One of my goals while doing this overhaul of my old chapters is to give a bigger emphasis on how dangerous and scary dragons in Skyrim are in the lore. In gameplay they aren't much thing, but in lore a dragon would be the most terrifying image someone could ever see - a creature that can destroy an entire city and that each battle against it isn't won without heavy losses, at least for regular soldiers.
The first thing Vardall noticed on that dragon, besides its lack of front lags, was that It was huge. It was so big that could easily make a High Dragon from Thedas and even the Archdemon look like a mere drake if they stood side by side. That, together with its deep black color and red eyes, made that dragon one of the most terrorizing images Vardall has ever saw.
The great black dragon roars fiercely, spitting out a blast of fire and using some kind of power Vardall cannot identify, killing several people with that act. This makes Vardall fall to the ground, stunned for a few seconds, as the dragon takes flight and begins attacking the city.
"Hey, kinsman. Get up!" Ralof yells at Vardall as he helps him to his feet. "Come on, the gods won't give us another chance!"
The scenery around Vardall was chaotic, with fire raining down from the sky as the dragon attacked Helgen. The imperial soldiers split between protecting the civilians and trying to kill the dragon.
"This way!" They both ran into a tower; inside were other Stormcloak rebels and Ulfric.
"Jarl Ulfric! What is that thing? Could the legends be true?" Ralof asks as he catches his breath.
"Legends don't burn down villages." Ulfric responds in a relatively calm tone. Vardall could tell he had a powerful voice But even so, he reminded him of Loghain in a way, which wasn't good.
But the dragon's roar gets Vardall out of his thoughts.
"Legend or not, we need to get out of here." Vardall tells both men as they turn their attention to him. Ralof nods his head in confirmation.
"Very true, kinsman. Up through the tower, let's go!"
Vardall begins to climb the tower's stairs, looking for a way out, followed by the other men. When the dragon reaches the top of the tower, he suddenly smashes his head through the wall and spews fire onto its interior, nearly burning Vardall.
"Damn!"
The dragon's moves blocked the way through the rest of the tower. Going to the hole the dragon created, Vardall can see a building not far from the tower.
"See that building? Jump!" Vardall yelled at Ralof and the other Stormcloaks there with him before jumping. Upon landing in the building, Vardall was caught by some flames present there and was lightly burned by them. Even with this, Vardall continues his run to survive, falling downstairs through a hole in the building.
Leaving the building, Vardall encounters the same soldier who was with the captain before. "Still alive, prisoner?" The soldier was really surprised to find Vardall still alive. "Keep close to me if you want to stay that way."
Vardall and the soldier try to get out of there, but the dragon lands in front of them. "Gods... get back!" Vardall and the soldier retreat, taking cover as the dragon breathes fire, trying to kill them both. After a few seconds, the dragon takes flight again, giving Vardall and the soldier an opening to escape.
"Let's go!" The soldier yells at Vardall, and they both run. Vardall watched as even more imperial soldiers attempted to slay the dragon, but failed, with several of them being slain by the enormous beast.
"Ralof, your damned traitor. Out of my way!" Vardall stopped watching his surroundings when he heard the imperial soldier shout. In front of them was Ralof, armed with an axe.
"We are escaping, Hadvar. You're not stopping us this time." So that was the soldier's name, Hadvar.
"Fine. I hope that dragon takes you all to Sovngarde."
"You! Come on, into the keep!" Ralof yelled at Vardall as he ran towards a door.
Hadvar ran toward another door. "With me, prisoner. Let's go!"
Vardall was to choose between following Ralof or following Hadvar. His first action was to follow Ralof, but then the dragon flew over Vardall and tried to hit him with a blast of fire. Luckily, Vardall was able to dodge at the last second. With his path blocked by fire and feeling the dragon coming back to attack again, Vardall decides to go with Hadvar.
Running towards Hadvar, Vardall quickly enters Helgen's keep, and Hadvar closes the door behind them.
"Are you okay?" Hadvar asks Vardall as he catches his breath.
"Yeah. Just... give me a second."
Hadvar starts looking around them, looking for something useful. "Looks like we're the only ones who made it. Was that a dragon? The bringers of the End Times?"
"I don't know… but I know we're dead if we stay here." Vardall approaches Hadvar and stretches his bound hands toward him. "Could you? I promise I won't attack you. We have to work together to get out of here, plus you know this place better than I do."
