-Last chapter's reactions definitely held something new for me. Out of all the stories and chapters I've written over the years, I don't think I've ever received a critical review of any of them; someone so invested in something I've created that they'd go to the trouble to describe what they didn't like or wish had been different in what ways! But don't misunderstand, Drouppi, your review did not upset me in the slightest; in fact it was an eye-opener for me and for things to consider in the future. In fact, it's helping me develop some points for the next chapter...
But ANYway, this chapter was really fun to delve into and describe! Training with the Greybeards, with some minor changes here and there. Enjoy!-
One last tightened strap, and the armor was back in place. The front breastplate put pressure on her own chest, and yet Lydia still felt herself breathe a little easier. It felt good to be donned in her armor once again. Beaten and battered as it was, it still felt better than nothing. Better than nothing...
On impulse, she looked again at her armor pile in search of something. She felt her heart sink when she did not find what she was searching for- her sword! Where was it?! Had the Greybeards done something with it? Why was it not with-
She let out a sudden breath of relief when a thought entered her head. Her memories reminded her that she had given her sword to Siffre. After all, she remembered it being the correct thing to do at the time; she had just lost her sword, and she was not in good physical health to fight, nor defend with her own. There was comfort in now knowing where it was... as well as in good hands. But... Did she still have it now? And, where was she right now, even?
Siffre. Her thane. For some reason, the Greybeard's words still lingered within her head. It was hardly a noteworthy observation, and yet Lydia's thoughts persisted on what he'd asked. All he'd done was draw brief mention to what her role was regarding her. She was the housecarl to her thane, who was the Dragonborn. There wasn't anything that complicated to understand from that, was there? So then... Just how far did this assigned duty of hers reach? She knew that she'd agreed to help her in reaching this place to meet the Greybeards to help with her Voice, but what was to happen after this? What was next in store?
Yes, she'd definitely have to talk with her about this at the next opportunity.
For now, she sat herself down on the chair and began putting her boots on her feet. Her foot-wraps were still on her feet and hardly affected by any moisture, so they'd be fine to reuse for now. Her feet slipped back into her boots and they were greeted by the old familiar feeling of all around warmth. And her toes had just enough wiggle room in them to not feel too snug.
As she now began to refasten her gauntlets over her arms and hands, the sound and feeling of vibrations and Shouts could be heard not too far away. It felt like they were originating from a few rooms over. It had to be her thane over there, using her Thu'um! She'd never heard her use it repeatedly after a single use before. Had she always been able to do that? Or was this some new trick the Greybeards were teaching her to do?
"Whatever it is, it's impressive... There, that should do it," she said to herself. Her gauntlets fastened, she reached over to take her shield in her left hand, "Now, didn't I see him go that way...?" She took a cautious step forward, and was greeted by soreness creeping up her side. Fortunately it felt like the kind of soreness that could easily be worked out of her body. Her feet needed blood to flow through them again, and her midsection obviously held a stinging soreness to it which thankfully wasn't hindering her too much. She could power through this pain. She walked forward and turned around the corner as she'd seen the Greybeard do.
It turned out what greeted her was a longer hallway. A longer, slightly darkened hallway with, thin, transparent walls spaced periodically to allow outside light through. As she walked through it, Lydia looked closer at the stonework. It was far darker than any she'd seen in Skyrim before. Living in a place like Whiterun where the sun shone very often told her that most everything became bleached when left out in the sun for long. Thus it felt like the complete opposite in this case with how the stones appeared to be so dark and black. Perhaps because light from outdoors could never reach it? Or was it that despite being on a mountain, so close to the sky, the sun still couldn't reach it through the thick clouds surrounding it?
She casually dragged her hand along the wall as she walked, getting a feel of it. The stonework had a rough and course looking texture, but to her surprise it felt smooth to the touch. There was also the fact that her fingers did not track any dust while touching it. These Greybeards must keep this place clean constantly...
As she walked, a sound of thunder suddenly cracked within these walls. Both of her hands shot up to clamp over her ears. In the process, she'd dropped her shield and let it clatter noisily to the ground. The sound of her shield could barely be heard over the sound of... whatever that was! Lydia's face scrunched in pain, and her eardrums were crying out for mercy.
"Gaah...!" she uttered. What was that?! Was that a lightning bolt of a thunderstorm that had just cracked indoors?! Even when it eventually subsided, Lydia's body still felt aftershocks from the vibrations that had accompanied it.
