The first thing Luka did after emerging from his abyss of pitying was nervously searching around for Lest, repeatedly swearing under his breath. He refused to think that he had abandoned one of his friends in a moment of weakness.
Damn it! I should have known better! Getting drunk is how we got in this mess in the first place, isn't it? Alice told me, Sonya told me, Mephisto told me, mother told me, and I didn't listen! Crap, crap, craaaaap! Please be okay, please be okay, please be okay.
Luka stopped for a moment and took his head in his hands before deeply breathing. He needed to calm down. The ever-falling snow made following their own trail impossible. He couldn't feel the presence of the swordsman. The possibility that Lest fell down the mountain crossed his mind for a moment, sending him in frenzied search. He unconsciously started gnawing on his thumb.
What would Alice do… A mental image of the disappointed small Monster Lord appeared in Luka's mind. "Seriously? We're not with you for one week, and you manage to lose someone? How do you call yourself a hero?"
Well, I don't know, for a starter it's been months, we've been trying to get back home and we have to do everything on our own while you're probably busy eating at the castle like everything is fine!
Luka passed his hands on his face to cool himself. Even if Alice was sometimes harsh, she would be more understanding than that. She had made her own fair share of mistakes, after all. Luka returned to the problem at hand. They were still six, and with all of their magic skills combined, he had no doubt that they would find Lest quickly.
Probably.
Maybe.
Luckily, the other heroes emerged one after the other, and save for Hakunen, their states had nothing to envy to Luka. Kazuya groaned as the wind kept blowing his hair in his face.
"You don't have white magic spells to heal hangovers?" He muttered under his breath. "This wind is so loud, I feel like my girlfriend's woken me up after I spent a night with Daji."
Luka could only offer back a sympathetic grimace. He envied Hakunen who was looking as fresh as the snow falling on them and casually started trotting ahead of them. In hindsight, Novissa looked fine too, if it was not for the fact that he was completely naked. Fortunately, the inclement weather hid details Luka didn't want to see as the blond swordsman grabbed his gear from the mammoth. Unfortunately, there was a large, visible hole in the snow where the swordsman had been lying that made Luka feel inadequate. He castigated himself when he realized he got sidetracked.
Damn it! Focus, Luka, it's about finding Lest! Let's think… we have a mammoth with us. We wouldn't have been so drunk as to trade Lest for a mammoth, would we?
Luka examined the mammoth. The huge, wooly beast was sleeping, and wearing a large harness with lots of pouches and bags on him. Its large tusks was somehow reminding Luka of the horns of a succubus, leading to a memory of the swarm of succubi likely eagerly waiting back home and a pleasant sensation under his belt.
…Ilias damn it. I think I may have a problem…
Hakunen quickly came back, as energetic as ever.
"There's an old stone temple further ahead. Maybe he went there?"
Luka released an anguished groan. He really didn't want to see what an old temple in the middle of nowhere was holding in store for them, but, as usual, it was the only sign of civilization in sight, as if an outside force had made sure they would have no choice but to go there.
We're just playthings of a greater force, aren't we?
He erased that possibility from his mind for a second when he saw that Lauratt was awake. The young mage was silently grimacing in confusion as he was holding an unusual black staff that looked like a screaming head. He pointed his weapon at an unfortunate rabbit and released a blast in his direction. The small critter screamed and charged them while visibly frothing. Panicking, Lauratt released another blast, and this time the critter exploded in shreds of cheese. Luka blinked a few times in disbelief. Kazuya shook his head.
"Poor little bun-bun… I guess it's one way to cheese a fight." Kazuya chuckled at his own joke, stumbling around in an attempt to stabilize himself, his precarious sense of balance struggling against the wind.
Lauratt tested his weapon again against a bird resting on a rock. The victim of the spell turned into a glazed pastry that fell on the ground in front of the hero. Then Lauratt tried to use a dispel on it. The pastry remained unchanged, a perfectly soft confectionery waiting to be consumed and enjoyed for its sugary sweetness.
The magus gulped. Even for someone who was used to be commonly referred as "rapebait" by the various monster and was treated accordingly, the mostly impassible Lauratt was looking visibly shaken. He pointed a trembling finger at the mammoth. Luka quickly got the message, but needed time to accept it.
