CHAPTER 70: THE THROAT OF THE WORLD

Just as the Greybeards had warned, the way to Paarthurnax was hard and treacherous.

Natsu walked by Lucy's side as the rickety path rose on the mountainside like ice wrath, slippery from frost. Lucy's spell of clairvoyance guided them forward, but one misstep could send them down the cliff to their deaths. Behind them, the mist had already formed into a wall he could not see through, and the visibility ahead was only a few feet at best. When the mist closed in, Lucy whispered the words that banished it away, only for a moment.

As they went, they did not talk. From the raging wind, Natsu could barely hear his own thoughts. This inner silence, or rather, the absence of mental noise, was rather relieving for a chance – almost like a meditation of sorts. He focused solely on following Lucy's steps. Everything else was irrelevant.

Though, in the silence, Natsu sensed something eerie, unspeakable, like something ancient and forgotten awaited them on the peak of the mountain. The Throat of the World, the highest point in all Nirn. They were closest to the sky they'd ever possibly be, and few living men had ever made it here. Yet still, one lived here – the fact Natsu still struggled to grasp. Paathurnax, the fifth monk, and the leader of the Greybeards, resided here in perfect solitude. What kind of a madman could do this?

Not so long ago, Natsu had been thinking of that. As he'd listened to the heated conversation in High Hrtoghar, he'd wondered why Arngeir was so hesitant about them meeting Paathurnax. Was he so fragile from old age and harsh conditions? Maybe he carried some secrets they were not supposed to know? And if he did, why? Gildarts had once said that the Greybeards were keeping things from them, and the old mage was right about that. But, in the end, they were permitted to meet this mysterious Paathurnax, and they'd find out soon enough why they didn't want them to meet him.

One precognition had kept bothering him. There was something incredibly familiar about the name Paathurnax. Natsu recalled it again and again in his mind, but he could not locate the memory. The only thing he knew for sure was that he'd heard it before, somewhere. He'd asked Lucy right at the beginning of this ascend, but as he expected, she had lost that specific memory into the void as well.

"We're getting close to the peak," Lucy glanced over her shoulder and shouted, her voice muffled by the wind. "Are you doing okay?"

Natsu nodded, and couldn't find any words to reply with. Since they'd woken up, he had been chained in this strange silence. As if all words were insignificant compared to what he felt inside after bearing witness to Lucy's ceremony, what he was still processing. He had truly felt himself going. He'd been in a great deal of pain, overcame by this frightening sense of looming death, and he had started to slip into the eternal silence. A part of him seemed to have been left behind in this bright calmness, and in that part, he carried the ability to speak about it.

How could he even call it? A near-death experience? He had several already. This time, there was nothing near about it, it was there. He had passed the boundaries of death, his life ripped out of him by mere words, and then brought back by mere will. There was so much he wanted to say about it to Lucy, tell her about everything, but couldn't. It simply couldn't be expressed verbally, and maybe, that was the beauty of it – for in Lucy's eyes, Natsu knew she felt the same.

"Lok vah koor."

As Lucy whispered, a tremendous shudder ran down Natsu's spine. The power of her Thu'um, yet it was held under a breath, overwhelmed him. The mist ahead of them cleared up, revealing the path ahead as it lead through a stony gate. That has to be it. The very peak of this world, Natsu thought, and realized how he wasn't feeling any pain or exhaustion anymore. It had been there when they started the journey up, but now, it disappeared into thin air, same silence where all had started to wither into.

The vibrations of energy flowed through him, sourced by the presence that dominated the peak. It had grown stronger with each step, and here, so close to the finish line, it began to frighten him. Yet it did not shun him away. Instead, there was a lure in this power – in a certain way, it seemed to welcome them, as if the mere energy itself was craving for conversation.

"I'm starting to get nervous," Lucy said to him, a sudden rush in her steps. She held onto Natsu's hand, pulling him along. "I… I just hope this goes well. We went through so much trouble to get here, and now we've finally arrived. All the answers… they're finally at our grasp."

"I'm sure it goes well," Natsu answered, smiling softly, the frigid air stinging his cheeks like needles. "Don't worry. It will be alright."

Lucy gazed at him for a moment. "You've been so eerily calm today," she whispered.

"Have I?"

"Yes, and I'm not sure if it's scaring me or not. Are you really okay?"

Natsu chuckled and turned his eyes to the gate ahead. Just a few steps and they'd pass through. "I'm okay. Just… well, let's talk about it more later," he answered. He didn't want her to be worried, and so he flashed his familiar grin. "First, let's see what this old geezer is up to." Then he passed the gate, stepping into the area enveloped in mist. "Alright, Parz… Paarts… Damn it, how's he called? Partysnacks? Are you here!?"

