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Astaria had awoken in a haze, it had taken her a long moment to figure out where she was and why she was there. When she did however, she made sure that she hurried out of there. She found the stone tablet in the tomb that the Draugr had been in and hurriedly picked it up, tying it to her in a makeshift sling and hurriedly making her way out of the tomb.
She found a hidden exit at the top of another set of stairs and found her way out. Blinking in the dazzling sunlight, she stared off the mountain she found herself. She'd obviously been passed out a while as it felt like almost midday. She found her way down carefully before figuring out which way she had to go.
Hurrying through Riverwood, she simply passed a wave to Gerdur, who looked at her stunned as she ran through the town. Astaria was tired but she knew that her mission was more important than resting at the moment, she had spent long enough passed out in the cave.
Running up the steps to Dragonsreach, taking two at a time, Astaria burst into the hall and over to Farengar's room, almost slamming the tablet down on the table.
"Happy now?" She growled.
Farengar just looked at her. "I will admit, I did not expect you to return. It does seem like you are a cut above the rest." He looks at the woman standing next to him, someone Astaria hadn't even noticed. "Looks like we can find some answers after all."
The woman just nodded, looking at Astaria with faint interest.
"Now, if you don't mind, we need to look over this." Farengar said, waving a hand at her to show she could go.
Astaria was about to talk back about how rude he was being when another voice got her attention.
"Farengar."
Astaria turned to see Irileth running towards them, she stopped looking at Farengar. "Farnegar, come quickly, a dragon has spotted close by." She gave a sideways glance at Astaria. "You better come too."
Farengar was practically bouncing with excitement. "A dragon!? Where was it seen? What was it doing?"
"I don't know, but come quickly." She left the room, heading up the stairs to the right, Farengar following.
Astaria sighs, a sense of dread settling in her stomach, before following wearily up the stairs.
A guardsman was standing before Jarl Balgruuf, looking pale. Balgruuf nodded to Astaria before putting his full attention on the guard.
"Tell me what happened."
"It came out of nowhere, it's all but ruing the Western Watchtower. I don't know where it's gone, I ran as my life depended on it to report sir. Several remained behind, but-" he didn't need to continue.
Balgruuf looked worried. "You've done well son, take some rest." He turned to Irileth. "Take some of our best soldiers and get out there, find out what's happened. No heroics Irileth."
Irileth nods and heads off. Farengar looked at the Jarl.
"Jarl Balgruuf, I would much like to see this dragon up close. I-"
"No. I cannot afford to lose you. You will stay here. I trust that the mission you sent our friend here on was successful?"
Farengar looks disheartened. "Yes sir. I will start working on it straight away."
"Good." Balgruuf then turned his attention to Astaria. "There's no time to stand on ceremony, I need your help again. I want you to go with Irileth and help her fight this dragon."
Astaria felt her blood run cold. "I-what?"
"You have more experience than most. Plus, don't you think it wise to also report of where dragons are attacking to Ulfric?"
She ground her teeth. He was using her loyalty against Ulfric against her.
"Does this mean you will have an answer when I return?"
"If you slay the dragon that is threatening my people."
Astaria let out a slow breath and hurried after Irileth. She found her with six other guards at the main entrance.
The Dunmer stared at her. "I hope you're ready for this."
"So am I." Astaria replies darkly.
They left the city together. It wasn't far too the Western Watchtower, but they paused nearby to survey the damage done, much of the tower in ruins and burning, much like it had done in Helgen.
They moved closer, Irileth hurrying to the tower entrance, a guards stepping out, looking pale and terrified. They started talking, but Astaria wasn't listening, her gaze had gone to the skies, something seeming to call her there, and far in the distance, she saw the dragon approaching.
"Kynareth save us, here he comes again!" The guardsman shouts.
A roar ripped through the air, but instead of fear, Astaria felt a thrill of challenge course through her and her adrenaline starting to burn. Drawing her bow, she took up position where she was covered by some of the fallen tower and waited.
The dragon swooped down, the guardsmen firing wildly at it. Astaria watched, almost entrance by the way it moved and glided through the air. Fire roared from its mouth, awfully close for comfort, but still she watched, it was unlike anything she had seen before.
"Get it down! Shoot it down!" Irileth was yelling.
Astaria blinked and somehow knew that she was going to be a critical element in this. She pulled her bow back and started to fire. Not entirely sure how she would hit something that moved so quickly, she took guesses on which way the dragon would move and surprisingly, her arrows found their mark.
It didn't take long for the dragon to come crashing down, hoisting itself up onto its wing and roaring another jet of fire at some guards who were too close. Astaria stared at it, she was out of arrows, which meant that she was going to have to come in close.
Irileth was already doing this, shooting lightning from her fingertips into the dragon, distracting it while she steadily walked in closer and closer. Astaria, noticing that the dragon's attention was on the Dunmer, rushed forward, swinging her sword which embedded itself deep into the dragon's leg.
The dragon roared in pain as Astaria leapt back, turning its full attention on her.
It chuckled. "I had forgotten what fine sport you mortals can provide!" It charged, roaring flames at her.
Astaria was very glad in that moment she was quick on her feet, avoiding the flames and going in for another strike. The dragon roared again, trying to move around to get at, but again she was quicker and landed another blow, moving away just in time as it's jaws come snapping down.
"Thuri du hin sil ko Sovngarde!" The dragon growled, snapping again.