Hadvar could see the sincerity in Vardall's bright blue eyes, plus he was right. They needed to work together to get out of there.
"Of course." Hadvar took a dagger and cut Vardall's bonds. "There. Better now?"
Vardall moved his hands, feeling relieved without those bonds. "Yes, thanks." Vardall smiled slightly at Hadvar, before writhing slightly in pain from the burns he had suffered earlier.
"This looks bad. I'm going to look for something for your burns; in the meantime, rummage through those chests for supplies, armor, and weapons." Hadvar pointed to the chests scattered around the room. Vardall nodded and walked towards the chests while Hadvar explored the rest of the room. He found some very useful things, like a full set of armor and a sword. Hadvar approached him with some bandages on his hands.
"Here, this should help." Vardall then removed his shirt, and Hadvar covered the burns with bandages.
"Thanks." Vardall removed his shirt and donned the armor and sword.
"It looks good on you." Hadvar tells Vardall. "How do you feel?"
Vardall checks the armor, noticing how light it is but strong enough to support a few hits. "Not bad, but I prefer heavy armor and... bigger swords. But this will do for now."
Hadvar nods, and then, with Vardall fully equipped, they both rush to try to escape Helgen. Arriving in a wider space, the two can hear Stormcloak rebels talking to each other.
"Rebels... Maybe we can solve this without violence." Hadvar whispers, and Vardall nods in acknowledgment. As they approached, they both revealed themselves to the Stormcloaks, their weapons at their disposal. But there is no time for conversation. As soon as they see the two, the Stormcloaks go on the attack, not even trying to talk. While Hadvar faces the other, Vardall holds his sword tightly in his hands and blocks a Stormcloak's attack. Kicking the Stormcloak, Vardall manages to push it far enough away that he can trap him with a Crushing Prison, knocking it out of combat for a few seconds. He grabs it and slashes the Stormcloak's throat, blood streaming down his face. After that, Vardall freezes the remaining Stormcloak with a Winter's Grasp.
"Are you a mage?" Hadvar asked, quite shocked.
The Warden stares at Hadvar for a few seconds. He should have thought better about showing his magic in front of others. What if this place hates mages more than Thedas? What if they kill mages in plain sight? While thinking that, Vardall kept a more serious posture, ready to engage in combat if Hadvar tried to do something.
But at a first moment, Vardall tries to use words to better see his next steps.
"Yes, I am. I know I don't look much like the average mage, given I'm an... unconventional kind. Do you have any problem with it?" The Arcane Warrior put some emphasis on his last words, trying to give Hadvar a warning.
"No, I don't." Hadvar quickly affirms. It looks like he understood Vardall's message. "Also... It's your choice, I'm in no position to judge."
The Grey Warden seemed to calm down, but not entirely. He grunted and passed Hadvar as he disposed of his iron longsword and took a greatsword.
"Now we can go." He looks back at Hadvar. "Lead the way."
The soldier nodded and kept leading, with Vardall following him from behind. Vardall demonstrated his prowess with both spells and greatswords as he and the imperial soldier kept moving forward, coming across and combating a few more Stormcloaks along the way. Vardall was able to use his mana not only to cast spells but also as a buffer to handle heavy weapons and armor, thanks to the ancient arcane warrior techniques he had learned during the Blight. Thanks to that, he could wield an enormous two-handed sword with just one hand, which was his preferred form of combat most of the time, combining range with quick swings.
Vardall and Hadvar continue through Helgen's interiors, passing through a torture room, a nest of giants, and the ugliest spiders Vardall has ever seen - that is, if there ever existed beautiful spiders. Thankfully, both men found an exit after crossing some more caves. They both crossed it and finally found themselves outside of Helgen.
"Ah... finally. Fresh air." Vardall inhaled the fresh air around him, feeling relieved. But the relief was short-lived when he and Hadvar heard the dragon roar. Both hid behind a rock and watched the huge beast fly away.
"That was close." Hadvar says, relieved. "I wouldn't have made it out of there alive if it weren't for you. Thank you."
"Well, I didn't have much of a choice. You knew the place better than me."
"We fought side by side, but I still don't know your name." Hadvar asks, curious.