Lucy punched him to the side with her elbow and grinned. "Shut up!" she hissed between her teeth, turning her eyes to the mist ahead, which started to clear on its own. The clouds that embraced the skies parted, letting a ray of sunlight pierce through and descend on the word wall that stood alone on the very peak – withered in the ages, eaten by ferocious winds, its long-lost words carved away from its surface. Lucy's gaze was stuck on the word wall, but other than that, there was absolutely nothing. No signs of life or inhabitance, only this barren scene of a lonely mountaintop.

There's no one here. What… just what is this?

Natsu lifted his head, gazing at the parted clouds, cold light landing on his face. He squinted his eyes at the brightness, suddenly realizing that even the winds had grown eerily quiet – as if they were protected by the same energy, a tranquil aura which surrounded the peak in an ethereal warmth. There was something deeply divine seeped into this sacred ground, yet Natsu couldn't recall it. As he kept his gaze up, he saw the rays of light bending. They twisted around a ripple in the air, captivating Natsu's eyes completely. Lucy seemed to see it too. The light, reflecting on the remnants of mist, truly bent around this strange fracture. Like time itself… had shattered here.

But then, the bending rays of light were shadowed over by a dragon's wings.

Startled out of his wits, Natsu flinched back and caught Lucy into a tight protective hold. All sacred tranquillity was shattered as the roar echoed across the mountains. A goddamn dragon, attacking us in a place like this!? That's the source of the energy here? A rapid flow of fearful thoughts flooded Natsu's mind as the dragon landed on the ruins of a word wall, his head turned towards them. He braced for an impact, prepared for a Thu'um that would rip them apart, but instead, the dragon spoke, in a voice as calm as still water.

"Drem yol lok. Greetings, wunduniik. I am Paarthurnax," the dragon said. "What brings you to my strunmah… my mountain?"

Paarthurnax?

Well, this was the secret the Greybeards were hiding so dearly.

"I… I wasn't expecting you to be a dragon," Lucy stuttered quietly, straightening her posture and staring at the dragon in disbelief. "You… You're really the leader of the Greybeards?"

"I am as my father Akatosh made me," the dragon answered. "As are you, Dovahkiin." Then Paarthurnax looked at Natsu. "And you… Deinmaar. A Keeper… of Fire."

The mages stared at the dragon in perfect silence, still recovering from the shock that Paathurnax was a dragon. Light shone through the beasts' tattered wings, their once-deep colour dulled into lifeless grey. The horns on the dragon's head were broken and chipped, and several teeth were missing from its mouth. Yet despite the signs of old age – as he seemed to be as old as the world itself, a primordial being – an aura of enormous power radiated from him, the only similar feeling Natsu had sensed from Alduin himself.

Meanwhile, Lucy tried to put together the shards of information she had, combing through her fractured memory, Natsu realised he was shivering from fear. The dragon was still staring him dead in the eye, piercing through his soul, reading all of his scattered thoughts. Despite the all-knowing glare, there was no hostility to be sensed in the dragon, and that frightened him even more. Like a monument of sorrow, the energy of Paarthurnax differed so vastly from Alduin, Odahviing, and other dragons Natsu had encountered before. Paarthurnax had to be one of Alduin's eight generals, yet something had driven him into this place, to side with mankind.

And then the memory came to him.

"Lucy," Natsu whispered to her, "Do you remember the ten wayshrines when we first came to High Hrotghar? I think… I think he was mentioned there."

Lucy remained quiet for a moment, then she nodded. "Kyne called on Paarthurnax, who pitied men. Together they taught men to use the Voice; then Dragon War raged, Dragon against Tongue," she recalled the part of the poem carved on the wayshrine, the memory now returning to her. She raised her eyes to the dragon. "So you taught mankind to use the Voice during the Dragon War? Have you… been here ever… since?"

"Yes," Paarthurnax replied. "Drem… patient you must be. There are formalities to be observed at the first meeting of two of the dov." Then he spread his tattered wings to the skies. "By long tradition, the elder speaks first. Hear my Thu'um! Feel it in your bones, and match it, if you are Dovahkiin!"

The only thing Natsu understood to do, was to shield his ears with his palms and close his eyes – and prepare to feel this in his bones, too.

"YOL – TOOR – SHUL!"