Wait a minute, vibrations... could it be? The Thu'um being used again? By who, her Thane? Had she made a Shout that was somehow powerful than what Lydia had heard before. Or... what if it was the Greybeards themselves? What if they were using some kind of Shout, or... on her somehow? They were masters of this Voice after all, so it wasn't impossible to assume that.
Whatever it was, Lydia intended to find her thane, now. She took a moment to regain her mental focus, then started to walk again. She only took a step however when she realized that she had dropped her shield. She reached back down to rejoin it with her left hand and then proceeded to walk the halls again.
The hall itself seemed to stretch forward many feet, towards what appeared to be a dead end. But thankfully, it would seem Lydia would not have to walk that far, as corner appeared off to the right side of the hallway about mid way. It was around this point that Lydia started to hear voices. Well, not 'Voices', but actual voices; like the sound of actual words being conversed. There was no doubt in Lydia's mind anymore, she would find who she was looking for around this corner. With a noticeably quickened step, she rounded the corner.
What greeted her was what she was expecting and hoping to see. There she was, her thane, standing in the center of an enlarged chamber, an entry-room, with a large ray of light shining down from above. She stood there, her back to her, facing in the direction of the doors that could be seen off to the back, but she herself wasn't looking at the doors. Instead, Lydia could see four Greybeards standing all around her at the edges of this light, and all were facing her. At the moment, no one was moving a muscle, not the Greybeards looking at her, and not Siffre looking straight at one of them.
Lydia viewed this scene in front of her, and very slowly her eyes began to narrow. What was happening? Why was she just standing there? And what were they doing, just looking at her like that? What were they planning to do? She herself remember feeling the long-distance effects of whatever that 'Shout' was, so... what if they were planning to do something, on some bigger scale, to her? It was a strange positioning for anyone to be in, almost... ritualistic. From this view, Lydia found her own feet moving her forward, intent to find out for sure.
She reached the very top end of the stairs, but hadn't even begun her descent when something else began to happen. The walls, the floor, the very world around her began to shake uncontrollably. Now what was happening, a massive Nirn-quake?! Or worse, they were on a mountain, was this place in the midst of an actual avalanche?! Whatever it was, Lydia's balance was severely threatened, and she found herself wobbling from side to side to steady herself.
And the vibrations! By Ysmir's beard, they felt like they were rattling her down to her very core! While they didn't feel immediately harmful, there was still an overwhelming sense of discomfort occurring. Her very bones were singing a song of torture from within her body! What on Nirn was going on?! Yet somehow, within these tremors, the distinct sound of speaking voices could be heard. Wait, not just speaking voices; the Greybeards' Voices were speaking! Four different voices could be heard saying something, but damned if Lydia could understand, much less care, what was being said! Whatever it was, she had to get away from there...
That is if she could move at all.
Try as she might, she felt herself paralyzed in place, unable to move. The Voice-powered thundering pounded against her from all sides relentlessly. The more she found herself in place, the more Lydia's fear began to rise. This was it, wasn't it? A brand new type of horror befalling her, the likes of which she had never experienced before! She fell to her knees, shield clattering to her side as her hands futilely clutched the sides of her head. A whimper escaped her mouth, which soon evolved into loud moaning, until that finally evolved into full on painful cries.
Then, by whatever God-enacted miracle was at play, everything ceased. No more Voices, no more thunder, no more rumbles, and no more paralyzing vibrations. The assault on her senses finally got a reprieve, though now her mind was a constant ringing in response from the onslaught. Despite everything having stopped, she herself couldn't hold back a couple more cries that exited her mouth. And it was a few moments after everything had stopped that she heard a new sound- the familiar, merciful sound of her thane.
"Lydia!"
"FUS!"
The difference between her first attempt to utter the word and now was as night and day. As she was more aware of the fact that she was doing it purposely this time, she could feel the sheer strength in the power that escaped her lips. As it left, it stretched out in size until a ring of visible air distortion rushed out in front of her... And straight towards the Greybeards. In a brief, half-second moment of panic, Siffre feared what might happen next. Arngeir had assured her that they wouldn't be harmed, but... well, would they really?
Looking forward, she was expecting to not see any Greybeards before her. Which is why she was filled with confusion, surprise, and relief upon seeing this preconception proven false. The four men continued to stand in place, even as the ring of distorted air and vibrations passed well over them. While they continued to stand, the rest of High Hrothgar's walls rumbled slightly, not unlike the similar feeling to when Einarth had spoken earlier and figuratively shook the building. They were completely unflinching, with only the edges of their robes blowing with the artificial force blown upon them.
