Chapter Thirteen: Soul Stealer
"Sir... this is unnecessary!" Svena stated seriously, looking at the huge bags of gold that had been set on the table in front of her. "We... we don't..."
"Nonsense," Farengar chuckled, then glanced aat Ula, who was staring at a nearby tapestry with curious eyes. "It is only natural that I pay you for your services. And, as I stated earlier, I will give you that rare spell tome... one moment, let me excuse myself to rummage around for a bit."
Svena sighed and rubbed the back of her neck when the robed man shuffled off and started digging through his piles of books. Ula, on the other hand, had become totally immersed with watching one of the servant women out in the main dining hall: she was sweeping the floor, but for some reason, she seemed to be having trouble with it. Ula watched her for a few minutes, long ears flicking every now and then as she did so.
"Ula?" Svena quipped, making the girl jump with a startled wheeze; when she turned around, she spotted her sister smiling down at her. "Ula, I'm going to go look for Kai and tell him what's going on. I've already informed Sir Farengar that I'll be back in only a few short minutes, but just in case he finds the book before I return... don't open it for any reason. Okay?"
Ula blinked and nodded, feeling at ease when the dark-skinned woman set a hand against her cheek.
Without another word, Svena hurried over to one of the doors and a guard helped her push it open.
When she was gone, Ula returned her gaze back to the elderly woman sweeping the hall: now and then she had to stop because of a coughing fit, and she was actually rather pale. Even though it definitely wasn't her place, the girl slowly walked over to the woman and looked up at her: she blinked and halted what she was doing, staring at Ula's silver hair, long ears, and pale pink eyes with something close to perplexity.
"Can I help you?" she inquired, making the tiny girl blink and cock her head. "I'm sorry, dear, but I'm very busy... what do you need?"
Ula slowly lowered her eyes to the broom before stretching out her hands and clasping it: the woman started and tightened her fists when the girl gently tugged on it and looked up at her. For several moments, the two of them sort of struggled back and forth, but in the end... Ula let go and sulked a little.
"I may just be a servant among lords," the woman sighed, clucking her tongue with a frown as she started sweeping again, "but don't think for a moment that I don't take my duties any less seriously than the Jarl takes his! Run along now, child... there's sweeping to be done."
Ula's throat started glowing for a moment, but then she gave up and walked away, feeling mildly frustrated.
She'd only wanted to help a little, but then again, it really wasn't her place.
I wish I could talk, Ula silently mourned, staring at the ground before she glanced up at another tapestry. Then I could communicate with people on my own, without any help from Svena and Kai... right now, all I am is a burden. Plus, now that our home is gone, we've got absolutely nothing: I'm next to useless compared to both of them... I wish there was something I could do to help, too.
The white-haired girl let out a sigh and hung her head, feeling a little depressed.
Farengar came out of study not long after and tapped her shoulder, trying to get your attention
"Here is the tome I promised," he stated curtly, giving her a smile. "All you have to do is open it and the gates to your healing energy will open wide."
Ula blinked and took it with shaking fingers, ignoring the curiosity that was eating away at her: she wanted to open it, but doing so would be the same as breaking the promise she'd made with Svena. The moment she turned to head towards the castle doors, however, they burst open wide and Irileth practically flew into the main hall with a panting guard.
"Farengar!" she called, looking frenzied and disheveled; when her eyes landed on Ula, they narrowed and flicked around before locking on her face again. Then, almost as if the woman were testing her, she swept towards the pale girl and halted directly beside her. Ula blinked when the woman peered into the study, not even realizing that she was watching her out of the corner of her eye. "Farengar! Where are you! You need to come at once! A dragon's been sighted nearby! Hurry up and come out!"
Ula's breath caught and she choked, muscles seizing up: her eyes widened and her pupils dilated, heart skipping several beats as she remembered everything she'd seen in Helgen. Pink eyes blank, the girl slowly lifted both hands and touched her throat, staring off at nothing.