Oh. Oh no. We've not been idiotic enough to turn Lest in a mammoth with that staff, have we? There's no way we did that, did we? And there's an easy way to turn him back, isn't it?
"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitttttttttttttt…" Kazuya slumped down against a rock. He spent several minutes emitting befuddled vocalizations before completely laying in the snow. "Five more minutes… just give me five more minutes."
Luka felt himself quickly sober up. This was a level of screw up that was going stick to him for the remainder of his life. He didn't know if he was glad that neither Sonya nor Alice was here to castigate his poor judgment again, or if he regretted their absence as they would certainly know how to deal with that unwelcomed surprise. Or more likely how they would have prevented that problem from happening in the first place.
Luka looked at the sorry scene. Novissa was angrily perambulating around while Hakunen looked as confused as ever. Lauratt was now deeply plunged in a book to search for a counterspell and occasionally throwing glances at the still sleeping transformed Lest. Kazuya was still reeling from the mix of shock and hangover. Lars was awkwardly scratching his head.
"I'll check that temple with Hakunen and Novissa. Join us once Lest and Kazuya are awake and fresh."
Lars answered with a raised thumb. As they progressed toward the temple, Luka found himself lagging behind Hakunen's natural agility and Novissa's impatient stomping. The hero ended almost out of breath when they reached their destination. The structure reminded Luka of a monastery built to weather the elements. Even if there were no distinct holy symbols (or at least, none that he was familiar with), the commonality was there. It was a large, solid structure, quite richly yet soberly decorated with carved frescos. Luka felt anticipation rise through his body as he climbed the final set of stairs separating him from the large stone door.
He cautiously pushed the door open, waiting to be ambushed. Once he was sure the entrance was safe, he gestured for Hakunen and Novissa to follow him. The party tensed up when they heard footsteps approach, but they kept their weapons sheathed. An old man wearing a hooded robe showed up. Luka could barely see his expression behind his thick grey beard, but he could discern a weathered face filled with felicity. His voice was hoarse, but firm and filled with benevolence.
"Greetings, Dovahkiin. I am master Arngeir. We heard of your tales in Solitude. In the name of the Greybeards, let me welcome you and your friends in our sanctuary of High Hrothgar." Luka could feel an underlying power behind each of his word. "Now please, make yourself at ease. We shall start your training in the ways of the Thu'um as soon as you wish so."
The three heroes looked confused at one another, but followed the old man none the less. While Luka didn't exclude the possibility that he could eventually turn on them, nothing hinted at a possible sense of hostility so far. A few more old men were present around and joined them.
"We thank you for answering our call, Dragonborn. Not everyone would come from afar for our guidance."
The three heroes looked at each other in confusion. Luka did remember something about a Dragonborn, but the word itself was surrounded by an alcoholic mist.
"Excuse me sir, but… who is the Dragonborn?"
Arngeir gestured toward Novissa. "But it is you! As to who the Dragonborn is… Did you never heard of his story?"
"No."
"I am surprised. But very well. We shall start your training with that very first lesson." Arngeir cleared his throat.
"The Dragonborn, or Dovahkiin in the language of dragons, is a mortal who received the blessings of Akatosh. Some believe he is sent at times of great needs. He is granted the ability to absorb the power of slain dragons, just like dragons themselves grow stronger by acquiring their skills from their slain brethren. He has the inborn ability to learn and project his Voice faster than any human can."
Luka nodded and took in the information. A small excerpt made him tick.
"Wait, his voice… you mean as in shouting?"
"Why yes, young man. The Thu'um is the way the dragons communicate, and so it is used by the Dragonborn in the same way."
Luka hiccupped. He was now certain. This was all a joke. His party was making the butt of a joke on a cosmic level. It could simply not be otherwise. The hero exploded in a roaring laughter. His laugh echoed through the large stone rooms of the monastery. The Greybeards recoiled slightly, more surprised than offended. Arngeir frowned as he quickly caught on as to why.
"Oh… during all those years, it was not considered that the Dragonborn could be mute…" He frowned, ignoring Luka who was now bent over on the floor and gasping for air. "This is troubling. Very troubling indeed…" He looked at Novissa. The tall warrior remained still, stoic as ever. "Although maybe you would still be able to master the Thu'um."