As the force passed through them, their faces slowly produced smiles. One after another the gave slow nods to each other.
"Ah... yes," Arngeir spoke with content in his voice, "There is no denying any longer that you truly have the inborn gift."
"I do, and I did it that time!" Siffre said, "I remember thinking how... how I could change something... and that this Voice could do that."
"The Voice of the Gods is truly a gift upon mortal men, a blessing of immeasurable power," Arngeir said, "So easy then it would be to fall into the temptation of self-indulgence. It is precisely the reason our founder first founded the Way of the Voice: a reminder that it is be used solely in worship of the Gods, not for mortals' benefit."
"What?" Siffre said with narrowed eyes, "B-but, with this Voice... you could do anything, help anyone! Why would you want to... hold back?"
"Because, that was precisely the reason that had led to how it is to be used," Arngeir explained, "During the Battle at Red Mountain, many years ago, our Founder, Jurgen Wind-Caller, led the Nord army of other Voice-wielders into battle. They also held the mindset that the Voice would change the world and benefit it in small ways. And yet despite that... the army was annihilated, leaving our Founder as the sole survivor.
"Thus, after spending many years pondering the meaning of that absolute defeat, he came to the conclusion that the Gods themselves had punished mortals for arrogant and blasphemous misuse of the Voice. Blessed with this knowledge, Jurgen Wind-Caller dedicated his life to spreading his teachings to potential followers, that the Voice be used for its original intent: worship and reverence of the Gods who had first bestowed it to them in the first place."
Siffre looked away while rubbing her chin. So that's why these men seemed like this, so... passive and reserved. That was why they were living so far away from everyone, and everything. So that they wouldn't be tempted to use the Voice for anyone else? It still didn't make that much sense in Siffre's mind, if one had a great power within them, why couldn't they be allowed to use it as they saw fit? In fact...
"So then... what about me? Am I not allowed... to use my Voice just as you don't?"
"Hmmm..." Arngeir said thoughtfully, "You, Dragonborn, are actually the sole exception to this rule. The reason being that your very Dragon blood you have in you in itself was a gift from Akatosh himself. It also means that as you were brought into this world for some divine purpose, you transcend the rules and restrictions, which bind other mortals, in pursuit of some divine goal. Whatever this goal might be... It is as I have mentioned earlier regarding destiny, something you must discover... Thus, that is why we are here for you; we can show you the Way, but not your destination."
"I... I see..." Siffre said. Some divine purpose? This felt a little... extravagant. For someone who grew up alone as Siffre did, being the subject of some Gods-driven goal was almost impossible for her to believe. But then again, so was the fact that she was Dragonborn, and that was something that was slowly starting to grow on her. At least she could do something with her Voice in the immediate days to come, "Then... I've mastered this Thu'um of mine by now, haven't I?"
"Perhaps, perhaps not," Arngeir said, earning him a confused look from Siffre, "You have shown the ability to Shout a word of a Thu'um. This in itself is a great feat, one that not many mortals can say without boast. However, your entire Shout in itself at present can always be... hm, shall we say, 'improved'."
"What do you mean?" Siffre said, "This Shout already feels... powerful."
"It is true that all words of power in themselves are immeasurable," Arngeir said, "However, that is not the entire truth. As it has always been, all Shouts are made of three words of power, not just one. As a new word is learned and mastered, the Thu'um will also grow in strength."
"Huh?!" Siffre uttered. There was more?! This Shout could be improved even further than where it was now?! By the Gods, if only she'd had this power earlier... back with Lydia and the troll... maybe a bigger difference could've been made in that fight! Both of them might've even had a better chance of coming out completely unscathed!
And now that the means was a definite possibility, she knew one thing for sure, "I have to know more... please."
"Well... as it was I who suggested it in the first place, I suppose it only proper to follow through," Arngeir said, "Although it is best you exercise caution, Dragonborn; growing your gift too quickly would be dangerous."
"I'll be careful...!" Siffre assured him.
"Very well," Arngeir said with a sigh, "As you've been informed, the word you have demonstrated is 'Fus', or 'Force', used in the Unrelenting Force Shout. As it happens, one of us is a proficient study in that particular Shout." He turned to glance at the sole Greybeard colleague standing on his right, "Master Einarth will teach you the next word." Siffre watched as the man in question stepped forward into the light, with reasonable enough distance still between them. She tilted her head, the same Greybeard that had been helping her with controlling her personal volume? He also held knowledge of the very Shout she herself had? What were the chances?