And to the sky, a pillar of flame rose, a deafening echo of the dragon's shout bringing Natsu to his knees. He had heard these words before, torn from the throat of Odahviing and other dragons as they released their fire. And within these words, lay the essence of true dragonfire, a power that was more than just a mere flame. Yet just like this, Odahviing had greeted him amongst the burning ruins of Riften, bidding his answer. And now, knowing it was the tradition of the dragons, Natsu felt almost honoured to have been considered worthy of a greeting – as terrible as it had been.

As embers rained down upon them, Lucy took a deep breath and faced the dragon once again.

"YOL – TOOR – SHUL!"

She repeated the words with equal strength, breathing out dragonfire from her lungs. Natsu watched as the flames illuminated her face in an amber glow, and realised he had not witnessed her using this shout before – as if it belonged to her nature after slaying Krosulhah to use frost, and ice frost. But in this moment she wielded fire as naturally as she had always done so, with such a mastery that nearly made him envious. With his magic, he could never come as close to this perfect flame as Lucy did with only three words.

"Sossedov los mul. Dragonblood is strong. It has been so long since I had the pleasure of speech with one of my kind," Paarthurnax said then, his voice so eerily calm again. He spoke the language of men more fluently than any dragon before, yet searched for some words for long. "So, you have made your way here. Not an easy task for joor… a mortal, even for a dov. What would you ask of me now? Why have you come?"

Lucy braced herself again, preparing herself to ask the fateful question. From her face, Natsu could read her thoughts – when talking to an ancient dragon, getting straight to the point felt like the best option.

"Do you know how Alduin was defeated?"

As if knowing she'd come seeking this knowledge, Paarthurnax breathed out a puff of smoke. "Yes."

Silence passed on again. Lucy waited for him to continue, but he never did. Well, Paarthurnax did answer her question, after all, but that was only half of the knowledge she searched for.

"I seek a weapon against Alduin," she clarified. "I need to know how was he slain."

"Yes. Alduin... Zeymah," Paarthurnax began, a wave of melancholy wiping over the old dragon. "The elder brother. Gifted, grasping and troublesome, as is so often the case with the firstborn. But why? Why must you stop Alduin?" Then the dragon turned his head towards the ripple in the air. "Alduin was not truly defeated, either. If he was, you would not be here today, seeking to... defeat him."

Lucy's gaze lingered on the rippling rays of light. "I've had this conversation with the Greybeards already. Stopping Alduin and saving this world is my destiny, and I'm here to fulfil it."

Upon the tranquil tone of the dragon's words, Natsu's shock began to dissolve, the peace returning to his soul once again. We are not in danger, he repeated in his mind as he stood up, trying to convince himself that the monstrous creature in front of them wasn't their enemy. Lucy let go of him, placing both of her hands on her chest, possibly trying to soothe her racing heart as well.

"Yes… Destiny. If you can see your destiny clearly, your sight is clearer than mine," Paarthurnax said. "Dahmaan – remember, Alduin also follows his destiny, as he sees it. Alduin believes that he will prevail, with good reason. Rok mul. And he is no fool. Ni mey, rinik gut nol. Far from it. He began as the wisest and most far-seeing of us all. But, I bow before your certainty. In a way, I envy you. The curse of much knowledge is often indecision."

"I'm sorry, Paarthurnax, but I didn't come here to discuss philosophy," Lucy replied, though there was no frustration in her voice. "I've heard from Milmurnir that you were there when Alduin was slain. He was gone from the world for thousands of years, but now he's here again. I wish to know what truly happened. Can you tell me?"

"Milmurnir… I see, you have slain a comrade of mine. Perhaps that's the familiarity in you… as you carry their souls within. But if he has chosen to help you… then I shall share my knowledge with you." Paarthurnax lowered his head, closing his eyes for a moment. "I was here."

"During the Dragon War?"

"Yes, here. This is the most sacred mountain in Skyrim. Zok revak strunmah. The great mountain of the world. Here the ancient Tongues, the first mortal masters of the voice, brought Alduin to battle and defeated him. Or so they thought," Paarthurnax said. "Vahrukt unslaad... perhaps none but me now remember how he was defeated."

Lucy nodded, shivering with anticipation. "That is what I wish to know."

"Drem. Patience. I am answering." Paarthurnax stretched his wings and closed them on his sides again, as if fixing his posture. "Viik nuz ni kron. Yet the defeat was incomplete. The Nords of those days used the Dragonrend shout to cripple Alduin, but they had no Dovahkiin on their side to deliver the final blow. Ok mulaag unslaad. It was the Kel – the Elder Scroll. At the moment of despair, they used it to... cast him adrift on the currents of time."

"They used a shout to cripple him?" Lucy asked, her eyes wide in wonder. "And an Elder Scroll? To cast Alduin… outside time? I'm sorry, but… I'm struggling to understand what you mean."