"…"
"Now, remain still. I shall make a demonstration of the Thu'um."
Luka barely managed to calm himself enough to assist at the demontration. Arngeir took a deep breath while people made way in front of him.
"Fus!"
A visible ring of energy appeared in front of Arngeir and crossed the room before harmlessly dissipating. Once the demonstration was over, he turned toward Novissa.
"Now, young man, maybe you can emulate the Thu'um?"
Novissa shook his head negatively. He couldn't reproduce what the Greybeard had just done.
"Huuh." Hakunen raised his hand timidly. "I think I can actually do it."
"Really?" Arngeir raised an eyebrow. "This would be intriguing. Mastering the voice at such a speed… could there be several Dragonborns? Please, show me your Thu'um."
Arngeir positioned himself across Hakunen. When he saw the young monk hesitate, he gently smiled back. "Do not hesitate. We repeatedly practiced our minds and bodies to endure its rigors."
Hakunen worrily looked at Novissa and Luka. The former just shrugged, while the latter reassuringly smiled.
"You can do it."
At this point, whatever is bound to happen will happen anyway.
Hakunen slowly breathed in and out. It was naturally coming to him.
"Fus!"
The same wave of energy appeared in front of him to hit Arngeir. The Greybeard was destabilized by the wave, but quickly recovered.
"Fascinating. You have the ability to learn the ways of the voice just as quickly as the Dragonborn." He turned toward Novissa. "And yet, it is you who absorbed the soul of a slain dragon. Am I correct?"
Novissa nodded to confirm his words.
"Intriguiging…" Arngeir turned around. "You are not quite two Dovahkiins, and yet your powers are remarkably close. No event in history can compare. Truly exceptional. Is it a hidden design from the gods?"
No, it's not exceptional… it's simply sorcery. Hakunen has a better grasp on copying skills than all of us combined. If a skill can be learned just by seeing it, then he'll learn it just by seeing it. It's the first time it pops up in this world because we destroyed all the dragons that attacked us before they could do their thing.
Save for that huge one at the beginning, but I was alone back then. I wonder how he would hold against all of us?
And saying it's a design from the gods… I won't even consider how we even landed in this world in the first place. I should give that more thought as well. There's no way simply getting drunk got us here…
Are we the butt of a joke from one of them?
Arngeir continued talking. "We heard a long, ancient prophecy that Alduin would end the world upon his return, but should he stray from his duty then the Dragonborn will stop him... and two of you appeared. Is it a sign that he must be stopped at all cost? Or is something more sinister at work?"
Luka hesitated. Saying anything unfortunate could reveal their origins from another world, and he still didn't want to bring anyone in the confidence for now. A small rumbling echoed through the building. Luka could recognize the power of the Thu'um, and yet, he couldn't locate its source.
"It seems we're not the only ones to agree that exceptional times call for exceptional measures… exceptionally, you will meet the one who taught us about the way of the voice, Paarthurnax. He currently stands at the Throat of the World, near the very top of the mountain. We will just ask of you to properly behave yourself in his presence."
Luka and Hakunen both visibly hesitated. However, Novissa didn't and quickly took a head start. The man didn't want to lose any time. Luka followed suite, and Hakunen bowed respectfully as they left.
"We thank you for your time."
"Do not mention it, young man. May your path bring you where you want."
Just as he left the monastery, Luka was reminded of Lest's sorry state. The three remaining heroes still waiting with their weapons drawn and ready to jump at the first sign of commotion when they saw them. Kazuya slowly lowered his gun when he saw Luka's puzzled expression.
"Sooo…"
"It went well for once. We have to go at the top of the mountain. Novissa's already ahead. I'll tell you about it."
As they went made their way to the top of the mountain through a surprisingly thick fog, Luka repeated to Kazuya, Lauratt and Lars what he had just heard, with Hakunen occasionally adding in small but relevant details.