"Um, how is this going to-"
"Ro." Her comment was completely cut off. Einarth looked at the ground between them, waved his hand, and silently spoke this single word. The moment he did, a translucent wave exited his own mouth and shot straight into the ground. The moment it made contact, the very stone between them appeared to form scratches, or... no. Something else was taking shape!
What initially appeared as simple scratch lines and a trio of dots Siffre should've immediately dismissed as nonsense, but she could not do that. In fact, seeing these very markings again struck memories within her again. The very same ones she'd seen in Bleak Falls Barrow! Those were found on that strange, curved, hollowed out stone in that massive chamber. And this man had just created these very markings with a simple uttering of his own Voice! Did... were those markings put there by these men, or even men like them, this whole time...?
Also just like in that cave, the set of markings began to glow before Siffre's eyes, and she felt herself drawn to it. She stared at it, the glowing growing ever brighter. The brightness should be having and adverse effect on her eyesight, but quite the opposite was happening. She began to see the markings clearer and clearer. They engraved themselves into her mental vision, and she saw them... shifting. Changing shape. The more they changed, the more she came to understand. In her mind, the markings did not read as simple scratches, but now formed something else, something familiar to her...
Ro.
And just like that, the glowing from the markings dimmed considerably until there was nothing left. Well, not entirely nothing left; she was left now with knowledge.
"Ro..." she whispered, "It... it means... 'Balance', in the... I-I saw it, in my mind!"
"You learn a new word like a master..." Arngeir could be heard saying softly, as if speaking to himself, "However, learning a word of power is only the beginning; you must unlock it's meaning and potential before using it in a Shout. Fortunately, as you are Dragonborn, you can bypass the lengthy time and study required and absorb a slain dragon's knowledge directly."
"Wait... does that mean..." Siffre said, her heart starting to sink, "Does that mean... I have to slay another dragon?"
"No, no such barbaric methods will be enacted here," Arngeir quickly dismissed with a wave of his hand, "Master Einarth himself will now personally bestow upon you his own accumulated knowledge and understanding of the word 'Ro'."
"Bestow?" That didn't sound quite like the idea of slaying the man and taking his knowledge. How was this to work anyway-?
Before her, Einarth suddenly began to glow, and streams of colored lights radiated off of him... and were automatically attracted to her. Siffre should've been scared by this sudden new development... except that this was also familiar. This was the same as when she'd slain the dragon outside of Whiterun! But back then, she had no idea what was happening, and had every right to be terrified. This time however, she had been personally reassured of what was to come. Plus was the fact that there were no dragons around, living nor dead, to add any layer of fear to her. Bearing all this in mind, Siffre allowed her mind to relax... and absorb the free-flowing knowledge.
She could feel it, somehow physically, as it entered into her head through her eyes, just like first seeing the word. Steadily and steadily, the word began to make sense to her. 'Balance', something to be maintained when applying great pressure from the source, that being herself. What was to stop her from pushing herself back when applying force? Balance.
Finally, the exchange of light and knowledge dimmed until it ceased. Siffre opened her eyes, not even remembering when she'd closed them in the first place. She felt... invigorated. Her Shout had definitely improved and she was eager to test it out!
"Excellent, I can see it in your eyes; an imparted lesson you have accepted into your very being," Arngeir said, "As for the application and usage... I believe there is an exercise of suitable caliber..." Gesturing his hands, he motioned for his fellow Greybeards to move again. Siffre watched as they took their positions around her on the edge of the light's reach, "Now, to your left there," he quickly indicated to her left side, "Master Borri will produce astral projections of himself around you in various positions. Use your improved Unrelenting Force Shout to strike these targets as they appear."
"Astral pro- huh?" Siffre said. What was just spoken to her was a bit much to take in at once, "Wait, what are you- or, is 'he', going to do-?"
"Fiik, Lo-Sah!" Siffre yelped in surprise. She hadn't been paying attention to whom Arngeir had just told her to pay attention to! Thus she flinched in place from hearing... the Voice? No, it couldn't have been, or, was this some other Shout?
Whatever had happened, the the air began to visibly distort and change color in a singular location. Energy began to coalesce and solidify until an image was formed. True to what the speaking Greybeard had said would happen, this Master Borri had produced an almost ghostly apparition, a splitting image of himself, standing not more than five feet away from Siffre's left side.