Astaria's head was buzzing, it felt like it was just her and the dragon now. She knew that those words meant something but she didn't know what, it was as if the knowledge was just beyond her fingertips. She moved in again, ducking as the dragon snapped its jaws and swung hard into its leg.
This time, it managed to knock her away.
Landing heavily, the breath rushed out of her, but she was forced to launch herself behind the cover of some of the fallen tower as another shot of fire came her way. Leaning against the stone, she struggled to get her breath back and could hear the dragon approaching.
"You are brave. Bahlaan hokoron." The dragon growled.
It was going to end now. One way or another.
Gripping her sword tightly, Astaria got to her feet and climbed on top of the rubble, bringing herself just higher than the dragon. It glared at her, preparing another shout of fire. Astaria didn't think, using the extra height, she jumped onto the dragons head.
Confused by this, the dragon struggled, somehow Astaria held on, getting herself into a positon where she could bring her blade down.
Leaping away as the dragon yelled it's final breath, Astaria was aware of two words it said.
"Dovahkiin? No!"
The dragon collapsed and an uneasy silence settled.
Astaria stared at the dragon, disbelieving of what she just did. The other guards and Irileth were approaching.
Suddenly, the dragon started to glow.
"Look out!" One of the guards called.
Astaria stepped back, but it was like the light was drawn to her. She recoiled as it seemed to curl around her and she felt something seeping into her body.
Clutching herself, she gasped and the word she saw in Bleak Falls Barrow suddenly made sense. Fus. The same word that the Draugr had shouted at her. She stared at the dragon, suddenly just left as a skeleton. What had just happened?
The guards reapproached. One of them looking at her pale face.
"I don't believe it. You're…you're Dragonborn!"
She looked at him with wide eyes. "What?"
"You're Dragonborn! You have to be. Long ago, in the very oldest of tales, back from 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 that dragon's power?"
Astaria stared at the guard, suddenly more terrified than she had ever been in her life. If she was Dragonborn…then the consequences would unsurmountable, and she wasn't entirely sure she was ready for that.
"I don't know what happened to me." She said weakly.
"There's only one way to find out. Try to shout. According to legends, only the Dragonborn could shout without training, the way dragons do."
She could feel panic rising in her throat. Shout? But she was just another Nord, she couldn't just-
A burning fire in her chest told her otherwise. Not really knowing what she was doing, she turned away from the guards and saw the word again, burning clearly in her mind.
"Fus!"
Astaria stood their stunned as the wave of power left her mouth, sending a shockwave through the air. That…that had been a shout!
The guards were murmuring behind her and she slowly turned back. The guards were all discussing the Dragonborn and what she had just did. Irileth was the only one who looked impassive.
"I don't know about the Dragonborn business, but I do know that we now know we can kill them." She glared at Astaria. "Either way, Jarl Balgruuf will want to hear about this."
Astaria nods and without really thinking, she starts to run back to Whiterun.
Dragonborn? It couldn't be possible, and yet, the shout out of her mouth had been proof enough alone. She was Dragonborn and that meant a whole lot of trouble was now coming her way and she wasn't looking forward to it one bit.
She knew nothing about shouting and dragons, let alone being the Dragonborn. She knew some of the legends but even then, it hadn't been important. As she ran, the answer suddenly came to her. Ulfric. Ulfric would know what to do. He had trained to shout, he…he had to know.
Coming into Whiterun, the ground suddenly shook, Astaria had to grab the wall to steady herself and looked up at the sky.
"DOVAHKIIN!"
Many people looked around scared as the thundering shout died. Astaria became aware that her hands were shaking, brushing herself down, she headed up to Dragonsreach once more.
Entering, she could hear Balgruuf talking. "You heard the summons. What else could it mean? The Greybeards…"
They all stared at Astaria as she approached, the Jarl leaning forward in his throne.
"So what happened at the watchtower? Was the dragon there?"
Astaria nods slowly. "Yes. We managed to kill it."
"I knew I could count on Irileth, but-" he shifted nervously. "Surely something else happened? Something when the dragon died?"
Astaria was hesitant, she didn't know whether to say anything or not. Finally, it was only because Irileth would return with a full report anyway, that she decided she might as well.
"It…It turns out I'm the Dragonborn." She said, forcing herself to regain her composure and stand sure of herself.
The Jarl looked at the tall Nord standing next to him on guard before looking back at Astaria.
"And what do you know of the Dragonborn?"
"Enough to know that it was the Greybeards shout summoning me." She said frowning. "I am a Nord, while my knowledge on the legend is rusty, I did grow up in Windhelm and know of the Greybeards and the throat of the world."
Balgruuf slowly nods. "So you should. You should head up to High Hrothgar immediately, there is no refusing the summons of the Greybeards."
Astaria was about to agree when she remembered the reason she was here in the first place.
She shook her head. "As much as I am aware of this Jarl Balgruuf, I still have a mission to attend to here." She gives him a piercing look with her amber eyes. "You owe me an answer."
He frowns but then nods in agreement. "I suppose I do. I have to admit, I thought you would be able to see reason, but it is clear that you are one of Ulfric's people through and through." He pulls the axe out of his belt. "So about this axe. You can return this axe to our friend; the esteemed Jarl of Windhelm has my answer. Make sure he gets it."
Astaria takes the axe with a grave face. "And I thought you would see reason to saving your people."
He waves her off, ignoring her comment. "Thank you for your services Dragonborn. You may return to Windhelm."
She doesn't bow, doesn't say anything else, she just turns on her heel and leaves, catching a final comment from Balgruuf of writing to General Tulius.