; Force. Somehow I understood what it meant without even learning. "Are you alright my friend? You seem sick." Inigo asked.

"I'm fine…I just…I don't think you'd believe me if I told you, but I heard from this wall-" I said before the stone coffin suddenly opened, and out came a Draugr, one that seemed to be stronger than the rest. We drew our weapons ready for a fight. Just then, the Draugr seemed to shout something at us. Not only did a shout, but a literal unseen push came from its mouth, pinning us hard against the wall like a battering ram. The wound that was still healing hit against the stone, increasing the pain. I wiped my eyes for a brief moment to see where the unruly undead was at. I looked to see it had its blunt edged axed raised in the air, ready to carve into my skull. I immediately, rolled to the side before it could find its target. I grabbed my sword and wasted no time trying to slice off one of the Draugr's arm. The blade found its target, but hasn't succeeded in cutting through the old bones on one strike. The Draugr, unfazed, swung again at me. I blocked the attack with my sword, pushing the axe back. The dreaded corpse swung yet again, aiming at my neck. I ducked just in time. Just before it was ready to make another attack however, an Ebony arrow buried itself into our foe's kneecap, crippling it. Sofia summoned a fire spell from her hands, burning the Draugr. Just as it caught flames, it started to react by flailing about, trying to put it out. We figured out then that fire must be a weakness of the Draugr. In a mixed state of panic and frenzy, it charged at me. Holding my ground, I thrusted my sword into its neck before removing the blade, and spun around, landing a finishing blow upon the monster. It fell to the ground lifeless. I caught my breath as I placed my sword away. "That was pretty intense." Sofia said.

"Agreed. I believe we all need some real fighting experience before we face any more of these abominations." I said as I walked towards the coffin to look for the Dragonstone. Sure enough there it was. It was pretty heavy to carry, so I improvised and made a small carrying device out of some leather straps I found within the Barrow.

"Good, you got the stone. Let us head back to Dragonsreach." Inigo said.

"Ooh! Treasure!" Sofia said as she opened what seemed to be a large chest near the wall. He searched through the contents to stuff whatever valuable she found in her pockets. She turned around to see us looking at her, arms crossed. "What?" She asked.

"We had a part in this adventure too." I said as I walked over and looked to see in the chest as well. "I'm hoping you can share some of that with us."

"Why? I found it first. Isn't it usually finders keepers?" She asked in a sultry attitude.

"Fine, I suppose I did manage to find coins and gems in burial urns along the way." I said. I didn't want to really argue anything at the moment, especially after the encounter we had. We found a secret exit up a small flight of stairs behind the odd looking wall.

"Our time together is proving to be mutually beneficial I think. I am glad to be by your side." Inigo said as he brushed some dust off his outfit. Soon enough, we soon found ourselves in the open air of Skyrim again.

"I never thought I'd miss the open air in such a short amount of time." Sofia said as we walked onto the road towards Riverwood. "Can we stop for a moment and get something to eat? I'm feeling famished." She asked.

"I suppose so." I admitted. We hadn't walked that far, and my shoulders already needed a rest, especially since I was the one carrying the Dragonstone. It was the afternoon when we arrived. Two children and a dog passed us by as we entered the Riverwood Trader.

"Well one of us has to do it!" A woman said in the building as we opened the door and walked in.

"I said no! No Adventures, no theatrics, no thiefchasing!" The owner replied.

"Well what are you going to do about it huh? Let's hear it!" The woman argued back.

"We are done talking about this." The owner said before he turned his head towards us, feeling slightly flustered. "Oh, customers, come on in." I walked towards the counter as he straightened up his shirt. "I don't know what you overheard, but the Riverwood Trader is open. Feel free to shop."

"Did something happen?" I asked.

"Uh…yeah. We had a bit of a break-in. But we still have plenty to sell. The robbers were only after one thing. An ornament, solid gold, in the shape of a Dragon's claw."

"Hold on a minute, you mean this thing?" I asked as I pulled it out of my inventory. The owner's eyes immediately seemed to widen.