Calming herself, she studied this image for a moment. It simply stared at her, nonspeaking, and unmoving. She tilted her head at it, then looked back at Arngeir with a confused look. Arngeir simply nodded to her, and Siffre looked back at this 'target' with a shrug. She breathed deep, reached for that feeling deep within herself, and let it all escape through her mouth.
"Fus... Ro!" The effect of the Shout was different this time around. Firstly there was at least a second of pause in between Siffre first saying the words and the effect. Secondly was the Shout itself; this wave of energy that left her lips felt heavier, more dense than when she'd shouted this Shout before. And it certainly had the desired effect, as the phantom image of Borri was immediately dissipated upon contact, dispersing into small light particles that soon grew smaller than the naked could track.
"Well done," Arngeir said, "Again. This time, pronounce the two words in tandem for quicker and more thorough results."
"Speak the words, quickly? I'll try..." Siffre said.
"Fiik, Lo-Sah!" Borri produced another image of himself before Siffre. The Dragonborn felt ready this time. She gathered the feeling from within, but also paid special attention to her lips, her mouth.
"Fus, Ro!" The Shout was definitely executed differently this time, and Siffre felt proud of herself for it. Her Shout emerged quicker, having spoken the words closer together, just as how she believed Arngeir had instructed. And just like before, the astral projection was dissipated.
"You learn quickly," the Greybeard said, "Now once more, but this time, the projection will move of its own accord. You must now focus efforts on anticipating where it will go, and strike true."
"A moving target?" Siffre quietly said.
"Fiik, Lo-Sah!" When the distorted air settled, true to Arngeir's prediction the spectral image actually walked out of the point of origin towards the back side of the chamber, near where the doors were. However it did not settle on walking towards the doors themselves, instead opting to loop inwards in a way that it was circling the entire room.
"Ah, alright... I think I can get this..." Siffre said. Her eyes themselves kept trained on the image, while they encouraged her head to try to follow along and keep up. Thankfully it was moving a steady and consistent pace, nothing at all too complicated. It was now making its way to the front of the enlarged platform that held the massive brazier atop it, in the center of the split stairs. Unfortunately, to her mild chagrin, Arngeir was standing in that pathway, he could clearly see himself where the apparition was right now, but still refused to move himself. Siffre was forced to side step to the side, around the unmoving Greybeard, and a clearer line of sight with the image.
"Fus, Ro!" Her Shout launched forward past Arngeir. Wait, did it actually graze him and he simply not move nor care, or did it actually not hit him? Whichever, the apparition was again struck... as well as the assortment of pottery that had been positioned behind it. The clay pots were knocked on to the ground, some of them rolling around with the flow of the Voice, while others actually shattering into smaller pieces.
"Ah! Oh no..." Siffre said with widened eyes, realizing her mistake too late. She looked back at Arngeir's face, "I'm s-sorry! I didn't mean to-"
"Why do you apologize? You have mastered this Shout's next form," he said rather nonchalantly.
"B-but, those pots...!" Siffre pointed at the mess she'd unintentionally made, "I didn't see them there!" Arngeir's response was to close his eyes and lightly shake his head.
"Think nothing of it, Dragonborn, petty pots can be replaced, while someone like you comes by only once in a lifetime," Arngeir dismissed, "Of course, that last exception aside, your Thu'um is precise. And you are taking to heart the method of speaking a word right after the other during the Shout; well done." He gestured his hand to her to move back to the center of the light, "Now that you have mastered the second word, you are ready to learn the final word of Unrelenting Force: 'Dah', which means 'Push'. Master Einarth?"
"Dah." Just like before, Einarth waved his hand before him at the ground between Siffre and himself. The word itself, in its visible energy-like state rushed from his mouth and embedded itself into the stone ground. Siffre looked on as these new set of scratches, like the ones before, began to glow before her very eyes. In her very mind's eye, she saw these scratches begin to shift and change form, becoming something more familiar to her. Or rather, was it always known to her, and she was merely being reacquainted with it? Like something she had learned from a long time ago and her mind was being refreshed on?
"Dah..." Siffre finally spoke quietly. The word itself also stopped glowing brightly and began to slowly dim itself, "Yes, just like before... with 'Ro'... I saw this word in my mind!"
"It is often said that a Dragonborn's mind and memories are akin to a locked vault," Arngeir mused, "Locked within being ancient knowledge of the ages that had always been present from the beginning. Now just as before, Master Einarth will assist in unlocking this word's potential for you using his own..."