Another Dragon?! she silently wailed, shaking her head in terror. No! No! It's back! We have to get out of here! We have to escape!
"Farengar! Come out here!" the crimson-haired woman snapped, sounding frustrated. "A dragon has been sighted near Whiterun!"
A muffled crash came from an open door near the edge of the study and the robed man hurried out of it.
"A dragon?!" he gasped, looking at her with sparkling eyes. "How exciting! Where was it seen?! What was it doing?!"
"I'd take this a bit more seriously if I were you," the Dunmer sourly muttered, giving him a maroon-eyed glare. "If that beast decides to attack Whiterun, I don't know if we can stop it, so come on!"
"Wait, let me gather some of my scrolls, just in case!" the man stammered, delightedly flying over to his desk and snatching several rolled up papers. "Who knows? They might come in handy if the dragon proves to be hostile!"
Then woman rolled her eyes before she glanced down at Ula and clamped a hand down on her arm, making the albino flinch.
"You should come, too," she stated in a firm voice, making the girl's head snap up in a heartbeat; then she glanced at the court wizard. "Come on! Hurry!"
Before Ula could attempt to protest, she was being dragged out of the room and up a set of stone stairs by the Elvish woman: she was on the verge of hyperventilation, since she didn't want to have anything to do with the events going on around her. If a dragon was going to attack Whiterun, she wanted to go find Kai and Svena so they could flee. The white-haired girl finally hit the top of the stairs and was pulled over to where the Jarl was conversing with a heaving guard.
"So," Jarl Balgruuf muttered, looking at the young man with intense blue eyes, "Irileth tells me you came from the Western Watchtower?"
"Yes, My Lord," the guard panted, looking more than a little out of sorts. "I just arrived from there not ten minutes ago."
"Tell him what you told me," the dark elf standing beside Ula commanded, letting go of her wrist and stepping forward. "About the dragon!"
"Uh, that's right!" the guard wheezed, finally standing up all the way. "We saw it coming from the South. It was fast... faster than anything I've ever seen."
Everyone in the room seemed to be disturbed after hearing that.
"What did it do?" the Jarl inquired, looking at the guard with large eyes. "Is it attacking the watchtower?"
"No, My Lord," the man explained, shaking his head before he took his helmet off and wiped his brow. "At least, not that I know of: it was just circling overhead when I started running. I've never run so fast in my life... I thought it would come after me for sure."
"Good work, Son," Jarl Balgruuf rumbled, clasping the younger man's shoulder and giving him a nod. "We'll take it from here. Head down to the Barracks for some food and rest. You've earned it. Irileth, you'd better gather some guardsmen and get down there."
"I've already ordered my men to muster near the main gate," the Dunmer replied, clasping a hand over her heart and lowering her head. "It is best to be prepared once word of danger meets the ears."
"Good... don't fail me," the man commanded, then glanced at Ula, who froze like a rabbit under a hunter's arrow. "There is no time to stand on ceremony, my friend... we need your help. I want you to go with Irileth and tend to those who have been wounded by this dragon. I overheard your sister's conversation with my Court Wizard, and it is no secret to me that you have received a tome that can teach you how to heal using Magicka. You survived Helgen, so that means you have more experience with dragons than anyone else here."
Ula's face paled and she stared at him in horror: she instantly shook her head, which made the man frown and narrow his eyes.
"As a token of my esteem," he stated in a low tone, making the girl flinch, "I have asked my steward to allow you to purchase property within Whiterun as a citizen: that right has also been extended to the man and woman who were traveling with you. Now, please: help my people win this fight."
"I should come along!" Farengar stammered, jumping into the conversation before Ula could decline a second time; the girl twitched when the elf woman grabbed her wrist and dragged her all the way back down the stairs at a rapid pace. "I would very much like to see what this dragon is doing!"
"No, I can't afford to risk all of you," the man stated with a sigh. "I need you here: you're the only one who could possibly come up with a way to defend Whiterun against these monstrous beasts. Also, one last thing, Irileth... this isn't a glory mission: I need to know what we're dealing with."