"You-you found it? Haha, there it is! Strange…it seems smaller than I remember. Funny thing eh? I'm going to put this back where it belongs. I'll-I'll never forget this. You've done a great thing for me and my sister." He said before handing us a bag of money. Four hundred coins to be exact. I was surprised at the amount he gave us for returning his claw. I never received this much even during my time as a bandit. Inigo and Sofia's eyes seemed to sparkle gazing upon the bag, before I placed it around my belt. "Finders keepers." I said to them with a smirk. Sofia's expression immediately turned sour, and she began to nonverbally pout. Oddly enough, she looked cute when she did. I told the owner that we were hungry and would like to buy some food. We did and snacked on it on our way back to Dragonsreach. I never thought I'd be able to enter an old Nordic tomb and leave their alive and well. As we drew closer to the city, I began to grow ever more curious about Sofia. She seemed like a rather complex person compared to the rest of the people I have met in Skyrim so far, and I had a feeling it would stay that way for a long time.

"Sofia, mind if I ask you something?" I asked.

"I'm always ready for a chat." She replied.

"You seem like a funny person." I commented.

"You mean like weird? And here I thought you were different then all those other people who make fun of me because I don't try and conform to their ridiculous ideals."

"That's not such a bad thing. I makes you different."

"You think so? Everyone in Skyrim seems like an exact replica of each other, always bragging about themselves saying how beautiful or tough they are. I'd never do that."

"Oh really? I remember you saying different when we handled those bandits at the Barrow."

"Well…yes, ok I know what you're thinking but in my case it's actually true. Some people really do kid themselves."

"If we had a septim for every soul who does…" I wondered. When we arrived in the marketplace, Inigo said, "I wonder if they sell sweetrolls here."

"Still hungry?" I asked Inigo as he browsed some of the stands. He was disappointed to find that none of them did.

"Do you folks get to the cloud district very often?" A figure who stood close to us asked before he chuffed. "Oh, what am I saying? Of course you don't. An Elf, A Cat, and a Nord in one group? That can only mean trouble around here, something the Jarl doesn't have time for." I turned to see that the figure was Nazeem, a Redguard. As I was about to find out, he also had no respect for anyone other than himself, and had a massive ego.

"Speaking of Cloud District, I was talking to the Jarl actually." Sofia said, stepping in to give some backtalk. "He said he was missing his court Jester. Maybe you should practice your routines more often."

"Savages." Nazeem grunted before he shoved me aside. "Out of my way outsider! I swear I'll-"

"Be quiet." Inigo said impatiently.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Nazeem asked, turning around with a raised eyebrow.

"Shut. Up." Inigo remarked, his anger increasing. "Now, scurry away before we lose our temper."

"I don't have to take this from the likes of you." Nazeem declared. Just then, Inigo raised his claws and growled at him. Surprisingly enough, it worked as Nazeem took off running like a coward. "Ah! Help! Someone, help me! Help me!" He shouted. Instead of coming to his defense however, a few of the people within the marketplace began to laugh, as did Inigo, Sofia, and I. We pressed on towards Dragonsreach and made our way towards Farengar's room, where we overheard him having a conversation with an unknown individual, all cloaked. "You see? The terminology is clearly First Era or even earlier. I'm convinced this is a copy of a much older text, perhaps dating to just after the Dragon War. If so, I could use this to cross-reference names with other later texts."

"We're back, and we brought what you asked for." I said as I took the Dragonstone off my pack and placed it on his desk.

"Ah! It's you. And it seems you have the Dragonstone of Bleak Falls Barrow. Seems you are a cut above the usual brutes the Jarl sends my way. And it seems you got some company to assist you." Farengar said.

"Anything else I should know about?" I asked.

"I'm afraid not. This is where your job ends and mine begins. The work of a mind, sadly undervalued in Skyrim. My…associate here will be pleased of your handiwork. She discovered its location, by means she has so far declined to share with me." He said before turning his attention back to the hooded figure. "So your information was correct after all, and we have our friend here to thank for recovering it for us."