Silently, Einarth spread his arms away from his body on both sides, and allowed the light to literally flow from his body. His very being glowed in a magnificent luminescence of reds, yellows, and blues, and all flowed directly into Siffre herself. This time, she did not fear, she did not flinch, and she did not recoil. She simply relaxed, and allowed herself to learn.
'Push'. She was a producer of great force and pressure. But not only that, it was done not simply through her arms and legs, but solely through the Voice itself. In this there would be a new dimension of strength required; at least three times what would be needed for her body would be needed for her Voice alone. Only by keeping this in mind could the true potential of 'Push' be achieved.
Einarth ceased to glow, and Siffre's enlightened eyes opened again.
"I understand now... I understand 'Dah'... a little better."
"Excellent, with all three words of power, this Shout has been made much more powerful," Arngeir said.
"B-but wait, wait a minute..." Siffre suddenly stopped to consider, "If you... if you knew the words for this Shout... Why didn't you give them to me... all at once?" She glanced back and forth between Arngeir and Einarth, despite knowing the latter's inability to reply verbally.
"Quite simply, Dragonborn, it is for the same reason that applies to all things in life- patience," Arngeir replied.
"Huh? Patience...?"
"Indeed; If one is to become a master of something, then they must learn and become acquainted with each individual steps involved in systemic order," Arngeir explained, "This principle applies to all things, from the mundane task of planting a flower, to the extraordinary task of mastering a Thu'um. Overburdening you with important steps all at once is not only taxing but counterproductive for the mind."
"Oh, I think I understand..." Siffre said with a slowly nodding head. Arngeir then turned to his side to indicate to Master Borri.
"Now for the practice of this new improved Shout, Master Borri will this time produce multiple astral projections of himself. Your task is to strike them all at once with your Thu'um being at its strongest."
"Oh? Well, that sounds easy enough..." Siffre said, a little confidence creeping into her voice. She was feeling a little bolder this time around. After all, she had been both told and could feel within herself that her Thu'um had been improved greatly, possibly to its maximum! Why wouldn't she want to experiment with it?
She glanced to her side to watch the Greybeard in question open his mouth to exhale,
"Fiik, Lo-Sah!" His pronunciation felt a little more potent this time. At the same time, true to Arngeir's instructions again, two rippling distortions of air in two different locations manifested transparent mirrors of Borri. They each stood before him, one on the left and one on the right. From this angle alone, Siffre held them both clearly in her sights to strike with her Shout. This might be easier than she thought!
However as she prepared to inhale herself, the apparitions suddenly turned and began walking opposite each other, a complete encircling of her. This sudden motion completely caught her off-guard, also combined with the potential of a Shout she was about to release now being cut short.
"What? Hey!" Siffre exclaimed, vibrations rippling the air in front of her, "What are they doing?"
"They are doing nothing that they never had the power to do in the first place," Arngeir said off-handedly, "Your task is unchanged, Dragonborn; Strike the two targets simultaneously with your Unrelenting Force Shout at full strength. You must incorporate what you have learned previously into this exercise..." Siffre listened in closer, waiting for the man to reveal something else useful to her. She frowned upon realizing that was all the advice he would be offering her.
'What I have learned? Alright, let's see...' she thought to herself, and began to study the targets. Both these projections were still walking and maintaining their speeds, with not a care for anything surrounding them. She did notice that one of them was walking at a quicker speed than its counterpart. This one was by now advancing the space between Arngeir and Einarth, while the slower one was just barely about to move in front of the last unnamed Greybeard.
She turned around to face him, and to where she predicted the two images would intersect. They would meet each other in the space between him and Einarth; that would be her moment. As she watched the two slowly advance closer to each other, she allowed the familiar feeling within her to build up again. Until finally...
'Each word, one after the other-' she thought.
"Fus, RO-DAH!" the great power practically blasted itself from out her mouth. It not only shot forward towards the projections, but it did so with the accompanying sound of a thunderclap, echoing all throughout the halls of High Hrothgar itself. Her own ears pounded and throbbed from this sudden, unexpected burst of sound. All the while she herself actually stumbled back a few steps from the sheer strength behind her own Shout! Incredible! That had just emerged from her own mouth?! Just how far had she come when a few mere days earlier she had not the ability to even speak?
She shook head from her dazed state as best she could and looked back up. Before her there were no more astral projections to be seen, but the unnamed Greybeard still stood in his place, regarding her. His eyes looking at her held a strange look themselves, and he pulled them up to look behind her. Siffre turned around too to see he was looking across, back at Arngeir.
