Dragonborn part 4

"Here in his shrine…"

Serana closed her eyes as she walked past them.

".. That they have forgotten…"

She tried to shut them out.

"Here do we toil…"

She noticed that Tarrion tried to do the same…

"… That we might remember."

.. but she noticed that he also had a hard time ignoring them.

The duo walked past the large pillars and towers that were built on either side of the path that lead upward to the temple. They saw dozens of men and women working everywhere… and each of them chanted in unison. The words now echoed in their heads until it drove them mad. Both had the strong urge to turn around and walk away. No… run away. Far away from this place and forget about it. As they reached the top of the mount and arrived at a large staircase, Serana finally voiced her thoughts.

"Please… Tarrion, let's get out of here."

She clenched her teeth not to shout at the workers to shut up. She saw the hair in Tarrion's neck standing up straight and he nodded.

"I know… I would love to run away from here… this place is haunting. But I-.."

They suddenly heard a different voice sounding. A clear voice that was shouting, not chanting, and it was a woman's voice. As they reached the gate that lead into the temple they saw her.

"You must fight against what is controlling you!"

She tried to grab one of the workers who was carrying stones, but the worker ignored her and continued her work.

"Ysra! Can you hear me?.. You must leave this place!"

She turned around and saw Tarrion and Serana walking down the steps into a large courtyard.

The courtyard itself was almost one hundred metres wide, and elevated on the edges, almost like a bowl. In the middle a large stone pillar stood, emanating a strange green glow, and Tarrion recognized it as the same type of pillar that stood near Raven Rock, the Earth Stone. Everywhere they saw builders labouring on the construction of the temple. More pillars were made and parts of a roof were constructed entirely out of stone, but in a style that Tarrion and even Serana had not seen before.

The woman looked at them as they descended toward the Stone in the centre. She was slightly taller than Serana, and had hair as white as snow. Her clear green eyes showed a deep strength hidden deep within her. Her armour was made from steel, with imagery on her breastplate, and both the shoulders had the shape of an eagle's head. Her shins and wrists were plated, and fur covered her neck. On her hips Tarrion saw two axes… but one of them looked strange, like it was made from crystal or ice.

"You there… who are you? What brings you to this place?" Her hand already went to her hip, to grab her weapon if necessary.

"I am Tarrion… this is Serana. We mean no harm," and he raised his hands showing he came in peace.

The woman took a long look at them both and found them strange. He was tall, with black hair and deep eyes. His armour seemed to be made from the bones of Dragons, and a long sword, made from the same material, hung from his hip and a second sword hung on his back.

She was shorter than her, and her hair was darker than anything she had ever seen. Her skin was pale and flawless, yet in her eyes there was something she did not fully understand. Her clothes were mostly dark, and made from reinforced leather. A short, but razor sharp sword hung from her left hip and a dagger was strapped to the other.

"Forgive me for not trusting you," the woman said. "This place is not one to meet friends," she looked at them again and gave a short nod. "I am Frea of the Skaal. I am here to either save my people, or avenge them."

"Save them… from what exactly?" Serana asked and she looked around at the people that ignored them.

"I am unsure, but that worries me only more," Frea answered and she looked one of the women. "There is something dark at work here, forcing the people on the island to forget themselves and work on these… structures that corrupt the Stones… the very land itself. I do not know what is doing this… but my father claims that Miraak has returned."

"You know Miraak?" Tarrion asked immediately.

Frea nodded. "I know of him. His story is as old as Solstheim itself. The stories say that he served the Dragons as one of their Priests, long ago, before their fall from power. But he turned against his masters and made his own path… It is said that he tried to claim Solstheim for himself, and the Dragons destroyed him for it. But now… My father thinks he has returned? That… is not possible."

She looked at the two of them. "Why are you here? What business do you have with Miraak?"

"He tried to have me killed… have both of us killed," Tarrion explained. "Some time ago, a few of his cultists came to Skyrim and found me."

"Cultists you say?… Wearing strange masks?" Frea asked and he nodded. "Similar cultists tried to attack our village not long past. It seems we are here with a common purpose. We should enter the temple and try and find out what is going on."

The three found a stairwell that lead downward into the temple and Tarrion recognized the way it was build. An old Nordic Tomb. The three of them looked where they could but found only burned books and ruined hallways. A few small rooms in which, in ancient times, supplies were likely kept were only half intact, and they found nothing.

"We must hurry," Frea said as she walked past the corridors. "We must find out what is at work here."

"You said you are of the Skaal," Serana said as she looked at the woman. "I have not heard that name before. What can you tell me of yourself, and your people?"