The woman paused at the bottom of the stairs and her fist tightened on Ula's arm, making the girl wince.
"Don't worry, My Lord! I am the very soul of caution!" she called back loudly, smirking before glancing down at Ula. "You and I are heading to the Main Entrance to assemble the men; then we're heading to the Western Watchtower."
Divines, no, please, Ula silently wailed, praying the woman would let her go so she could run away. I don't want to! I don't want to go! Please! No more!
She couldn't speak... she couldn't cry... all she could do was pray.
So that's exactly what she did: she prayed this was all a nightmare, even when she was pulled in front of a group of men and Irileth released her. Adrianna, the blacksmith, stopped what she was doing when she noticed the guards gathering... and for a little while, she kept her eyes on them. However, the Red Guard woman frowned when she noticed Ula standing behind the crimson-haired elf, especially since the girl wasn't exactly hiding her fright.
"Irileth!" one of the guards rapped out, making the others stand at attention. "We've assembled as you asked."
"Good work," the elf curtly replied, giving him a nod; then she glanced at Ula and motioned with her head for her to stand beside them; once she shakily did so, the woman faced the guards with fierce slanted eyes. "Here's the situation: a dragon is attacking the Western Watchtower!"
The reaction was instantaneous: everyone gasped and the blacksmith dropped her tongs with enormous eyes.
"What?!" one guard gasped, shoulders stiffening in an instant. "A... a dragon?!"
"You heard right!" Irileth thundered, pacing back and forth in front of Ula and the guards. "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."
"But Housecarl, how can we fight a dragon?!" one of the guards demanded. "They're supposed to be extinct!"
"That's a fair question," Irileth sighed, shaking her head as she paced. "None of us have ever seen a dragon before, let alone expected to face one in battle... but we are honorbound 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?! Well!"
"No!" three of the men simultaneously bellowed. "We will fight!"
"We're so dead..." one of them muttered. "So dead..."
"And you?" Irileth demanded, glancing at Ula. "Will you stand with us proudly and heal those who are wounded like the Jarl wanted?"
Ula swallowed when a mental image of Svena and Kai holding her hands seared behind her eyes.
She couldn't let them get hurt by another dragon... and since she was prepared this time, maybe... things would go differently.
Maybe she wouldn't be so scared.
Well, that was a lie... she was terrified, and would stay terrified, but the thought of Svena and Kai being killed in another incident like Helgen made her heart tremble with fear. They were all she had left: if she could do something, anything, to protect them... even if it was just healing people who'd gotten hurt... she would do it. Even if it meant breaking the promise she'd made one last time.
So, against her will, Ula she stepped forward and caught the dark elf's attention by lifting a hand and holding it against her chest. Then, just as Irileth had done for Jarl Balgruuf, she tightened her fist and bowed low before standing upright again: the woman's mouth twisted into a mildly amused smirk when Ula's face flushed and she hugged the spellbook close to her chest. The Dunmer could tell how scared she was, but apparently that fact is what made her acceptance of the situation funny.
"Good," she stated firmly, glancing at the men. "However, it's more than our honor at stake here! Think of it: the first dragon that's been seen in Skyrim since the last age! The glory of killing it is ours, if you're with me! Now, what do you say?! Shall we go kill us a dragon?!"
"Yeah!" one guard bellowed, thrusting his sword into the air.
"Damn right!" another roared.
"Then let's move out!" Irileth shouted, grinning like a wildcat when the doors to Whiterun opened and the guards marched through it; after they were heading down the street, she glanced at Ula to see the girl holding her breath with tense eyes. "Are you coming?"
Ula didn't answer: shivering, the girl closed her eyes before flipping the spell book open... then she slowly opened them and looked down at the pages. Her eyes widened when knowledge once again seared into her head with a flash of light... only this time, it was warm, and the glow was gold. It reminded her of lazing in the sun on a beautiful afternoon.