"Well done." he simply said.
"That... did I really do that...?" Siffre asked, "My ears are ringing so much..."
"You should feel proud, Dragonborn; you have accomplished in mere minutes what it usually takes other mortals many years to achieve," Arngeir said, "And don't forget that the more frequently your Thu'um is used, the more your own body becomes physically attuned to it and its effects."
"Ah, thank you... master," Siffre said, "So, what's next? Is there... some other Shout you'll teach me?"
"No... no I believe now is the opportune time for a different sort of test..." Arngeir said, "Dragonborn, we would Speak to you."
"Hm?" Siffre raised her eyebrow, "Speak to me? But, aren't you doing that now...? Haven't you been doing that?"
"You misunderstand; we would speak to you the traditional words of greetings to a Dragonborn who has accepted our guidance and teachings," Arngeir clarified, "This in itself is posed as your next major lesson: you have learned how to properly project your Voice to the world... but now you must endure the Voice being projected on to you." Siffre's eyes slowly narrowed the more he explained to her. The Voice? Onto her? Does... does that mean...?
"You're... you're going to Shout at me? Why?" Siffre asked. Anxiety crept into her voice a bit, causing the small, uncontrolled vibrations to escape.
"Not exactly Shouting," Arngeir clarified, "But we will speaking purely in the Dragon Tongue to you, a language which exudes power equal to its namesake holders. As for why..." He paused for a moment as he took a small breath, "The Greybeards have always sought to guide the Dragonborn along the path of wisdom, with the Way of the Voice as their ever present guide. These same words were used to greet the young Talos many years ago, prior to being named Tiber Septim. And now, as the next Dragonborn revealed in this day and age, this responsibility falls to you."
Siffre's eyes widened at what she'd just heard. Her anxiety quickly melted into awe. Tiber Septim? From the Empire's Septim Dynasty before the modern day Mede Dynasty; he was Dragonborn? She had never bothered with in-depth study of Imperial history growing up, but now... knowing that someone as famous as him... had something in common with her.
"Tiber Septim... he was really Dragonborn...?" she asked, to which Arngeir nodded, "And he too came here... because he had the Thu'um...?" Arngeir nodded again. In her mind, Siffre suddenly recalled as she carried Lydia up the 7,000 Steps outside, passing one of the etched carvings that stood out from the rest. She didn't read what the text itself said, but what could clearly be seen was the statue of a bearded man, sword in hand, standing over the stone with his head lowered. The one and only Talos himself, a beacon for her own journey.
"I wonder... I wonder if he also couldn't talk at first, growing up..." She shook her head, all uncertainties fading away and replaced with determination, and perhaps a little excitement, "Alright... If this is what must be done... to help me find my path in life... then let's do it...!"
"Then stand between us there, perfectly spaced," Arngeir indicated. Siffre did as instructed until she was perfectly in the center of the four monks, "And prepare yourself, your body, and your mind; very few can withstand the unbridled Voice of the Greybeards. Are you certain you are ready?" This time Siffre gave a nod to him. Inside however, hints of nervousness began to creep up again, which she tried her best to sweep aside. Her own body twitched as well, but she tightened her fists at her side in response. Her eyes, her face, and her mouth all hardened; she was ready, ready as she would ever be.
Arngeir himself slowly inhaled. All around Siffre, she could hear the other three taking similar breaths... All were released a the same time, along with a crashing world.
"Lingrah krosis saraan Strundu'ul, voth nid balaan klov praan nau."
Wait what?! This was what was happening?! Siffre's world on all angles began to spasm, an assault on nearly all her senses. The Voices that were bombarding her from four different directions relentlessly pounded on her eardrums. And the vibrations that came with them were nearly numbed her nerves on all parts of her body! She was still able to see, barely, but even then this onslaught doing its part to impair what she was able to see what was directly in front of her!
Her non-clenched fists shot straight to the sides of her head, a vain attempt to block out the worst of this power. It didn't do much good though, as the Greybeards' Voices only seemed to press against her harder than before with her hands clamped over her ears. Was this a mistake? Was she not ready to endure this power that she herself could easily do onto others...
Her mind suddenly drifted back; others. The other sort of people in this world, like those who lived in Whiterun, who do not have this Voice that she had. They were just innocent people, trying to live their lives, when suddenly dragons were showing up from seemingly nowhere to destroy them! They had this Voice, the people did not...