"…so we're going to see if their leader can help us." He grimaced. "And I hope he will be able to help Lest…"
The large mammoth didn't look sorrier than that about his predicament. Only a vague feeling of familiarity made Luka feel sure it was Lest and not just a random animal. Lauratt showed them the map of region, which slightly brightened their day. While they had overshot their destination of Morvunskar, High Hrotghar was relatively close to their goal, and they could resupply in the city Windhelm close by. After a long time, they finally reached the top of the mountain and caught back with Novissa who was frozen still in front of a rune-covered wall. On top said wall, a large white dragon was standing with his neck extended in their direction, examining Novissa when the arrival of the group attracted his attention.
"Mmmh…" When he turned toward them, Luka could see just how old he looked compared to all the other ones they had faced so far. Its majesty was visibly tarnished by the years. Its long horns were chipped, while the tip of its large claws looked dull. And most importantly, its eyes were missing the usual destructive malice that seemed to inhabit every dragon they had faced so far. Instead, there was just the experience of someone who had spent the better part of an eternity meditating. The creature's voice confirmed its age. While it was a mighty growl, it also sounded tired.
"Krosis. A strange company if I ever saw one. You come from further than the realm of Mundus and its spheres."
Kazuya respectively bowed. "Master Paarthurnax…"
The dragon huffed in bemusement. "You are bold to come here. Yet you are humble enough to defer to me as a master, and stalwart enough to not be shocked by my appearance. May I know why?"
Kazuya shrugged. "It's simply logic. The Greybeards follow the way of the voice. We are to meet their master here. Given that the voice is how dragons communicate, it was obvious their master would be a dragon."
Actually, it's more because I feel like we've seen so much at that point that we went right back to accepting everything we see like a bunch of kids. The mountain would start moving on its own I wouldn't bat an eye. I'd probably just beat it and invite it in our group afterward…
"You have a keen mind for such a young age. Surprisingly wise. And with wisdom often comes doubt. Now, let us discuss. You may be intelligent, but you are still unfamiliar with the ways of the Thu'um. Forgive me, for while I shall satiate your curiosity, you shall satiate mine as well."
Luka became more cautious of the dragon. However, he still considered the opportunity bonding with the beast would afford. As long as it didn't show hostility, he would welcome its words.
"What do you want to know?"
"Joorre. Mortals. What brought you here? Breaching through planes is the domain of the divines and the Daedras. And yet, even as you bear one of their gifts, you do not bear their marks."
"Wait, what?" Luka blinked repeatedly. The sheer quantity of potential the information Paarthunaax had casually revealed was staggering. The dragon somehow knew they came from another world, and between learning travelling between dimension being a thing in this pace and the fact that carried a divinely-crafted weapon, Luka briefly felt at loss for a moment. Reading the mood, Lauratt showed the strange staff to the dragon. The latter flapped his wings in displeasure.
"The Wabbajack. Madness made manifest. May Akatosh protect us of its folly."
"Do you know anything about it? Can you undo its effects?"
The dragon looked down, ashamed. "Sorrowfully, no. The powers of the daedras are beyond the realm of the Thu'um. I can only recommend staying away from their gifts, for the whimsicality of their creators often makes them curses just as well. Now, travelers from another world, will you answer my question?"
Luka felt his shoulders slump. The transformation of Lest would be one problem that would remain unresolved for now. He sighed.
"In truth, we have no idea why we're here… we were just drinking back home, and the next thing we know… we're all split across the region."
Paarthunaax waited for more information. When it was clear he would hear nothing more, he looked disappointed.
"A sincere and truthful answer. Yet a disappointing one."
Hakunen stepped forward. "Isn't there a prophecy that the Dragonborn would show up at the same time as Alduin to defeat him? At least, the Greybeards told us so. Couldn't it be the reason we have been brought here?"
"Prophecy is a poor guide, young one. For reasons unclear, your companion has the power of Dragonborn, and yet he has not been molded by Akatosh. Dov blood does not run through his veins. How is it possible I do not know."
"Could it be because of his lineage? Novissa has the blood of ancient monsters in his veins."
"Maybe. Who can really tell? While following the designs of the gods is easy, understanding them is impossible, even for someone as old as me. Maybe your goals will disperse that obscurity? May I ask what guides you?"
Luka awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "I… I don't know what to tell you then. We only want to go back to our own world, but aren't exactly sure how we can do it. We know someone else from our world has taken refuge close by, and we think that she can help us, but that's it."