"My name is Vardall Cassian Amell, but just call me Vardall."
"Well, thank you for saving my life, Vardall." Hadvar says it with a smile on his face. "We should go. The village of Riverwood is close by. My uncle is the blacksmith there. He can help us.
Vardall could just leave Hadvar and do things his way, but he knew that wasn't a very good thing to do, given that he was on an unknown land he knew nothing about. Remaining close to someone friendly who lived here was the best he could do for now.
So the Grey Warden just smiled and nodded to Hadvar's words. "Lead the way."
"So, let me get this straight... You want me to join an organization that captured me without warning, and that almost cut my head off?" Vardall asked, quite angry.
Having his doubts, Vardall asked Hadvar some questions, carefully enough to not be suspicious. Hadvar talked to him about the Great War and the Aldmeri Dominion. He also talked more about Ulfric Stormcloak, and how he killed the high king of Skyrim and started this rebellion against the Empire, all because of the prohibition of the cult to a god named Talos. So Vardall was right, he was a stupid bastard like Loghain, and even worse. Now Hadvar was talking about the Empire's army, the Imperial Legion, and said that Vardall should consider joining them.
"Look, I know your introduction to the Legion wasn't the best, but we need skilled people like you. The Legion is the best option for keeping Skyrim safe and restoring peace." Hadvar speaks truthfully. "Not to mention that if there is anyone who knows where that dragon came from, that person will surely be General Tullius."
The soldier's words weren't enough to convince Vardall. Stepping forward and staring Hadvar directly in the eyes, Vardall yells with anger: "Forget it! I'll not be involved in some pointless war again. Especially a religious one."
The Grey Warden walked away before Hadvar could even say anything. He was honestly caught by surprise by Vardall's sudden anger. Just with that, he could say there was no way to convince him to join the empire, so he gave up.
Continuing their path to Riverwood, both Vardall and Hadvar finally arrive. Riverwood was a village just like Helgen, but it certainly looked very peaceful. They both approached a house, where a man was working on a porch, with a variety of blacksmiths' instruments.
"Uncle Alvor! Hello!" Hadvar shouted out in relief at seeing his uncle. Alvor stopped working and looked at Hadvar, quite confused.
"Hadvar? What are you doing here? Are you on leave from..." The blacksmith finally realized the state his nephew was in - covered in dirt and with some visible injuries. "Shor's bones, what happened to you, boy? Are you in some kind of trouble?"
"Shh. Uncle, please. Keep your voice down. I'm fine. But we should go inside to talk." Hadvar whispered to his uncle while Vardall just followed him and watched them both.
Now Alvor was even more confused. "What's going on?" He finally noticed Vardall beside Hadvar. "And who's this?"
"He's a friend. Saved my life. Come on, I'll explain everything, but we need to go inside." Hadvar said.
Even without much understanding, Alvor agreed. "Okay, okay. Come inside, then. Sigrid will get you both something to eat, and you can tell me all about it." Vardall and Hadvar then followed Alvor into his house. Entering, they both quickly dropped their weapons in a corner and sat down in two chairs facing a table with some food.
"Now, them boy. What's the big mystery? What are you doing here, looking like you lost an argument with a cave bear?" Alvor asked, also taking a seat in a chair.
Hadvar took a deep breath before starting to count. "I don't even know how to start..." Hadvar then told Alvor everything, about the dragon's attack on Helgen and how he and Vardall almost didn't escape. Alvor doubted Hadvar at times but realized that this was not a lie. Fearing the worst, Alvor asks Vardall to go talk to a man named Jarl Balgruuf in a town called Whiterun, so he can send more soldiers to protect Riverwood.
"I'll help any way I can." Vardall replied to Alvor. "But right now… I'm quite exhausted from my escape and near-death experience. I wonder if you wouldn't have a spare bed for me to get some rest?"
Alvor nods his head in confirmation. "Of course! We have two extra beds here for you and Hadvar. Rest and stay here tonight. Tomorrow you can go to Whiterun when you're in better condition."
Vardall thanks him, and then Sigrid, Alvor's wife, shows Hadvar and Vardall their beds. Having removed the Imperial armor from his body, Vardall puts on some more comfortable clothes and lies down on his bed. He was exhausted. After arriving in a strange land, nearly getting killed several times, and surviving a dragon attack, he thought he deserved a good rest. There was still a lot for him to do. Too many answers to get. But for now, Vardall was happy to get at least a good night's sleep.