"Even the dov struggle to explain things that are from outside this world. An Elder Scroll… They are fragments of creation. Artefacts from outside time. They do not exist, though they have always existed. With the Scroll, they cast Alduin out of existence and time, hoping he would be gone forever, forever lost… but I knew better."

Lucy thought for a moment, gazing at the frozen ground at her feet. Though Natsu had been listening the whole time, he had absolutely no idea what they were talking about now. As the Scrolls have foretold – it was a saying Natsu had sometimes heard, but he never really understood what the Elder Scrolls were. Nobody on Nirn understood.

Even Lucy seemed lost, like trying to solve an impossible riddle in her mind, running in circles without a solution. "Are you saying that the ancient Nords sent Alduin forward in time?"

"Tiid bo amativ. Time flows ever onward. One day he would surface. Which is why I have lived here. For thousands of mortal years, I have waited. I knew where he would emerge, but not when."

"So this was the place where he returned," Lucy whispered then. They both seemed to be thinking of the same thing – the memory of Alduin appearing out of nowhere. Helgen was located right below this mountain, and unfortunately, stood first in line when Alduin returned to satiate his thirst for blood and destruction. "I've learnt that Alduin is gathering all his generals together. Aren't you… one of them? Did he…"

"I was," Paarthurnax replied. "I awakened to his arrival from my deepest slumber. But as he returned, he was… disorientated. I was right here, but he did not see me. Or if he did, he thought of me as merely an echo from the past. Dragonrend, it has… left its mark on us, still."

"Dragonrend, you said? What exactly… does it do?" Lucy wondered. "If you heard it, can you teach it to me?"

Then, Paarthurnax spread his wings open wide, light shining through the tatters, and then Lucy seemed to understand that Paarthurnax wasn't supposed to show the signs of injury or ageing. He was immortal and incredibly powerful, like Odahviing, who had recovered from mortal wounds at such an astonishing rate. But these scars on Paarthurnax… they were still there, after thousands of years.

"Dragonrend… I wished not to speak of it ever again. I know what you are asking, and I will tell you this: I cannot teach you this Thu'um. The mortals created it as a weapon against Alduin… and all dragons. I was the one who taught them Voice… and this is how they repaid me with," Paarthurnax spoke slowly, as if lamenting. "Dragonrend cannot be known to me. Our hadrimme, our minds cannot even… comprehend its concepts. I heard it, felt it in my bones as they used it on Alduin, and I suffered… all the same. All I know is that it forces a dragon to experience mortality. A truly vonmindoraan... incomprehensible idea to the immortal dov."

"What's different about Dragonrend, then?" Lucy asked. "Weren't you dragons able to know more shouts than humans ever could?"

"No. Dragonrend was a… sacrilege. It was created by those who had lived under the unimaginable cruelty of Alduin's reign. Their whole lives were consumed with hatred for dov… for the dragons, and they poured all their anger and hatred into this Thu'um. When you learn a Shout, you take it into your very being. In a sense, you become the Shout. To learn and use this Shout… you will be taking this evil into yourself," Paarthurnax said. "But the knowledge of that Shout was lost in the time before history began. Perhaps only its creators ever knew it – no one after them, after the war was won, was able to truly understand the horrors they withstood."

As Natsu glanced at Lucy, he saw how her shoulders slumped from the weight of her disappointment. A tangible, heart-wrenching frustration loomed above her like a storm cloud. The answer was right there – but still, so far out of her reach. To take all that evil into herself… how much more was she supposed to endure, if she'd ever even learn that Shout to begin with?

"But if…" Paarthurnax started after a moment of silence, "if you brought that Kel, that Elder Scroll back here... to the Tiid-Ahraan, the Time-Wound... With the Elder Scroll that was used to break time, you may be able to... cast yourself back. To the other end of the break. You could learn Dragonrend directly from those who created it."

The dragon's answer didn't seem to bring Lucy any hope. "Really? But where could I ever find an Elder Scroll? Do you know where it is?"

"Krosis. I do not. I know little of what has passed below in the long years I have lived here in seclusion. The Tongues preserved it after their so-called victory, but it has been… aeons since…"

Natsu turned towards Lucy, placing his hand on her shoulder. "If someone knows, it has to be the Greybeards, or even the elders in the College of Winterhold," he said, after being silent for so long. "There has to be some thread we could follow."

Lucy nodded at him. "You're right. But gods…" she sighed. "And when I find it, I'll just bring it back here? What happens then?"