"You went into Bleak Falls Barrow and got that? Nice work." The associate said. She sounded like a female, a stern one too.

"As long as it keeps me fed and dry." I said before Irileth suddenly burst into the room.

"Farengar! You need to come at once! A Dragon has been sighted nearby!" She announced. My expression perked up upon hearing those words. Was she joking? The last time I saw a Dragon was when I was about to have my head chopped clean off, and that was only yesterday!

"A Dragon? How exciting! Where was it seen? What was it doing?" Farengar said, ever the Dragon enthusiast.

"I'd take this a bit more seriously if I were you. If the Dragon decides to attack Whiterun, I don't know how or if we can stop it." Irileth responded before looking at me. "You should come too, and take your henchmen if you like."

"Did she just call us Henchmen?" Sofia asked, sounding offended as we made our way to the second floor of the Palace, near the planning table, where Jarl Balgruff was standing. A lone Whiterun guard approached him as we stood in a circle. "So Irileth tells me you come from the Western Watchtower." He said.

"Tell him what you told me, about the Dragon." Irileth commanded.

"Right, we saw it coming from the south. It was fast, faster than anything I'd ever seen." The guard revealed.

"What did it do? Was it attacking the watchtower?" The Jarl asked.

"No my lord, it was just circling overhead when I left. I had never ran so fast in my life. I thought it would come after me for sure." The guard explained half-hysterically.

"Good work son, we'll take it from here. Head down to the barracks for some food and rest. You've earned it." The Jarl said before the guard departed. "Irileth, you'd better gather some guardsmen willing to fight and get down there. Remember, this isn't a glory or death mission. I need to know what we're dealing with."

"Don't worry my lord, I am the very soul of caution." Irileth saluted.

"I would like to come to, I would very much like to see this Dragon." Farengar said.

"No." Balgruff interrupted. "I can't afford to risk the both of you. I need you here working on ways to defend the city against these Dragons."

"As you wish my Jarl." Farengar said before returning to his study. The Jarl then turned his gaze towards my own.

"There's no time to stand on ceremony my friend." He said.

"The name's Adonis your honor." I interjected.

"Adonis, 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 thus far."

"I wouldn't really call it experience sir as it was finding shelter." I said. I began sweating thinking about going up against a creature more than three times the size of me. I pondered if it was really worth doing. I remember feeling the rush of adrenaline as I almost met my end in Helgen. It was in that moment death almost felt like an old but dangerous friend. After all this time, this short amount of time in which I tried to find redemption for my crimes, would I really throw my efforts away if I refused? No. I wouldn't let my cowardice get the better of me, not this time. I wanted to do something that mattered, something that wouldn't label me as a family disgrace, and something a lowly bandit would never have the guts do; fight a Dragon. "If it means doing some good, then I'm at your service." I replied. Inigo and Sofia looked at me with a surprised expression on their faces.

"But I haven't forgotten the service you did for us in retrieving the Dragonstone for Farengar." Balgruff said. "Please, accept this gift from my personal armory." He said. He reached under the mapping table and handed me what seemed to look like a shield, made of ebony and iron with the symbol of a Dragon ready to strike on the front. It was a good fit, and the grip felt very durable. "Thank you sir."

"You're welcome. I hope you fight well with it. Now help Irileth kill this Dragon before it can attack Whiterun. There's no time to lose." He commanded.

"Right away." I said, a newfound sense of honor filling me up as I quickly made my way towards the front doors and out into the city.

"Did I just hear correctly? The Jarl wants you go to and fight a Dragon? Please tell me you're not actually considering it… Not that I'm scared of course." Sofia spoke.

"Well, as far as I can remember, I lived much of my life as a bandit. If I'm going to die, I might as well die doing something worth mentioning in the history books." I said.

"A positive outlook if we meet our demise." Inigo agreed as we approached Irileth speaking to the guards at the gates of Whiterun.

"Here's the situation." A Dragon is attacking the Western Watchtower." She announced.

"A Dragon?" One guardsman asked.

"Now we're in for it." Another remarked.