"Yes. You want to return to your home. The plans of the one who brought you here are irrelevant to you. Your wish to go back is within the desire to return the world to its natural order. Unfortunately, I cannot help you, for this is far beyond my power."
Kazuya frowned. "Do you think our presence could have stopped the real Dragonborn from appearing? Will everything be returned as it should be, or should we step up and take Alduin down ourselves?"
"Those questions I cannot answer. Only the last one can have a response born from your own will and decisions." He looked at Luka. "I can tell that you already faced the wrath of Alduin. Few survived an encounter with him. Your encounter may be placed on fate and misfortune, but your survival lies in your skills." The dragon overlooked the heroes. "If Alduin is the one who will decide the fate of the world, you will be the one who decide his own. Now what shall it be?"
As he took in Paarthurnax's answer, Luka pondered his next move.
That Alduin destroyed a village when I arrived and… nothing since then. We did way more damage than he did so far. I'm not sure we can judge his evil by the scale of the destruction he spread. If the Dragonborn is the one supposed to kill him, and Novissa's not him, then what should we do? Can we even kill him? I did hurt him a little bit back then, but that doesn't prove anything.
Is this even our conflict in the first place?
I really miss Alice and the team right now. They'd know what to do. Maybe Gilgorn will be helpful.
"Time is not your enemy. Consider your decision, mortals. I can guess that it is bound to change the world, whether you choose it or not."
Novissa didn't further wait before turning away and leaving. Luka could only guess that he was determined to find Gilgorn and get back home . Luka respectfully bowed toward the dragon
"Thank you for your help, master Paarthurnax."
"Do not concern yourself with such formalities. I appreciated meeting you, even as frustrating as it was. Concern yourself with your friend, for he is the one who needs it the most."
Luka raised an eyebrow. "He's been like that since he arrived. Do you know what happened to him?"
"The desire to dominate is inherent to every dovah. It is in our nature to search for control, and the dovahkiin is no different." The dragon's wings lifted as if he shrugged. "Or so I would say if dragon blood was running in his veins. What his ailment is I do not know. My apologies. I simply appreciated the opportunity for speeches."
Luka chuckled and waved back before joining the other heroes still waiting for him. Given how high their trip brought them, the descent of the mountain would take a long time. Luka quickly caught back with Kazuya
"He didn't take Novissa leaving prematurely too badly?"
Luka shook his head. "No. He's just as stumped as us." The hero looked up in the sky, remembering his past dealings with the blonde warrior. "Novissa's always been aloof, but since we entered Skyrim, he's become downright aggressive. Paarthunax talked about the desire to dominate inherent to dragons, but since Novissa isn't actually one, he shouldn't be affected."
"Mmh."
Kazuya looked further ahead of them. Even now that their field of vision was clear, they couldn't see Novissa. The swordsman was already too far ahead to be able to hear them.
"I can't wait to be back home either… The more I learn about this world, the more I want to leave it in disgust." Luka longingly looked up. "We still have each other, but… I'm starting to miss the company of the Pocket Castle. Maybe I'll even appreciate their attention back home, even if their attention range from annoying to downright scary."
Kazuya hit the palm of his hand with his fist and exclaimed himself. "That's it! Luka, you're a genius!"
Luka completely froze. While he was regularly complimented by his allies, his mental abilities were rarely the reason. In fact, they were quite the opposite, with Alice repeatedly saying that he was an idiot while Sonya told that he was as dense as a rock. Still, the compliment felt unusually nice, although he didn't understand Kazuya's reasoning.
"What do you mean?"
Kazuya blushed slightly. "Well, we've all been used to… appreciate feminine company. Lauratt, Lars and Novissa to a greater extreme to the point that they integrated it into their fighting style."
Luka nodded. He didn't quite understand where Kazuya was bringing his reasoning. "Sooo…"
"Rigeo is surprisingly tame about sex for a Nightmare, and Rovissa is simply not interested. In the meanwhile Tarsa is… well, behaving as much as most succubi we dealt with."
Luka grimaced. He still remembered Myusca's old challenges. While he still remembered how Novissa ended up nearly sucked dry by Tarsa and the karaoke disaster, his memories quickly focused to the Battle Royale that ended up exploding between his partners. It wasn't the first a fight on that scale happened, but it had been a particularly vicious one."