Once it faded, the girl lifted her hand and focused her mind, taking a deep breath: the moment she summoned it, however, her entire body was suffused from the inside out with a brilliant golden color that made her seem quite angelic. Irileth's eyes widened and she stepped back with her hand on her sword when Ula's long hair fanned out and began to billow around her in a weightless manner. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the glow faded and Ula's soreness had completely melted away.
"Are you ready?" the woman demanded, then glanced at her men. "Let's go: we need to get to the watchtower before it's too late."
Ula nodded and hurried after the woman when she started jogging down the road: the girl didn't even notice Adrianna Avenicci standing stock still in front of her forge with an open mouth an enormous eyes. When the two pointy-eared females caught up to the guards, Ula glanced at her palms as she jogged, trying to figure out why everything had come so easily. Just moments ago, healing a scratch would have drained her body so badly that she wouldn't have been able to stand upright for at least an hour... but after reading the spell tome, it once again felt almost as though the energy had been rushing out of her.
Or rather, as though she had so much power that it hadn't been able to stay back the moment she'd opened the floodgates.
"Do you really think we'll be able to beat a dragon?" one of the guards asked, looking at his comrades as they ran down the cobblestone path and finally trotted into the wilds. "They say the dragons were ferocious beasts, you know. Mindless creatures bent on nothing but destruction."
"I don't know, but I laugh in the face of danger," another guard chuckled, hefting his axe. "Let us kill the monster and bring back it's head. A worthy trophy, no?"
"I hope the tower holds out until we get there," the third guard muttered, looking up at the sky and shivering when he realized it was getting dark. Ula didn't blame him, either: she felt as though things were getting a little dangerous already. The same feeling from before was flooding through her: the desire to live, the fear, all of it... it made her senses tingle and she felt one thing.
The need to survive.
When they ran through the stables and started down the bend leading towards the Western Watchtower, Ula had a sudden foreboding.
She slowed down and blinked when more visions flooded behind her eyes.
The same scenery... the same faces... all of them, they came rushing past her eyes in a million different ways. The girl clutched her head with a silent whine, catching the attention of the guard behind her: apparently, he took the sudden headache she was experiencing for fear, because he put a hand on her white-clad shoulder and let out a cough.
"Don't worry, little elf," he stated firmly, making the girl twitch and look at him in surprise. "This will be a piece of cake for us. You just stay out of the way and let us handle it: if anyone gets hurt, all you have to do is heal using your magicka."
Ula shook the dizziness away and blinked before nodding.
Right around that moment, Irileth diverted from the road and took off through the underbrush: the albino didn't hesitate to follow her, but her white dress started snagging on several bushes as she passed them. They continued to run until a stone tower appeared over the rise, and even then they didn't stop: Ula, on the other hand, halted in her tracks when she caught the scent of fire. Her ears twitched and she listened, wondering if it was just the rapid heartbeat hammering against her chest that she was hearing.
"Gods above," one of the guard whispered, staring at the decimated tower from within his helmet. "The tower... it's been destroyed!"
"The grass is still on fire, too," another guard added; Irileth crouched down behind a rock and waved them over. "This doesn't bode well."
"No signs of any dragons right now, but it sure looks like he's been here," the dark elf muttered grimly, lifting a hand to her head and peering at the destroyed stone monarch. "I know it looks bad, but we've got to figure out what happened. And if that Dragon is still skulking around somewhere. Spread out! Look for survivors. We need to know what we're dealing with."
"This doesn't look good," the smallest of the guards groaned, and with that, everyone drew their swords and started walking towards the towers.
I feel something, Ula silently whispered, pressing her hands against her chest and closing her eyes; the world around her was singing with a gentle thrum... she could hear the life-songs of the grass... of the insects... of the flowers... of the deer and rabbits nearby... even the life-songs of the people who'd come with her on this mission. However, there were several other human life-songs as well: one of them was faint, the other was strong. It's there...