"You heard right I said a Dragon! I don't much care where it came from or who sent it. What I do know is that it's made the mistake of attacking Whiterun!" She proclaimed bombastically.

"But…Housecarl. How can we fight a Dragon?" Another guardsman asked.

"That's a fair question. None of us have ever seen a Dragon before, or expected to see one in battle. But we are honor bound to fight it, even if we fail. This Dragon is threatening our homes, our families! Could you call yourselves Nords if you ran from this monster? Are you going to let me face this thing alone?" She asked.

"No Housecarl!" A valiant guard said, standing at attention.

"We're so dead…" A cowardly one spoke.

"But it's more than our honor at stake here. Think of it, one of the first Dragons seen in Skyrim since the last age. The glory of killing it is ours! Now what do you say? Shall we go kill us a Dragon!?" She asked. The guards let out a fierce battle cry, agreeing with Irileth and her words of encouragement. I admit that I raised my fist in a display of prowess before she said. "Let's move out."

"She may not be a Nord, but damn, she gives a good talking." Inigo said. I smiled as we walked through the gates and marched our way towards the Western Watchtower. Night had already fallen and by the time we reached the Watchtower, we could see fire burning in many places around it, as well as bits and pieces of the tower itself broken off.

"What do you see Housecarl?" I asked.

"No signs of any Dragon, but it sure looks like it's been here. I know it looks bad, but we've got to figure out what happened, and we need to be ready if that Dragon is still lurking around somewhere. Spread out and look for survivors." She commanded. I pulled out my sword, ready in case the dreaded beast was ready to ambush us. As I approached the tower, I saw a figure walking from out of it. I approached the survivor. "You there, are you from Whiterun? We'll be sure to escort you there until you're inside the gates." I implored.

"No! Get back!" The guard said frantically as he looked all around. "It's still here somewhere! Hroki and Tor just got grabbed when they tried to make a run for it!"

"Guardsman, what happened here? Where is this Dragon? Quickly now!" Irileth said. Just then, I heard coming from the mountains a noise I had heard before. I trembled and tightened the grip of my new shield, as I recognized that voice all too well. It was that of a Dragon.

"I think we just got our answer." I said as I saw a silhouette flying towards us.

"Kynareth save us, here he comes again!" The guardsman said as he retreated back into the tower. The beast let out a tremendous roar as it approached faster with every flap of its wings.

"Here he comes!" Irileth said. "Find cover and make every arrow count!"

"Fight bravely my friend! Let us put an end to this winged demon together!" Inigo said as he hissed, gracefully drawing his bow and aiming an arrow at the monster. The dragon sprayed its fire upon us. Some of the guards and Sofia dived out of the way as the flying serpent said, "Thurri du hin sille ko Sovngarde!" Inigo shot arrow after arrow at it, as did the rest, and yet none seemed to injure the beast whatsoever. I raised my shield in defense from more of the flames is flung towards us. "Actions speak louder than words, so I'll let my fists do the talking." Sofia said as she blasted ice spikes in an attempt to cripple its wings. The Dragon however seemed to be just too evasive. I realized that as long as it continued to remain in the air, the situation would be hopeless. I looked at the damaged watchtower and got an idea. I looked at Inigo. "Hey, Inigo?" I said keeping my eye on the Dragon.

"What is it?" He asked.

"How good are you at taunting?" I responded.

"Pretty good. That's why I use a one handed weapon, so the other can perform rude gestures."

"I need you and Sofia to keep its eyes on you. Keep your guard up and affront the dragon with whatever comes to mind. I need you to keep in next to the watchtower."

"Why would you want us to anger the Dragon even more?" Sofia asked.

"Don't worry!" I said as I ran into the Watchtower. "I have a plan!"

"Wait!" Inigo said, before he sighed.

"Where did that Dunmer run off to?" One of the guardsman asked.

"Elves, they're all the same! Damn cowards." Another one said as he attempted to launch another arrow at it. I had a feeling Inigo trusted me well for a good reason, because just like I told him to, he started to taunt the thing along with Sofia. "You'll look just as impressive dead Dragon!" He insulted as he started moving his focus towards the lookout tower.