"I still don't see where you're going."
"Even before they came here, they regularly got it on. He became completely addicted to sex with succubi and is in withdrawal. In hindsight, he displays pretty much the same symptoms of a drug addiction."
"Huh. That's strange. I thought he would be pretty happy to get far away from monsters considering that among us he had been the one getting the most attention right before we got teleported here, and he wanted to escape it."
"Then it's even worse… I only have the most simple basis in psychology, but if he feels his body craving for sex with succubi while he wants to stay away from them, then he's probably suffering from self-loathing as well."
Luka could only nod in agreement. He didn't know enough about what Kazuya was talking to form his own opinion, but it was coherent with Novissa's behavior. He was nervous, twitchy, impatient with everyone and even himself. Novissa reappeared, impatiently perambulating.
Soooo… he just really needs to get laid.
I'm a bit surprised though. Is it really possible to miss sex with monsters so much that you become aggressive as soon as you can't get some? I mean, even if I mean it, I feel that I could still live without if for a while.
…Except that each time I see something that remotely connect to them, I think about one or the other monster and how they would please me. Kazuya definitively have a point.
Hakunen was blushing and not so subtly trying to listen to the conversation between the two men. The discussion was enough to bring his mind back to his numerous partners in Mahoroba mountains. While only his master Magatsu had followed him in Lukas world, the numerous monsters of the castle regularly fought over his company as well. Even if his last memory was getting swept by a tsunami in the latest conflict, he was now starting to miss the company… and he was awkwardly shuffling down as he wanted to hide the shameful reaction of his body.
Luka stopped, his hand raised. He could feel something approaching. The same sensation as when he first arrived in Helgen was filling his body. With the full knowledge of what they were dealing with, Luka felt dread fill him.
"Damn it. Of course, it had gone too well…"
Everyone readied their weapons of choice. Luka checked the harness on the mammoth in case they had the presence of mind to buy (or more likely acquire) a weapon in their drunken-induced rampage. To his surprise, they had actually remembered. The weapon he grabbed was a relatively ornate one-handed sword with a dragon symbol on the pommel, a basic but resilient weapon. Luka looked around. Unfortunately, the lingering fog was dangerously limiting their field of vision. The heroes focused in the direction the dragon was coming from.
Here he- oh crap! Here THEY come!
To their surprise, there wasn't only one dragon. While Luka recognized the large beast that had set Helgen ablaze, he was also accompanied by several smaller ones. Lauratt accumulated energy in his runes to an unleash a powerful strike, but a combined breath forced him to transfer all his mana in a barrier to shield the party instead. Kazuya's gun released a continuous stream of bullets centered on Alduin. The dragons around scattered while his target seemed more inconvenienced than wounded by the onslaught. Alduin released a growling laugh and moved away from them, leaving the heroes alone with a small swarm of dragons circling above them.
The heroes stood on their guards as the dragons occasionally roared even as they flew high in the sky. Kazuya shot any dragon that came close, forcing the beast to interrupt its attack. Lauratt focused on keeping a ward around the party to stop them from suffering too much from the repeated fire and ice breaths released by their assailants. However, even with his skills and impressive reserves, the young magus couldn't always shield them in time, and Luka could occasionally feel the searing touch of a flame or an extremely cold wave burn him. The hero felt incredibly frustrated. While he still had a solid slew of spells to rely on, using a weapon he was unfamiliar with still birthed a feeling of inadequacy inside him.
Luka released a barrage of holy bolts. One of the dragons took the assault head-on and ended up stunned, his erratic trajectory bringing him right above the heroes. The moment the beast flew over the group, Novissa raised his sword and cleaved off one of its wing. The dragon collapsed on the ground and trashed around, roaring in pain before Lars finished it off with a clear strike to its head. The two swordsmen didn't lose time and gestured for Hakunen to get closer. Getting the hint, Hakunen ran toward them and jumped on their arms. The two men used his momentum to spring him high toward a dragon who interrupted his attack, surprised by the suddenly flying monk. For its trouble, the beast got quickly punched down to the ground where Luka finished it off with a strike from his sword.