Frea did not answer immediately, but took a good look at Serana. "Forgive me, but I cannot say much now. My people have lived on Solstheim ever since the All Maker gave it to us, and we live in balance with nature… but that is all I will say for now. As for me, I am here alone, as you can see. I have made an amulet for myself to protect me from the dark influence that is spreading over the land, but it is the only one of its kind."

She sighed as she walked on. "If I cannot save my people, there is no hope for them."

As they continued Tarrion felt the air growing colder. He knew they were heading deeper down into the mountain and it was unlikely that it was completely abandoned… these ruins never are.

They arrived at a large hall. Massive pillars held up the ceiling and in the centre there was a large, winding staircase that lead downward. But each of them looked up and saw dozens of cages hanging from the ceiling. Dry skeletons were still trapped in them and some showed signs of burns.

Frea looked up, and there was a strange look in her eyes. Not one of pity, but of intrigue. "I do not wish to imagine what kinds of things happened in this chamber. Who were these poor souls trapped in these cages. I wonder why they were tortured like this… was it in service to the Dragons… or for Miraak's own purposes?"

Tarrion heard a familiar sound of sarcophagi opening and a few draugr attacked them. They were no match for the three warriors and were dealt with quickly.

"Hmm… it seems the Dragon's Curse has affected even them," Frea said as she looked at the now motionless corpses.

"Dragon's Curse?" Tarrion asked. "What do you mean?"

"The Skaal tell of stories how the ancient people that once served the Dragons, yet turned on them, were cursed with undeath. The Dragon's Curse, is what we call that; Upon them, the Dragon's curse lays claim. Never to rest, until the world is unmade."

They continued further down. Tarrion had been in many of these tombs before, but even he knew of no tomb that was as large as this one... except maybe Labyrinthian. Skeletons were hanging from the ceiling and nailed to pillars, and Serana felt a deep unease. She had stayed out of tombs as much as she could, and she hated this place… but not because of the skeletons.

Frea walked past the skeletons and gave them not attention, but only mumbled to herself. "I do not know what made Miraak turn on his masters, but his path seems to have been a cruel one."

After what felt like hours they started descending down a massive staircase. Tarrion came walking next to Serana. "This is madness. This temple is massive. How much further down do we have to go."

"I don't know, Tarrion, but it makes me feel wrong. Like we're descending into the depths of Oblivion… I .."

She hesitated, because it was a terrifying feeling that she felt. "I feel Daedric influence here."

"How can you be sure?"

"I am not… but with my… history, I can feel it. There is something older than Dragons buried here… something more dangerous. Maybe that is why the Dragons razed this place to the ground?"

"Look here," Frea called out from the next room at the bottom of the staircase. "By the All Maker." And Tarrion saw what she was looking at.

An entire skeleton of ta Dragon was hanging from the ceiling. It's tail almost touching the far wall, and it's jaws opened wide like it was about to shout. The room had a large door below the Dragon's tail and several sarcophagi were built against the side. It was in that room where Tarrion found a Word Wall and as he neared it he could hear the Word of Power call out to him.

MUL

He could feel how he understood the Word, and yet it was unlike another Word he had heard before… not a Word of Power… but a Word of Empowerment.

The further they went deeper down into the mountain, the more they saw a change of architecture. The statues changed, and Tarrion understood what Serana meant. These statues did not look like anything from this world…. But they looked twisted, like the Daedra would do.

Frea walked past the statues and shivered as she looked at them. "we should not delay here… I feel like these statues can come to life at any moment."

"I know what you mean," Serana answered her.

They past more of these statues and Frea and Serana felt more and more uneasy, until even Tarrion could sense that something was deeply wrong here. He knew that a dread hung in this place and he felt the urge to turn around and make for the exit. But then they found a passage hidden behind a wall and it was there that Serana almost refused to enter.

"There is something…. I can feel it," and she stared at the corridor that lead further down. Tarrion could see the fear in her eyes and even the veins in her pale skin were slightly visible. He cupped her face to make her feel his warm hands and her body stopped trembling. She poured courage from his touch and she followed him deeper down. Frea walked behind them and she looked at the black-haired woman, and she knew she did not understand her.

They arrived at the deepest heart of the temple and found a room that was perfectly round. The unearthly architecture was apparent in the dim light that seemed to come from the ground itself. The room was completely empty, except for a small pedestal on which they found a book.

It's cover was black, and it's pages were oozing with a dark energy that seeped from the writing. It had not title that any of them could see, but only had a large, crest looking picture on the cover; a being surrounded by tentacles.

Frea looked at the book and recoiled. "There is something dark at work here… this book is wrong. It seems here yet… not."