"Who were you born from to get that ugly of a face?" Sofia asked before they started spouting more insults to catch it's attention. Upon hearing this, the winged beast turned his attention towards them, growling angrily at them as I made it to the top to see if it worked. To my luck, Inigo and Sofia had successfully lured the Dragon right next to the tower. Close enough for me to make a jump. Sofia saw me crouched just behind one of the stones as I placed the shield on my back. "He's seriously not going to…" She muttered in shock. I gathered from within me whatever willpower I had retained, invoking the name of my ancestors to lend me their strength. My heart was beating like the wings of a cliff racer before I swiftly sprinted towards the airborne beast. I cluthced the grip of my sword as I leapt into the air right off the edge of the tower, aiming the blade right where the Dragon's wing met its body. "Fall to me Dragon!" I shouted ruthlessly as I successfully plunged my my sword into its flesh just before the beast could scorch my friends alive. It let out a cry of pain as I used my weight to force the blade deeper into it with all my might. No sooner however did the Dragon flail in mid-air, causing me to lose my grip, and sending me to the ground. In an instant the world went black. There was an intense ringing in my ears as I felt a sense of Déjà vu. I blinked my eyes, my vision blurry as Inigo helped me up. "Are you alright? You took a rather nasty fall. You could've broken something if you hadn't landed on your shield." He said. I caught my breath as I attempted to stand, my legs shaking from the fall. I saw the Dragon to my left, now grounded due to its wound. I limped my way over towards it, holding my shield in front of me as I cast a basic self-healing spell my father taught me hoping it would be enough. The monster sneered at the fact that I was the one that took it out of the air. "You are brave. Balaan hokoron. Your defeat brings me honor." It said as Sofia and Inigo stood on either side of me. I smiled as I stood more upright, fearing no longer that I might perish in spite of my back aching from the fall. "Well, like the old man once said, time to save the realm, rescue the damsel, slay the beast, or die trying." I said in a gesture of confidence, as a smirk grew upon my lips. Apparently, that was enough to enrage the Dragon even fruther as it unleashed a bombastic roar, and I charged at it. Fire shouted from the beasts's nefarious mouth. I held up my shield to guard myself, feeling the flames cooking it as I continued to advance. I bashed it on the jaw before Inigo aimed and shot it right in the eye, disorienting it. I slid under its wing to pull my sword out and slash at its wing. Feeling where my presence was, the beast make an effort to sweep me using the tail. I blocked it, the shield still holding surprisingly. Sofia continued to cast Ice Storm to slow it down. Seeing this as an opportunity, I ran towards its face and bounded with aching legs onto the top of its face as Inigo crippled its other wing. Keeping my balance, I slashed at the dreaded brute again and again until it collapsed completely. I heard on its last breath say, "Dovahkiin? No!" I breathed heavily, dropping the sword and falling to my knees. I swore I saw my entire life flash before my eyes during the fight, and I exhaled a sigh of relief. "I can't believe it. You did it!" One of the guardsman said. I smiled nodding just before I saw what I would never forget. Much to our astonishment body of the dead Dragon started to glow, and bits of it's dead carcass seemingly ascended into the air as if it was evaporating. "Wait, something's happening! Everyone get back!" The same guardsman said as Inigo and Sofia stepped back, but something deep within the recesses of my soul resonated with this most unprecedented event. I felt like I was being drawn like a moth to a light. There are few words which can describe what occurred next. The Dragon's otherworldly lifeblood seemed to leap up from its body while my own began to absorb it. I felt my soul taking on a will of its own, as if it was yearning to break free of my mortal coil. My entire body shook uncontrollably as the dragon's very vitality was completely drained, and all that remained was a skeleton. Just then, a thunderous spiritual shockwave emitted from me in a clamorous manner, the grass and the wind bowing to its whim. Rattled at the sudden turn of events, I stood up wondering what in the name of all that is holy just occurred to me. One of the guards carrying a torch approached me, with an expression as speechless as one would get. From him, only two words were said.

"You're…Dragonborn."