Ula's eyes snapped open and she sprinted towards the weaker life-force at top speed: her feet practically flew across the ground, and her long hair was blasted behind her in the wind she generated. When she finally found the source of the pulsations, however, her eyes widened and she clamped both hands to her mouth in absolute horror. A Nord guard who looked to be no older than eighteen was lying on the ground with no legs and no right arm: he was breathing raggedly and his blue eyes were feverish.
And yet... for some reason, the moment she knelt down beside him, his eyes focused and he smiled at her.
"Are you the Goddess Mara?" he croaked, making Ula twitch and draw back. "You've come to take me to Sovengarde, haven't you?"
Ula frantically shook her head and swallowed before focusing her mind: before the guards eyes, she began to glow with a brilliant golden light that illuminated the area around her for nearly ten feet. Irileth and the other guards whirled to face the glow when they spotted it, and not long after, they came rushing over to see the girl wrapped up in the flowing Magicka. The guard's body was glowing as well, but for some reason, even though his skin was growing back and the wounds on his body were healing... his breathing was becoming weaker, and he was smiling more peacefully. Ula's muscles started shaking when he looked at her: then the glow died out and she touched his chest, eyes slowly widening.
"I'm beyond saving," he stated roughly, eyes slowly beginning to glaze over. "The dragon... it came out of nowhere."
"Soldier, what happened to you?" Irileth stated softly, kneeling beside him as well and touching his forehead. "What is your name?"
"Roan Svitkoash," the man wheezed, then glanced at Ula and smiled once again. "Thank you... for making the pain go away... but... it's too late."
"Shh... don't talk, rest: we'll get you out of here," the dark elf stated fiercely, then proceeded to lift him into her arms like a baby. "Now that the bleeding has stopped, we have a chance at saving your life. Don't give in, soldier, fight it off with everything within you."
"By your orders... captain," Roan chuckled, struggling to keep his eyes open. "I think... Oscar is still alive... he was in the tower... before it grabbed me."
"Then let's head over there," the Dunmer muttered, hefting his weight and gently cradling him against her chest. "I won't put you down for a moment: I've never left a man behind, and I never will, so don't you worry. We WILL get you home."
Right around that moment, Ula felt the other unknown life-song quicken in a way that rang with the underlying tone of fright.
She slowly managed to follow the source of it, which led her straight to a crumbling ramp: however, that's when she saw him.
Another guard who was staring at her in horror.
"No, get back!" he barked, making a shooing motion and looking at the sky in terror. "It's still around here somewhere! Hrokir and Tor got grabbed when they tried to make a run for it! It ate them! It just ate them, so go!"
Ula froze when she heard a distant roar echoing all around her... and like before, the very sound rocked the girl clean to the center of her core. Her eyes flashed with a brilliant blue light and the mark on her throat traced itself out once again: she wanted to screech back a response... wanted to challenge the roar with one of her own, to make it's owner back down. Then she felt a horrifying shiver that wracked her entire body and caused her to knees to buckle. She shuddered as the frigid feeling buried itself inside her, sinking down into the place where all fear lurked. She slowly looked up at the southern mountains when a dark shadow began sucking the remaining sunlight light right out of the air.
Was it a cloud…?
No…. no, it was darker than any cloud, and it was giving her a sinister prickling feeling that wouldn't leave her spine. The sun was setting behind the mountains, and it almost seemed to be sitting atop the tallest peak—and from that sun, at the top of that monstrous pyramid, a shape that called forth the deepest of darkness had appeared.
Ula's eyes widened as she stared at it, feeling a fear that she'd associated with Helgen when she realized what she was looking at.
A dragon... and unlike the one that had destroyed the village she'd been brought to, this one was dark grey with red streaks weaving along its scales.
It was huge... how could it be so big? How could this creature's shadow fall on her all that distance away? How could its shadow reach inside her, down to the depths of her soul? She had felt dread in the face of death and even inside the barrow, but this fear was different; whenever she saw a dragon, she felt as though she were looking at the heart and soul of danger.