Serana, with newfound courage, neared the pedestal and looked at the cover.

"I…. this feels familiar…. But I cannot place it."

"This may be what we seek."

Tarrion looked at Frea, but she seemed to be abhorred by the book, and Serana felt a deep unease as she was near it. He understood Serana. He too felt a familiar feeling… like he had seen something like this before.

He neared the pedestal and grabbed the book from it. A slight pulse came from the book, yet nothing happened. There seemed to be no answer coming from the book… by now all seemed to agree that the book was alive… and he opened it to the first page.

Waking Dreams

"TARRION!"

Serana screamed as green tentacles appeared from the pages and wrapped themselves around Tarrion. She jumped at him to pull him away, but she fell right through him.

Frea tried to pull the book from his hands yet her hands also went through him. "What in Oblivion is this!?" Serana shouted at her, and she looked at how Tarrion stood motionless in the room, with the tentacles wrapped around his neck and arms.

"I think you are correct on that," Frea said so calmly that it angered Serana only more. "This book is not of this world…. It belongs in Oblivion."

-Apocrypha-

When Tarrion opened his eyes he saw a world unlike anything before. The ground was green, the sky looked poison and all around him he saw massive walls and towers. But when he looked again he saw that they were not made from stone, but from books.

But all of that was nothing compared to what he saw in front of him.

A Dragon stood on the ground only twenty metres away from him, calmly breathing. It's scales were grey and it looked more like a snake with wings, rather than a Dragon Tarrion had seen before. Around the Dragon he saw creatures he did not know. They hovered above the ground, had faces with tentacles and four separate arms, but no legs. Their grotesque bodies were deformed with scrolls and books sticking out of their spines and chest and an empty look was in their white eyes.

But in front of the Dragon Tarrion saw a man. His robes were brown and green, made with golden imagery, and his gloves had golden scales on them. A large amulet in the shape of a Dragon hung around his neck. Tarrion could not see his face, but he knew immediately what kind of man it was. He wore a golden mask with seven small tentacles that acted like a beard. In his hand he held a strange staff and on his hip he wore a sword that was writhing with green ooze.

Tarrion had not moved, but as soon as he tried to stand up each of the creatures turned toward him. The Dragon turned his head and the man turned toward the intruder. The creatures rushed at him, but Tarrion immediately cut a few of them down, yet more came rushing in… emerging from the books that were stacked everywhere.

YOL

Tarrion Shouted to incinerate the onrushing creatures, yet nothing happened. There was no fire that escaped from his mouth. The Thu'um did not work.

FUS

The masked man Shouted and Tarrion was forced to the ground. Two of the creatures grabbed him by his arms and forced him to his knees as the man walked up to him.

"Who are you to dare set foot here?"

Tarrion tried to escape but the creatures pinned him down and he felt how his strength was sapped from him as soon as he arrived here…. Wherever that was. He had never seen a place like this before, and he knew now where he was… and yet… deep down there was something about it that seemed familiar.

"Ah.." the man said as he now looked down on Tarrion. "You are Dragonborn, I can feel it… and yet…"

Behind his mask Tarrion could see the eyes of the man widen slightly… although he did not know if it was in awe or in surprise… it was the latter.

"So… you are the one that has slain Alduin," and he chuckled slightly. "That was well done… and an impressive feat, I might add. I could have slain him myself, but I chose a different path."

"Who are you?" Tarrion shouted, but the man chuckled again.

"I think you know already… yet, your own mind cannot comprehend that this could be possible. As so many you are blinded by what you know, and anything outside it is foreign to you and scares you… so you refuse to believe it. A sign of great weakness."

"Let me go and I'll show you how 'weak' I am!"

Again the man chuckled but this time it was in honest amusement. "You wish to fight me here, now? Very well," and he nodded at the two creatures.

As soon as Tarrion felt the grip loosening he charged a powerful Fireball in his hand and threw it at the man, who merely stepped aside and as Tarrion charged at him, he threw him aside.

Immediately Tarrion jumped up, but the man seemed bored already and braced himself.

MUL QAH DIV

It was a shout Tarrion had not heard before, and the force of it alone broke the stone the man was standing on, and Tarrion was knocked back. When he looked up he saw a terrifying sight.

The man was now engulfed in energy that now radiated from him. His eyes glowed bright and all around him Tarrion saw an aura in the shapes of scales and horns… like a Dragon. He neared Tarrion and every step made the ground tremble and the stones cracked and broke beneath his feat.

"You have no idea of the true power a Dragonborn can wield."