"Then... Kelle vomindok. Nothing is certain with such things... But I believe the Scroll's bond with Tiid-Ahraan will allow you a... a seeing, a vision of the moment of its creation. Then you will feel – know – Dragonrend, in the power of its first expression. You will see them... wuth fadonne... my friends – Hakon, Gormlaith, Felldir," Paarthurnax said. "The first mortals that I taught the Thu'um – the first Tongues. They were mighty, in their day. Even to attempt to defeat Alduin... sahrot hunne. The Nords have had many heroes since, but none greater."

Silence fell after those words, embracing the mountaintop in a mysterious mist. Natsu's gaze lingered on Lucy's face, her internal battle as bright as the day. The burden of her responsibility showed on her features like a painful strain. Even the greatest of heroes had failed in what she had set out to do, but one detail Natsu had caught amongst the old dragon's speaking. They had no Dragonborn with them in that battle against the Alduin. That, and only that, must've been the reason for their defeat.

"I still have some questions for you, Paarthurnax," Lucy broke the silence, seemingly thinking the same thing as Natsu. "Did you… did you ever meet Miraak, the First Dragonborn? The one the Tongues called for aid… the one who refused to slay Alduin."

The dragon gazed at her for a long without saying anything. The mention of this name stirred up the same reaction as it did with the Greybeards, yet Paarthurnax's presence shifted into ever colder spheres. "What do you know of him?"

"He's the blood of my blood," Lucy replied. "The Dragonblood connects us in ways I might struggle to explain."

"I see," Paarthurnax said. "Miraak… he was indeed the first of your kind. I did not meet him, but I know his story. The Order thought he was a son of Akatosh, tore him from his mother's arms… and how he bathed in Dragonblood. Krosis. He did truly represent what it meant to be a born hunter of Dragonkind, yet something in him grew so wicked… so evil, that even the Order turned against him." The dragon fell into silence, reminiscing the old memories. "The priests… three of them, they fought, a battle that raged on for days, tearing the land itself apart. But when they finally defeated Miraak, he… vanished." Paarthurnax was quiet for a long time once again. "We both must know who saved him then."

Lucy nodded. "I know."

"Yes. Darkness… interfered. It was Hermaous Mora who gave him such wicked power. With it, he might have slain Alduin once and for all, but… this power, gifted by the Prince of Knowledge, plunged him straight into darkness," Paarthurnax said. "It worries me Miraak is reaching out to you from the depths of Apocrypha now."

Lucy nodded again. "I know. And it's not just Miraak," she said, and gasped for a breath. "Hermaous Mora has his eyes on me as well."

The pain rang so clearly in Lucy's voice that Natsu could feel the sting in his own heart, too. He had witnessed her immeasurable suffering first-hand, yet couldn't comprehend the true terror of it. Her mind was a gateway, and her Dragonblood lured in demons like moths to the flame. Even Paarthurnax went silent, analysing her for long. Natsu hoped, after everything, that the old dragon could be the one to help her. His own wisdom could only reach so far, for he was only a human.

"There are fragments of evil still shattered on your soul. The sorcery of the old Order… Yes, they are still alive and strong. They attempted to make you the same as Miraak, a Konahrik, I know. You've persisted, but this wound… is where the serpents crawl in," Paarthurnax spoke then. "You will need to repair that wound before they make their nest within your soul. I can help you overcome this evil. If it was possible for me… it's surely possible for you."

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked.

"Dov wahlaan fah rel. The will to power is in our blood – this same will delivered Miraak into destruction. We were made to dominate. You feel it in yourself, do you not?" the dragon said. "But I have overcome my nature through meditation and long study of the Way of the Voice. No day goes by when I am not tempted to return to my inborn nature. Zin krif horvut se suleyk. What is better – to be born good, or to overcome your evil nature through great effort?"

Lucy remained silent, the words reverberating deep within her wounded soul. Natsu knew how scared she had been to lose herself to all of this. She, for certain, was born good, but the Dragonblood had its pull towards greed for power. Lucy had fallen for it, and struggled to maintain the balance of good and evil in her soul. Yet there she was, still seeking to turn into the path of the light. She had the strength to wake up from the nightmare.

And then, Natsu was suddenly relieved to know in his heart that they had come to the right place.

"I counsel you to stay on High Hrotghar before delving into your search for the Elder Scroll. Return to me daily to meditate on Thu'um, on the words of power, to align you back to the goodness of your inner nature," Paarthurnax said then, already knowing Lucy's answer would be yes. "That should fortify your soul against the forces of evil."

"Thank you, Paarthurnax. I will gladly accept your help," she replied and bowed deeply.