"Run away, Princess Soraah!" someone suddenly screamed, wailing desperately inside the girl's head; she slowly stepped backwards with a horror unlike any she'd ever felt before, staring with wide pink eyes at the monstrosity flying down from the mountains. "Hurry and run to Master Talagan! Don't let the Daedra or Alduin catch you! You mustn't!"
In that moment, Ula caught a flash of her worst nightmare and her eyes widened in honest-to-God horror.
"Kynareth save us!" the man bawled, diving into the keep. "Here he comes again!"
Ula flinched and her eyes stopped glowing when he let loose his cry, but then... the dragon flew past the tower and her heart thumped itself up her throat.
"Here it comes!" Irileth roared, hurrying into the tower and setting the injured guard down. "Find cover and make every arrow count!"
Then the beast landed... and Ula's eyes widened in utter terror, because a shockwave of dust exploded from its wings. The girl's long hair fanned out and she fled inside the tower, huddling back near the injured guard. She heard the roars and felt the tower shaking... the sounds of screaming coming from outside... then, a yelp, and another roar, another thunderous crash, all punctuated by the sounds of battle.
Ula cowered in the corner with her hands over her ears, trying to drown out the angry battle cries and the monstrous snarls coming from outside.
Fight... someone whispered, making her eyes snap open wide. Fight... you must fight, Soraah... fight them... to save existence.
But why, Master Talagan? an unfamiliar and extremely young voice inquired. Why do I have to fight them?
Because that is your role, my child, the elderly voice whispered. That is what you were born to do. To defeat the World Eater. The stars have foretold this.
Before she could figure out what was going on, Ula was standing up with glowing violet hands and her eyes were shining with azure luminescence yet again: the mark on her throat was glowing when she stepped out of the watchtower. Then she spotted the dragon: it was bleeding and its leg had been maimed, but it was still roaring blowing jets of fire despite the fact that the guards were making it retreat.
Ula was just about to lift her palms and fire a lightning bolt when she remembered the promise she'd made to Svena. Her hands faltered and she froze, not understanding what she was doing: her eyes twinkled out and she stared, mortified, at the dragon just as one of the guards drew back his arm to slit it across the throat; Ula's eyes widened when the beast looked up and spotted her.
Then, her heart did a twisted backflip, because the creature opened its mouth and uttered something that she understood.
"Dovakhiin!" it screeched in pain. "No!"
Then the sword slashed... and the beast fell on its side, clawing at the ground with blood raining on the earth. Ula slowly covered her mouth and her knees buckled when a deafening cheer rose up: she couldn't understand... no, she didn't even want to. She had heard it... she had heard it say something... had that creature been aware of what it was doing?!
And if so, why?!
Ula shook her head and got up, feeling as though something wasn't right... then she jogged over to the creature and knelt down in front of it.
"Be careful!" Irileth barked, lifting an arm. "We don't know if the head still bites after it's dead! Wait... look! What's happening?! Get away from... there?"
"By the Gods," one of the guards whispered, watching as Ula hastily stood up and backed away from the beast's corpse. "What's... no, it can't be!"
Ula stared at the dragon's body with enormous eyes when a crackling sound filled the air... and then, all of a sudden, pieces of it's flesh began to catch fire and burn away into nothingness like papers dissolving into ashes. The girl jumped when it began to glow with a brilliant golden light... because not even a split second later, that light unexpectedly began roaring towards her, blasting her hair out of her face and tearing at her clothes. She let out a silent squeal when the light whirled around her, illuminating the blue marks on her body. But then, Ula gasped and her pupils expanded before filling with a burning yellow light.
And a vision overtook her mind.
Soaring above the clouds... a beautiful dragon with scales like the sky at sunset... eggs... warmth, sleeping together... hunting, the thrill of sharing the skies with a mate... the feeling of peace, of being safe and untouched, and strong. Pain... arrows raining down... the skies going dark... the beautiful dragon, lying dead on the floor of a cave... smashed eggs... his children. A black dragon, offering refuge. Safety. Revenge. But the pain... never faded...
His love and safety... his power... they were gone, stolen by the hands of man.