With a mere gesture a powerful shockwave came from his hand and Tarrion again was thrown backwards and slammed against one of the walls, and he heard the Dragon laugh. Two of the creatures grabbed him by his arms and forced him om his knees again and the man, who Tarrion knew to be the one he was after, walked toward him.

"I now fully see who you are," he said calmly. "It seems my acolytes failed in their task. Hmm… Dukaan will have to answer for this. I would kill you myself here and now, but… you came here via one of the Books did you not? Then I cannot, and I will simply push you back to Mundus. But you cannot fight me here… the Master of this place has made that so. But this realm is beyond you, you have no power here. But I do have power in Solstheim… and it will only be a matter of time before it is mine. I already control the minds of its people… Soon they will finish building my Temple, and I can return home."

He smiled behind his mask and without warning gave Tarrion a harsh punch in his stomach with the words: "You will not be Shouting again, any time soon." He turned around and chuckled again. "Send him back where he came from…" and to Tarrion's surprise and shock, he mounted the Dragon without hesitation. "He can await my arrival with the rest of Tamriel."

Three of the other creatures neared Tarrion and they fired a strange shockwave at him. His vision went dark and the world around him became cold.

-Solstheim-

"Lady… please stop pacing. It is not helping."

Serana ignored her and kept pacing in front of a silent Tarrion. His transparent body had shown no signs of any change and Serana felt only more anxious the longer it took.

"This is all your fault."

Frea looked up and stared at an angry Serana. "What do you mean by that?"

"You expect me to believe you had no idea what was going on down here?" Serana said angrily. "You said that your people have lived on this island for generations, yet you did not know what was down here?"

"How dare you!" Frea shouted indignantly. "My people have been enslaved by this power, yet you presume I knew about this?"

"I think you know more than you tell either of us… And now, because you refuse to tell us everything you know, the man I love is trapped in gods know where."

"Is that what you made him believe?"

But before Serana could ask what she meant by that, they both heard a large 'Arg' and Tarrion's body became solid again and he fell backwards. The tentacles let go of him and receded back into the book as it fell to the ground. They both saw how Tarrion grabbed his side and coughed blood.

"Tarrion!" Serana grabbed his shoulders and head and with eyes wide open she looked at how he gritted his teeth. "What happened?.. Talk to me."

"Dragons bones…." He grunted and he tried to get up. "I think my ribs are broken."

"How? What happened?"

"Miraak… I saw him… He did this…"

"What? Where is he?" Frea stepped forward and she had fierce look in her eyes. "Can we reach him? Can we kill him?"

Tarrion gritted his teeth again. "Agh… No… not now… this book took me to him… I do not know how."

"Hmm… this book is unnatural and dark. We should take it to my father, Storn. He will know what to do."

Tarrion still felt how at least half a dozen ribs were broken and Serana said that he should rest, but he needed medical attention and the room in which they stood brought a shadow over all of their thoughts. Frea quickly found a way out and a few minutes later they arrived at the exit of a small cave and stepped into the snow.

The cold, alpine air mixed with the salty sea air made Tarrion feel better and while he leaned on Serana they walked over a small path that lead upward to one of the higher foothills of the mountains.

"Tarrion… you need to rest."

Serana looked at him with a deep concern in her eyes. She knew that the wound was only a minor pain that he was dealing with, and that he had seen things that he did not tell her.

"Later… first the village," he grunted as he forced the one foot in front of the other.

An hour of walking later Frea stopped and pointed upward to the ridge of the foothill. They saw a strange glow over a few snowy rooftops, like the village radiated magic.

"There is our village… Storn has used his magic to raise a barrier around the village… protecting the few of us left…. It is a good sign that it is still there… yet it is growing weaker by the day. Let us move quickly."

As they climbed up the hills they saw someone walking towards them. Tarrion saw that it was a young woman, dressed in thick clothes made from fur and she had long, deep brown hair.

"Morwen!"

Frea shouted at the woman and ran towards her. "What are you doing here?"

But the woman did not respond and simply walked past her and mumbled those same haunting lines that send chills down their spines.

Here in his shrine

That hey have forgotten

Here do we toil

That we might remember

"Oh, no," Frea gasped and she looked at how her friend walked down the hill. "The barrier is weakening… slowly possessing those that try to maintain it…. We must hurry."

=End of Chapter=

=Author's Notes=

Oh no…. They're running out of time, and with Tarrion injured… it might be too late.

But anyways… thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed. The next chapter will take a while to complete, with school and all… but I will try to return to this occasionally.

Dragon Language used:

MUL QAH DIV: Strength Armor Wyrm (From the Dragon Aspect Shout)

YOL: Fire (From the Fire Breath Shout)

FUS: Force (From the Unrelenting Force Shout)