Luka used the extremely short reprieve to check around them: even taking into account the ones that had been struck down, there were fewer dragons attacking them than he saw earlier, and there were no immediate signs of Alduin. The hero frowned. He could feel the dragon slightly higher on the mountain.
Dragons wouldn't kill each other, would they? The Greybeards told us that they use their shouts to communicate…
Luka still redoubled his efforts to clear the dragons around them. Another salvo of light arrows slowed down a dragon sufficiently for Lauratt to finish him with a lightning storm. Another dragon dived at him only to be stopped dead in its track by Hakunen's punch, the beast spitting blood as its organs exploded on impact. The remaining dragons were keeping more and more at a distance to avoid the gruesome fates imparted on their partners, only taking potshots at the party with their breaths. Kazuya returned fire with the occasional shot while the remaining heroes tried to goad the dragons in attacking them again under the protection of Lauratt's barrier.
After a moment, Luka felt Alduin move again in their direction. The Destroyer of Worlds had finally decided to step in to take care of them. Luka pointed in the direction the beast was coming from. The remainder of the heroes readied their weapons, standing in formation to face him. Then Alduin finally appeared from the fog. Luka gritted his teeth as he examined the large dragon that had attacked him when he first arrived in this world. Now that he had other dragons to compare him to, he understood just how infinitely more malicious and powerful Alduin was. He was not just merely bigger. His very nature was reeking through his body, and his dark, vertically slithered fiery eyes were almost bleeding hatred.
Lauratt reinforced the barrier protecting the group while Kazuya shot the dragon, supported by magical spells from Hakunen and Luka. Alduin looked more inconvenienced by the assault than wounded and released an extremely powerful fire stream as he passed over the group. Lauratt sweated as even his magical skills were barely enough to keep the barrier up. As Alduin returned to circling above the team, Kazuya let out a frustrated groan.
"Damn it… that dragon isn't so much strong as he is bullshit!"
I agree… there's something akin to a divine protection around him. Maybe…
"Dispel."
To Luka's disappointment, he couldn't feel the dragon being affected by his assault. Kazuya's bullets were still ricocheting off. His disappointment turned to fear when the dragon simply ultimately dived toward the party. Novissa stepped forward with Lars and Hakunen while Luka checked in the direction of the still-transformed Lest. The mammoth was trembling in fear. Luka himself gulped loudly. The swordsmen raised their weapons with the clear intent to strike the beast down the moment it would come in reach. Even if Alduin was diving toward them at full speed, Luka felt the moment last an eternity. He entirely stopped breathing when the attacks that had cleaved so many dragons barely affected Alduin, and the dragon slammed with its full weight in the party, kicking everyone around before grabbing Kazuya in his maw. To Luka's horror, the dragon shook his companion before tossing him on the road like a broken chew toy. The hero was frozen in shock. So far everything had been so easy he never considered that they would end up facing an unbeatable challenge. He simply didn't know what to do as the dragon looked at him next. It was a nightmare.
His trance was interrupted when Lauratt released full the power of his runes. Alduin was tossed by the sheer force of the spell with enough energy to be knocked down the mountain. As the dragon pestered and stabilized itself in the sky, the heroes gathered back as quickly as they could. A shining light swallowed them when Lauratt teleported everyone away.
To Luka's surprise, the magus had only moved them at the very top of the mountain, barely a few hundreds of meters away. Before Luka could ask why, Lauratt brought a finger to his own mouth and shushed him. The magus then quickly moved on to the heavily wounded Kazuya, supported by Hakunen. Luka quickly joined in the healing with his own holy skills. The body of the demon hunter was bleeding surprisingly little. More importantly, he was still breathing.
He'll live. He's out for a while, but he'll live. His armor did its job. Luka looked at the unusual armor under the clothes of the demon hunter. The one-of-a-kind plate was dented, but it did a commendable work in protecting its owner.
Once he was sure Kazuya was out of danger, Luka focused his attention back on Alduin. The swarm surrounding him had considerably decreased in size. A few of the remaining dragons roared at him, visibly angry. When he roared back, the dragons fearfully cowed down. Alduin roared again, and all the dragons scattered, searching around. Alduin himself left in another direction. A dragging sound made Luka snap around, and he saw Lars trying to stop Novissa from descending even as the latter was trying to push him away. The blonde swordsman was visibly determined to get even with Alduin right now.