But she did.
She held the same Voice the dragons possessed, a great power with the potential to change, or even preserve. Now that she knew she held this power, and had for the most part learned how it was used... she could use it to help others, and keep what had happened at that place... Helgen, from happening ever again.
Siffre blinked, and her resolve slowly began to harden again in response. She slowly lowered her hands back to her side. The Greybeards' Voice and vibrations continued their attack on her, but she would endure it this time. If this was on par with what the dragons could potentially do to her, then she needed to endure it, for the sake of everyone...
"Naal Thu'umu, mu ofan nii nu, Dovahkiin, naal suleyk do Kaan, naal suleyk do Shor, ahrk naal suleyk do Atmorasewuth."
Her breaths before she realized had been quickened, so now she focused on slowing them down more. Breathe in... breathe out... Her outer nerves were still feeling numbed, but now it was no longer on a painful scale as before. Maybe this was part of her growing attuned to a Voice leveled at her?
Come to think of it, while this was a Voice, what exactly were they saying to her? It was definitely not Cyrodillic... The only words that stuck out to her were 'Dovahkiin', 'Shor', and whatever that one word that had mentions of 'Atmora' in it... Aside from that, it just sounded like complete nonsense...
Yet Arngeir said earlier how these words were spoken with high esteem... So whatever they were, they had to mean something... So in the midst of trying to steady herself, she opened herself up to listen to these words closer...
"MEYZ NU YSMIR, DOVAHSEBROM! DAHMAAN DAAR ROK!"
That might have been a mistake on her part, as the Greybeards practically screamed even louder this time. She felt her eardrums threaten to tear, and for a moment she feared that they would actually tear and bleed! In an instant, her hands shot back up to her ears and clamped them shut. Her eyes clenched shut as well, but she fought hard to suppress the urge to cry out. Wait... what was that taste? By the Gods, had she bit something in her mouth so hard she was tasting her own blood?!
Her eyes slowly broke open, again to find Arngeir still standing before her. His mouth was closed, and no more sounds could be heard coming from him. She gingerly opened her eyes wider and cautiously lowered her hands. The assaulting sound on her ears was no more, yet all that was left in its place was a constant ringing.
Finally looking up completely at him, Siffre could see that Arngeir was now sporting a smile on his face. He smiled at her, a similar smile that Einarth had smiled to her when she'd first met him. In that moment she could tell he was proud of her, with how far she'd come.
And in the midst of her own head-ringing and numbed senses, Siffre felt proud of herself too.
"Dovahkiin," Arngeir spoke much softly this time, whether deliberately or in comparison to Speaking to her moments ago, it was hard to tell, "You have tasted the Voice of the Greybeards, and passed through unscathed. Congratulations to you."
"Er..." Siffre said, rubbing her ears one last time, "Thank you, Master Arngeir? But... oh by the Gods! That was torturous-!" Her words trailed off as a new sound reached her ears. It wasn't Arngeir nor any of the other Greybeards Speaking any further... but a horrifying one nonetheless. It sounded like.. a cry of pain, almost like one she was close to making earlier. She glanced all around her, then darted her head all around after not finding the source right away. In the corners of her eyes, the Greybeards hardly seemed to display any similar level of urgency at all. Did they not hear that? Who was crying or in pain right now-
Her eyes and head came to a resting stop, and her world froze right then and there. Because there, at the top of the left side stairs leading to the upper far side doors, Lydia laid on her bent knees, hand pressed flat against the wall next to her. She wasn't making any loud cries at the moment, but she was whimpering very loudly, while her other hand futilely clutched at her other side ear.
"Lydia...?" Siffre said, in absolute disbelief. The reality of the situation sunk in quick, and Siffre's eyes widened in almost pure terror this time, "LYDIA!"
-I purposely chose to omit the whole learning the Whirlwind Sprint Shout at this time in the interests of maintaining my narrative (though that'll tie into an idea I have later on). I'll also be omitting the glorified 'fetch-quest' of Retrieving Jurgen Wind-Caller's Horn from cavern here", because the game actually had you first go up to High Hrothgar, then assumes you'd fast travel to Ustengrav in freaking Hjaalmarch, then fast-travel to Riverwood, then hopefully fast travel back UP to High Hrothgar! Does that sound cohesive in the slightest for any real-world scenario?
But anyway, my mini ranting aside, this was an even more fun chapter to explore things with than the last! I hope you all think so too; let me know what you think in the reviews, and I'll be back real soon!-