"And if you would bring your faithful companion with you, I could offer my wisdom to him as well."

"To me?" Natsu asked, honestly surprised as the dragon's eyes landed on him.

"Yes. You carry the flame of my brother, yet it's started to burn holes into your soul. The moment you arrived here I knew it – the flame once stolen from Agnoslok, has surfaced in the world once again. For long it slept dormant in a sealed temple, until someone breached in and got burned in this flame eighteen years ago… yet he lived, long enough to pass on the flame."

This is exactly what Rahgot warned me about, Natsu recalled. The open wound burned by dragonfire. 'You will feel it yourself, the slow bleeding as your lifeforce drains from you, a flame that once roared fading into embers, then to ashes.'

"What… are you talking about?"

Lucy's eyes landed on Natsu, full of questions she would not dare to utter yet. Natsu did not know how much Lucy knew – if she heard Odahviing's words during the battle of Riften, she would surely be aware of something, but it was a different thing how much she could remember. She'd already stated her memories of Riften were vacant, and as Natsu had not told her anything, all of this came to her as a surprise. I had wanted to tell her by myself, but here we are.

And without saying anything, Lucy took his hand into hers again.

"As I have told, I have spent centuries here meditating, unaware of the events of the world. But my siblings, the other seven dragons that were created with me, are bound to the consciousness of my soul. Even aeons apart… I can sense them, I could feel their deaths, their endless slumber, as deep echoes within me. Agnoslok prevailed the longest while the others succumbed. But eventually, even he was brought down by the sorcery of the ancient Akaviri," Paarthurnax explained. "And with this, they managed to separate the essence of this dragonfire… His Thu'um, his Yol, and seal it, to keep him from ever returning. For without the Yol, his soul is incomplete. And the Yol… is a part of you now."

"I know," Natsu said, then realised he should fill in the parts so that Lucy could also understand his meaning. "I… I wasn't even aware of the whole thing until Odahviing told me, but then the pieces started to fall into place. You said someone stole the flame from that temple. Do you… know who he was?"

Paarthurnax was silent for a moment. "No. Not for certain. Nor do I know how he passed the flame to his unborn son before his death, but –"

"But you know he is dead?"

"That is for sure. I cannot know how long he lived, but I assume he faced his demise before you were even born. Such was the price he had to pay for his… theft. Despite everything, I am unable to call such a deed for anything else than a theft," Paarthurnax said. "One could say it was his destiny. One could say he passed it to you. But for what has been revealed to me through the meditation, I have come to an awareness of other forces that played a role in your… should I say, creation."

Natsu let out a deep sigh. "Other forces?"

"Yes. Such sorcery, or rather, a ritual, was beyond the skill and recognition of a mortal," Paarthurnax said and looked at him for long. "But for a Daedra, such things are rather… mundane."

Natsu's gaze fell to his feet, for he could not face either the dragon or Lucy, who stood beside him completely dazzled. "I should've known it. Since Clavicus Vile knew my true father… Gods damn it, please don't tell me that Clavicus is involved in this."

"The Prince of Trickery does not have such noble motifs behind his actions. But, krosis, I have chosen to not meddle with the Daedra. No further truth cannot be known to me, nor can I give you the answers you seek about your true father. But know, you weren't born out of malice or misfortune, but a deeper purpose that you carry within. It is yours to find," Paarthurnax said. "However, I offer you guidance to wield your flame as it's supposed to be wielded. A dragon does not burn in its own fire. Understand the Yol like only dovah do – it is change given form, power at its most primal. That is the true meaning of Yol – suleyk, power. You have it, as do all Dov. But power is inert without action and choice. Think of this as the fire builds in your su'um, in your breath. Su'um ahrk morah. What will you burn? What will you spare?"

Natsu remained quiet for a moment, then finally raised his eyes to Lucy. Her quiet gaze was filled with questions, yet somewhere in the back of her mind, she collected the shards of memories and tried to put them together. She knew something, perhaps things neither Natsu nor even Paarthurnax were aware of. After they would've returned to High Hrtoghar, they would have a lot to talk about.

"Yes. I accept your help," Natsu replied then and bowed to the old dragon. "I… I cannot thank you enough."

"Spare me of your acknowledgements. I am merely an old dovah, looking for a way to enlightenment. Such is my purpose, and so will I guide those who seek out my wisdom," Paarthurnax said. "Return to me tomorrow, and we shall begin."

Before they could say anything more, Paarthurnax rose to his tattered wings and soared over them, returning to his eerie silence. Natsu and Lucy remained there for a moment, still astonished by all of this. The leader of the Greybeards truly was one of the First Eight. If they had more energy, they could have laughed about it.