The screams of terror and the smell of burned wood and flesh took Vardall's senses, but he didn't care as he continued to move forward, killing anyone who crossed his way and burning every place he saw with his spells.
After burning alive one more soldier who tried to kill him, Vardall casts and throws one more fireball into a house. Screams could be heard, and soon after, a woman and her daughter, who should be just 7 or 8 years old, got out of the burning place, in a desperate attempt to escape. Unfortunately for her, they both bumped directly into Vardall, falling to the ground while the Grey Warden just watched them and the fearful expressions on her face.
"Please! Help..." The woman didn't even have time to finish her desperate cry for help before Vardall stabbed her right in the mouth, moving his greatsword's blade up right after, cutting the woman's head in half.
"MOTHER!"
At the side of the woman's dead body, her daughter could do nothing but cry - she was too scared to even try to run. Looking up at Vardall's face, the girl's fearful gaze met the Warden's rage and bloodlust. She kept crying, while Vardall didn't even hesitate to raise his greatsword and strike the child. But before he could do such a thing, one of the many undead he was commanding passed by and held the girl by the arm, stabbing and fencing her entirely.
The Hero of Ferelden watched as he lowered his sword, but didn't do or feel a thing about such an event. He just watched that with an empty gaze, not caring about it. He just ignored the child's body and kept walking, continuing to slaughter everything and everyone on his way until he achieved his objective.
Waking up breathless and screaming, it takes a while for Vardall to realize where he is, and notice all the events from the past hours weren't just a dream.
Instead of a good night's sleep, Vardall found himself haunted by what he had done. He was no stranger to nightmares, and at times his mind would bring forth scenarios that were nothing but painful. Honestly, he would even prefer the physical pain of the time when he was awake. Both happened to be sharp, acute pains right in his chest, but one was a good bit more manageable than the other.
"Bad dream?" Vardall hears a voice, looking to his side to see Hadvar lying on a bed next to him. Vardall just sighs.
"Yeah. Some... things I don't like to remember."
Hadvar shakes his head. "I know how those things can be bad. Do you want to talk?"
"No." Vardall quickly responds. "All I want is to forget. "Even though I know I don't deserve it."
"I understand. More than you know." Hadvar speaks with a sad tone in his voice. Vardall then finally decides to get up, having already had enough sleep. Just then, Alvor walks through the door.
"Ah, finally awake. Have you two slept well?"
"Yes, uncle." Hadvar responds.
"Yes, thanks for asking." Vardall lies, not telling about his nightmares. Alvor smiles.
"Great! Now I have a present for you." Alvor says to Vardall before leaving the house. When he returns, he returns carrying the full armor set and a greatsword made of iron.
"Here. This is for you."
"Wha... What is all this?!" Vardall asks, shocked and confused.
"I had this spare armor stored. Consider this as a thank you for helping Hadvar escape from Helgen."
Vardall was speechless. He looked at Hadvar, with a smile on his face. Taking the armor in his hands, he could see that it was simple but pretty strong as well; the same goes for the greatsword.
"Go ahead, try it." Then Vardall puts on the armor, which fits like a glove on his body. The greatsword was also excellent, being both sharp and well-made. After wearing all the armor and putting the greatsword on his back, Vardall smiles at Alvor.
"Thanks for this. I will find a way to repay you."
"You can repay me by convincing the Jarl to send more soldiers to protect Riverwood." Alvor said.
Vardall nods. "But of course. Thank you so much for everything." Vardall also takes some more supplies from Alvor, like some food and even some jewels that he had. Then he shakes Alvor's hand and leaves his house, prepared for his adventures in this mysterious land called Skyrim.
The idea of making Alduin huge came while I was playing Dark Souls 2 and was fighting the Ancient Dragon. Given that Alduin is the mightiest of the dragons and is destined to devour the world, I suppose it would make sense for him to be huge as hell, even among Skyrim's dragons, (Who already are much huge in lore than what we see them in gameplay) and that's Alduin before consuming lots of Nord souls.
For instance, I wanted to portray Alduin at this moment as bigger than the Ancient Dragon from Dark Souls 2 (Who is huge as hell) and the more he grows in power, even more his body grows.