19 Heartfire 4E201, Approaching Kynesgrove
Rayya stared up into the sky. "Do you hear that, my thane?"
A roaring wind, the beating of immense wings. A voice, vast and terrible.
"Sahloknir! Slen tiid vo!"
Ivar drew Dawnbreaker. "Come on!"
The two of them climbed the steep slope, ignoring the citizens of Kynesgrove fleeing in the opposite direction.
"Slen tiid vo!"
"Ivar!"
Delphine appeared, emerging from cover on the outskirts of the village. Ivar gave her a double-take, unaccustomed to seeing her in war-gear: leather armor, a wicked-looking sword, an elven dagger, an orcish bow slung over one shoulder. Then he and his housecarl hurried to meet her.
Ivar shouted to make himself heard over the rising storm. "Is the dragon already returned to life?"
"No!" Delphine pointed up the mountainside, her eyes wild and wide. "This is another dragon! Came flying in from the southeast!"
"Slen tiid vo!"
Ivar's jaw set in determination. "One dragon or two, it makes no difference to me. Let's go."
They arrived at a burial mound, all three of them stopping dead at the terrible sight. Below, the skeleton of a great dragon fought to emerge from the mound, writhing and stretching as if in terrible agony, every bone and joint bathed in an uncanny light. Above . . .
"Sahloknir, ziil gro dovah ulse! Slen tiid vo!"
Hovering over the mound, just within long bow-shot range, Ivar saw another dragon: ancient, black as starless night except for its gleaming red eyes, a nightmare of horns and talons and vast leathery wings.
A dragon he already knew.
"You!" he shouted, striding forward and brandishing Dawnbreaker in challenge.
Only to be entirely ignored.
The dragon on the ground shimmered, convulsed, began to show resurrected flesh along its bones. It arched its neck, looked up into the sky with new eyes, and opened its maw to speak. "Alduin, thuri! Boaan tiid vokriiha suleyksejun kruziik?"
"Geh, Sahloknir, kaali mir."
"Come down here and face me, worm!" shouted Ivar.
The black dragon turned, fixed its eyes upon the smith.
Sudden horror swarmed over Ivar. His eyes flew wide as they locked on the dragon's gaze, dust making them water so furiously that he could barely see. Chills racked his body, and his bowels turned to water. His hand shook, threatening to drop his sword into the dust.
"Ful, losei Dovahkiin? Zu'u koraav nid nol dov do hi. You do not even know our tongue, do you? Such arrogance, to dare take for yourself the name of Dovah."
Ivar shook his head furiously, setting his jaw and clenching the hilt of his sword in his fist. He couldn't force his lips and tongue to shape words, could only roar in helpless defiance.
The black dragon made no attempt to swoop down on him, no move to bite or strike or breathe flame. Instead, it turned its back in withering contempt, and beat its wings in preparation to depart.
"Sahloknir, krii daar joorre."
Kill these mortals.
With that, the black dragon was gone. Leaving only its vassal, fully of the flesh and racked with millennia of hunger.
"My lord Alduin requires your death. I am glad to oblige him!"
Fast as a striking serpent, the dragon lashed out. Ivar barely interposed his shield in time. Pain cracked through his arm, and for a moment he felt certain a bone had broken.
Delphine emitted a battle-cry, running to flank Sahloknir, her bow already at work. Rayya stepped up beside Ivar, both scimitars flashing in the cold sunlight.
Ivar shook his head, saw the dragon rearing above him. He didn't take time to think. He took a deep breath . . .
"Fus ro dah!"
Unrelenting Force, for the first time in battle.
The dragon took the full force of the Shout, recoiling in surprise.
"Your voice is strong, for a mortal. Yet I do not fear you, Dovahkiin though you may be."
It took a deep breath of its own, and then poured out a bitterly cold wind to wrap Ivar in ice.
The smith snarled once more, holding Dawnbreaker up against the frost.
Sahloknir growled, a sound like distant thunder, and snapped its right wing outward.
Delphine barely rolled aside in time to avoid being shattered by the force of the buffet.
Rayya leaped forward, shedding crystals of ice to all sides, and slashed at the dragon's exposed neck.
"Fus ro dah!"
The dragon recoiled once more, this time pushed off-balance.
Thump. A black arrow struck home, just above the base of the dragon's neck.
Its head swung wide, crashing into Rayya full across her torso, nothing but her tough ebony-black armor to save her life.
"No, worm!" Ivar shouted. "You'll slay no one today! You'll go back to the abyss, and your master won't be able to save you a second time!"
Crash. Crash. Ivar pummeled the beast's great head with his shield.
"Fus ro dah!"
He saw an opening and lunged, Dawnbreaker's bitter point slamming home under the dragon's jaw.
The dragon roared in frustrated rage, the sound echoing off the mountain slopes for miles in every direction. It reared, towering over Ivar, and spread its wings for the last time.
Three black arrows slammed into its side in as many moments. One of them must have reached a vital spot.
Sahloknir fell, an avalanche of fangs, talons, and scales. Ivar had to leap aside to avoid being crushed.
Silence for a long moment, even the beasts and birds shocked into terrified stillness.
Ivar stepped forward, reached down, and took Dawnbreaker by the hilt. When he dragged the blade free, a storm of golden light followed it. He spread his arms wide, his face alight with triumphant rage, and devoured the dragon whole.
When it was over, he returned Dawnbreaker to its sheath with a practiced motion, not even glancing at the blade. He glanced to his right, saw Rayya rising to her feet, shaken but hale.
Then he turned to Delphine, who wore an expression of astonished awe.
"Well. Any lingering doubts?"