They could've just found their strongest ally to this day.

The sun had started to set by the time they made it back to the monastery.

When they arrived at the courtyard, Arngeir was waiting for them. The monk beckoned Lucy to follow him, to talk about the things she had learnt from Paarthurnax. Meanwhile, Gildarts stood by the root of the old belfry, waving at the fire mage. Natsu and Lucy exchanged a glance and nodded, as if agreeing to meet as soon as they had finished their individual conversations.

Natsu followed Gildarts to the top of the bell tower. Memories flooded to him as he ascended those stone steps – here, he had retreated almost daily when Lucy had been training with the Greybeards months ago. Gildarts stopped by the edge, facing the sunset, the amber glow highlighting the ginger tone of his hair. His gaze was determined, peaceful, as if he had just perfected a goal he did not hesitate to carry to the end.

"So, how did meeting with Paarthurnax go?" Gildarts asked.

Natsu shrugged, not even knowing where to start. "Well, Paarthurnax is a dragon." Gildarts turned towards him, lifting one eyebrow. "One of the First Eight," Natsu continued, and now the old mage lifted his both brows, almost high enough to reach his receding hairline. Natsu snorted at the sight.

"Are you kidding me, son? Their leader… is a dragon?" Gildarts whispered, making sure none of the monks would hear. "I knew his name was mentioned in the Annals of the Dragonguard, but perhaps out of naivety, I didn't think the Greybeards would actually have been protecting the true Paarthurnax… Alduin's right hand."

Natsu shrugged. He understood the old Blade's distrust, but after meeting Paarthurnax himself, there was no doubt the dragon no longer served the World-Eater. His aura was filled with pure wisdom, goodness so sincere that not even most men could reach such a state. "From what I understood, Paarthurnax was the one who turned against Alduin."

"And does this betrayal make you think he can be trusted?" Gildarts scoffed. "Doesn't that make him worse, not better? He committed atrocities so infamous they are still remembered, thousands of years later."

"I get what you mean, but Paarthurnax is the only one who can help us now," Natsu said, surprising Gildarts with his calmness. "And thanks to him, we figured out the next step, that might finally give us the key to Alduin's defeat."

Gildarts remained silent, still and listening.

"Apparently, the old Nord heroes created a Shout that they used against Alduin. Dragonrend is the name. It's a Thu'um that forces an immortal dragon into mortality… but with no Dragonborn to absorb Alduin's soul, it was practically useless. So, as they faced defeat, they used an Elder Scroll to cast Alduin out of time. Or rather, they sent him into the future, into this unfortunate year."

Gildarts rubbed his beard, gazing into the setting sun. "An Elder Scroll, huh?"

"You know about them?"

"I'm a master wizard in the College of Winterhold. Of course, I know about them. I knew a man named Septimus Signus, who was utterly obsessed with the Elder Scrolls. Unfortunately, he has been lost without a trace for years now. If I could find him, or even some of his work…"

"So, you already know we have to find that Elder Scroll?"

"Somehow, I figured as much," Gildarts said and sighed.

"Paarthurnax will be helping me and Lucy to gain our strength back, so if you could search for the Elder Scroll meanwhile we're here, that would be very great."

Gildarts chuckled. "You're asking a lot from me, son."

"I know it's a lot."

"I can't promise you anything, but I will do my best," Gildarts said, placed his hand on Natsu's shoulders and looked into the darkening horizon again. "Sky Haven Temple can wait. We found the most important answers here, after all. I will leave tonight, and head to Winterhold for a chance. It's been so long since I've last been there…"

Natsu looked at him, somehow saddened by his departure. Even though he had had his doubts about everything along the way, it all played out fine in the end. In his heart, he knew he could not have done this without the old mage's help. Despite being a drunken and foul man at times, Gildarts had truly given his heart to protect them. He had stood in front of death itself, refusing to let the young ones die, even if it had almost cost him his own life.

Gildarts had truly done what a true father would.

"Thank you, Gildarts," Natsu whispered then. "For everything."

Gildarts chuckled again. "It's been quite a journey, hasn't it? And I'm afraid the worst is yet to come. Keep believing in yourself, Natsu. You're so much stronger than you think. Whatever storms you're going through at the moment, it's all going to pass, I promise. You will find the answers to your questions when the time is right."

"I know."

"We will meet each other soon. The Jarls are keeping a council meeting in Whiterun on the 24th of the Evening Star. I will represent the College of Winterhold out there, and Lucy, the Dragonborn, should be there as well. Return to Whiterun that day, and we will carry on from where we've left at. I will let you know everything I've learnt about the Elder Scrolls in the meantime."