Just like that... the glowing mark on her neck shattered into a million pieces... and Ula's eyes lost their reflective sheen. Without warning, she collapsed to her knees, skirt and hair still flying towards the sky as the light whirled around and soared inside her body. For several moments, everything was quiet... but then, the guards came running up to her, one at a time, and they surrounded the body of the dragon they'd killed.
"I can't believe it..." one of the guards whispered, staring at the girl from within his helmet. "You're... Dragonborn..."
"Dragonborn?" Irileth warily demanded, staring at Ula with narrowed eyes. "What do you mean? What is she?"
"Well," the guard explained, still staring straight at the white-haired girl, who so far hadn't moved, "in the very oldest tales, back from when Dragons were still roaming Skyrim, there were said to be beings who could kill a dragon and absorb their power. That's what she just did, isn't it? Absorbed the dragon's power?"
"Dragonborn?" one of the other guards demanded. "What are you talking about?"
"My grandfather used to tell stories of the Dragonborn," the first guard stated. "Those born with the blood of the Dragons in them, like Tiber Septim himself. According to the old legends, only the Dragonborn could shout without training, like the Greybeards do."
"I've never heard of Tiber Septim killing any dragons," another Nord sarcastically drawled.
"There weren't any dragons then, idiot," the first man retorted, speaking as though he were addressing a child. "They're just coming back now for the first time in... forever. But the old tales tell of the Dragonborn, who could kill dragons and steal their power. She must be one! You saw the light!"
"What do you say, Irileth?" the final guard inquired, glancing at the woman with a curious posture. "You're being awfully quiet."
"Come on, Irileth, tell us," another Nord inquired. "Do you believe in this Dragonborn business or not?"
"Hmph," the woman snorted, folding her arms and quirking an eyebrow. "Some of you would be better off keeping quiet rather than flapping your gums on matters you don't know anything about. Here's a dead dragon, and that's something I definitely understand. Now we know we can kill them. But I don't need some mythical Dragonborn: someone who can put down a mindless beast like this is good enough for me."
"Shut up," a soft voice commanded, making everyone stiffen in surprise; Irileth's eyes widened in fury and she whirled to look for the person who's spoken... but when her eyes settled on Ula, she frowned, since she'd been told that the girl couldn't speak. "Just shut up... you don't know anything."
"I beg your pardon?" the woman demanded in a low tone. "Would you care to repeat that?"
"I said, you do not know anything," Ula stated softly, finally rising to her feet and turning around; the woman frowned when she noticed the terror-stricken expression on the girl's face. She was shaking violently and staring off at nothing as though she'd gone blind, and her eyes were still empty. "He wasn't a mindless beast... he called out to me, just before he died. He was in pain... he... he... I saw it... all... his m..."
Before she could finish, her eyes flared blue and she clutched her head with both hands, gritting her sharp teeth as pain erupted within her head.
"O-oi, are you all right?!" one of the guards asked, taking a step forward. "Elf... is she okay?!"
By way of answer, the girl let out a screech of agony that resounded through the air like a blast of thunder; every single person within a hundred-mile radius heard it echoing through the mountains, and everyone in front of her was blasted off of their feet from the sheer force that had entered her lungs. Ula collapsed and clawed at her own head when the agony and the memories continued to sear through her: the dragon they'd killed was still living on through her mind, and his memories were blending with her own... it hurt... she couldn't tell where he begun and she ended.
"Savi dii sil!" Ula wailed, emitting a wall of brilliant blue light that created another burst of thunder. "Savi da! Savi Da!"
As if the words had done something to her body, she locked up like a statue and the mark on her throat once again appeared: the glowing symbols on her body slowly weaved away and the flare in her eyes faded. However, just as she slowly fell backwards with a silent groan, a faraway blast of sound echoed from the southeastern mountains.
"DO-VAH-KIIN!"
Ula's eyes fluttered when she hit the ground, not even feeling it: she saw the faces of several people above her just before she blacked out.
Then... all was darkness.