"Do you think you have a way to kill Alduin with the power you absorbed?" It was an honest question. Luka had no idea what Novissa could do with that power, and he certainly didn't want to further twist the knife in.
Novissa stopped pushing for a moment. Then he looked down in shame. For all the dragon souls he had absorbed, he didn't know how that new power could be exploited. He slumped down on the ground. His frustration had reached its peak, and he was starting to explode.
I'll let him have a minute. He needs it just as much as we do.
Luka looked down the mountain. He could occasionally see dragons pass by below, visibly searching for them.
Why aren't they searching here? We barely teleported a few hundred meters away, it's a miracle they didn't see us then given Lest's massive appearance, and now they're not even looking here! Is it because it's a sacred spot, or… it's because they're too proud to consider that we could have moved above them.
Lauratt chose his spot well. Nice move.
Luka turned back toward Novissa. The blonde swordsman was nervously rocking back and forth on the ground. Luka gently smiled and held out his hand.
"We're not on a world any of us know… but we're still here for each other, aren't we?"
Exceptionally, the usually stoic warrior cracked a small smirk before accepting Luka's hand. Right after getting up, he gave a friendly tap on Luka's back. Novissa then exchanged a manly hugged with Lars who visibly didn't hold his outburst against him. Luka felt a small wave of happiness. Even if Novissa was still looking in withdrawal, he at least seemed to now appreciate the presence of everyone around.
The heroes decided to wait until the dragons left before descending. The snow eventually stopped, and gradually, the sun slowly settled on the horizon, bathing the hero's hideout in shadows, then in a blue light as the moon illuminated them. The aster of the night had been their only source of light for long when they finally decided to descend, Novissa and Lest working together to prevent the still transformed Lest from slipping down the steep slope.
When they arrived back where they initially met Paarthurnax, Luka was saddened yet not surprised: the ancient dragon was dead, lying in front of the wall that he had used as a perch with large deep wounds all over his body and his wings torn in several places. Even if he had only briefly known him, he was still afflicted by the death of the dragon. Paarthurnax was the proof that this could help them, and, more importantly, that some people WOULD help them. The whole group spent a small minute in silence in front of his large body before returning on their way down.
I guess the monastery has been razed to the ground too…
Indeed, the large stone building was now lying in ruins. A large part had visibly collapsed down the mountain. Deep claw marks in the few remaining stones made the identity of the attacker obvious. The heroes quickly searched the ruins for the Greybeards, but they could only find small, burned parts that had been forcibly torn. Luka was seized by a wave of melancholy.
Damn it… is it the fate of the people we meet? Are we really only bringing destruction where we go? Even if we weren't always able to save everyone we wanted, we still did good, but right now I feel like we're only bringing pain and death!
No… we have made mistakes. We always did. But we're not responsible for the destruction that befalls this world. All of this is only happening because we're fighting monsters determined to bring everyone against them down in their death throes.
Luka looked at the other heroes. He couldn't tell how they were feeling themselves. While they were all still alive, Lest was transformed in a mammoth with no surefire way of coming back, Kazuya was knocked out for an unknown amount of time, and Novissa was not the same man that had helped save his own world. Hakunen and Lauratt were still periodically checking on Kazuya.
The heroes spent the remainder of the night searching through the ruins. They were looking for equipment, books, and anything that could help them as much as the feeling of loss briefly stopped them from moving forward.
It's the third time it happened… at least that we know of. For all we know, we set Solitude on fire before leaving. But now…
"What do we do now?" Hakunen was standing on a stone, looking at the devastation with a mix of sadness and anger.
"We stay on the plan. We find Gilgorn. We work on a plan to escape this damned world. And then we'll leave." Luka stood at the edge of the ruins overseeing the cliff. The hero shook his head as he felt a freezing tear run down his face. In front of him, the sun was slowly rising, its red beams painting everything in its reach and covering the rest in shadow. The sight reminded Luka of the blood sprayed during the numerous fights they endured. When he talked again, his voice was a furious growl.
"But when we'll leave, it will be with Alduin's head!"