"Okay," Natsu said quietly, swallowing the sharp chunk of melancholy that ached in his throat. "I will see you there."

Both of them fell silent for a while, yet they knew there were still things left unsaid. As Natsu looked at the old man, seeing his ghostly limbs, the sacrifices he had made, he knew they couldn't part ways until learning how he could do the same. So selflessly, Gildarts had restored his life, like a father refusing to let his son die – and Natsu wanted to be like that, too, one day.

"Back in Riften," Natsu started, "When I first used that firestorm spell, and it tore me apart, how did you save me? I thought… I thought I would die."

"I thought so too," Gildarts answered and shuddered from the memory. "But I couldn't just let you die in my arms. No matter how much you might despise me, you're still like a –"

"I don't despise you, Gildarts."

" – but I guess you had to learn the hard way how every sorcery has a price. That's how you do everything, don't you? That spell did truly rip you apart from the inside, but what I did to repair you… first, I might ask, why are you asking this? Out of all the things you could've asked?"

Natsu looked into his eyes. "You said that the worst is yet to come," he started, "and I feel it in my guts that I might need to know that spell. If you managed to heal my injuries… If something were to happen to Lucy, I –"

Gildarts's gaze grew suddenly so stern. "Grand healing is a difficult spell. And as you've always focused on destruction only, barely healing paper cuts, it is far beyond your reach," he said. "And the thing with such challenging sorcery is, that if you're pulling from an empty well, the price still has to be paid. If you can't contain enough magicka to cast such a spell, you will be stealing it from tomorrows. If you're constantly doing that, or stealing too much at once… you are stealing it directly from your own lifespan."

"I understand that."

"You won't truly understand it yet. You're still so young. But if you were to cast such a spell, force it to manifest without being able to control the toll it takes, you will have to pay the price with your life," Gildarts sighed. "You could lose years, or even decades, of your expected lifespan. It's a price you must pay when nature comes collecting for the magicka you stole from it." Then Gildarts patted him on the shoulder once more, before pulling his hand away. "Promise me you won't use that spell. Ever. Not until you've lived at least two more decades. Because otherwise, you will lose those decades."

The old man's stern gaze was still on him, forcing him to look away, or else his lies could be revealed. Natsu knew he wouldn't make this promise – and so did Gildarts.

"Remember when I said that out of the two of us, I will be the one to leave this world first?" Natsu asked.

"I remember that," Gildarts answered. "But you can't protect the ones you love if you are no longer in this world." Then he chuckled. "Look, I may not have many years left. Most of my limbs are already in the grave. If I can spend my last years doing something good for the world where my daughter lives in, then I'll do so. But a time will come when I'm no longer here, when I must pay the price for my mistakes." Gildarts glanced at him. "I want you to live a long and happy life after this war is won. Please, for the love of gods, don't make the same mistakes I have done. Don't pay the same ridiculous price."

Natsu grinned briefly, then cast the mischievous smile away. As he said nothing, Gildarts let out a long, frustrated sigh – but amongst the frustration, there was still respect, an understanding.

He would've done the same.

"To the Void with your stubborn arse," Gildarts scoffed then. "Alright. I know you. You know you. And I know you know that I know you. Before I go: if you're going to end up using the spell, let me at least teach you how to cast the damned thing properly." The old mage smiled. "After you've trained two more decades."

"Yes," Natsu answered, raising his gaze to the sunset. There was so much he wanted to thank Gildarts for, but he thought that learning to protect his loved one no matter at what cost, was the best way to show his gratitude. Because of all of the old mage's mistakes, Gildarts regretted the most not protecting his family – and this same mistake Natsu refuse to do. "Two more decades," he lied.

And that evening, before parting ways, did Gildarts teach him the spell of Grand Healing, the sorcery that could weave together what has been brutally ripped into shreds.

Yet Natsu did not know how soon he would have to use it.

A/N: Wohooo we've arrived at the end of act 2! At least in Natsu's and Lucy's storyline - there's going to be one more chapter that serves as a bridge between act 2 and the final act, but here we leave our heroes for a moment before the endgame truly begins. And it's gonna be soon!

I'll admit, I shamelessly used lots of Paarthurnax's original dialogue here. There were parts I wanted to preserve and things I added or changed. I also couldn't resist the temptation to call him Partysnacks at least once lol.

And seriously, I can't believe it's been 70 chapters. What a freaking journey. Thanks to everyone who's still sticking along! Buckle up, the ending will be MADNESS!

Next up: The Firstborn