Chapter 10

Hall of the Graybeards: Part III

I remained at the summit of the world for the night. It was late, and both Lydia and I weren't excited to hike all the way down again. The graybeards had extra rooms meant for more graybeards, but allowed Lydia and I to rest in them. They were filled with few creature comforts, only beds, a dresser or two, and a table with chairs. They suited me just fine, however. Lydia stood watch, though I told her it was unnecessary, and I nestled into my blankets. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't fall asleep. Hours passed, and I thought about what had just happened. I had "accepted" my role as Dragonborn, but still hadn't accepted it internally. "Why me?", I thought. It was useless, of course. No matter what I thought I would have to fulfill my role as Dragonborn. Still, something felt off about the entire situation, apart from appearing on a new world with no clue how I got there. When I had enough of my inner thoughts, I got out of bed, the rustling of my blankets alerting Lydia.

"My thane," she said, "What are you doing up so late? You need to get some sleep." I stretched, feeling several joints pop.

"After what's happened today, I don't think I can. I'm going outside for some air. Are you coming with me?" Lydia nodded, falling in step right behind me.

It seemed so strange to have my own protector. I was so used to being the protector, that it felt… odd, to have someone to have my back. I walked down the stone halls of High Hrothgar, shivering at the cold. I was wearing plain clothes, a black shirt, and pants that I had bought from Belethor. I normally wore them under my chainmail and outer tunic, a stark contrast to the white shirt and pants that I wore while I adventured in Hyrule. Still, I felt no need to change. I opened the door to the courtyard where I had learned the first word of the whirlwind sprint Shout. I stepped outside, feeling the frigid air of the night on my skin. My exhales were like pale smoke, and goosebumps raised themself on my body. It brought me back to the present, made me focus. I listened to the howling gale of wind that seemed all around me, witnessing the wild winds throw snowflakes into the air. I decided to meditate on the words of power that I had learned, as Arngeir had suggested.

I knelt in the ankle-high snow, and I took deep breaths. In for 4 seconds, hold for 6, and exhale for 8. That was the technique that I always used. I repeated this cycle until I was in a light trance. I thought about each word in the unrelenting force shout I had learned. I knew that Fus meant force, both from the Graybeards, but also from some hidden knowledge that I had unlocked when I had absorbed the dragon's soul near Whiterun. Looking closer, I saw it also meant power, the force you exert on the world around you. I reflected on the word for long minutes and had almost come to a realization when Lydia interrupted me.

"My thane, do you hear that?" The edge in her voice caught me off guard, halting the annoyed words that were about to leave my mouth. I listened, only hearing the wind around me. I was about to give up, but then another roar caught my ears. It wasn't the wind. I stood up, looking into the area around me, but couldn't see more than 10 feet away through the swirling snow and darkness. My hand subconsciously moved to my back, closing on nothing. I hadn't brought my sword with me.

I stood there, hesitating in the cold. The roar that I heard could have been imaginary, but as Lydia had also heard something, that was unlikely. I couldn't place it, though it sounded familiar. A cold feeling trickled down my spine, colder than even the air around me. I looked at Lydia, seeing concern in her eyes.

"Does that roar sound familiar?", I asked. Lydia nodded, her face grim. She gripped her sword at her side, looking into the sky again.

"It sounds just like the roars I heard when that dragon you slew was flying overhead. This isn't good." To my surprise, Lydia unsheathed her sword, handing it to me.

"You don't have any weapons. I'll use my bow, you can use my sword." I nodded, gripping the hilt tightly. We didn't have to wait long.

Lydia and I hid behind the stone fences that lined the porch behind the High Hrothgar, huddled close together and clutching our weapons. All I heard was wind until I could hear a faint flapping getting closer and closer. A deep voice intoned

"YOL!", and a cone of fire spouted from the maw of the dragon we had heard. It was darker gray in color than the one I had slain but was much larger. Its wingspan seemed to fill the sky as fiery destruction left its mouth. I heard a bow creak, then an arrow twang as Lyida shot at the dragon. It sailed true but shattered against the incredibly hard scales of the dragon. This grabbed its attention. With a roar, it cut off the gout of flame, landing with a ground-shaking "thump" into the courtyard. Fire glowed around it, the ground itself alight with heat, and I knew this was going to be a battle that I couldn't win. Fortunately, Lydia and I were not alone.

Four figures stepped from the sanctuary's doors, standing face to face with the enormous creature. The Graybeards had come. The dragon reacted first, Shouting another word of power.

"LIZ!", shooting ice from its maw. The Graybeards flew into action, moving faster than men their age could have gone. They dove out of the day of the attack, arranging themselves into a wide V formation, two on each side. Then, with enough force to crack a mountain, they Shouted in unison

"STRUN BAH QO!" The air itself split at the words of tremendous power, and a bolt of blinding light came down from the sky, striking the dragon with tremendous effect. Scales split, horns were sheared straight off, and the smell of burned meat filled the freezing air around them all. A massive hole was left in the dragon's back, a scorch mark exiting its right leg. Astonished, I looked wide-eyed Arngeir, who gave him a curt nod.

"You are the only one who can truly kill these beings. Finish it off, we need not let it wallow in pain."

Tightening my grip on Lydia's sword, I walked forward. The dragon seemed to be making some type of whimpering sounds but quieted as I approached. It was too weak to attack, but a snarl appeared on its lips.

"Alduin…fen lost…hin…sil, Dovahkiin.", the great beast intoned. I didn't understand the words, but I did what I had to. I pulled my arm back, then pushed it into the dragon's eye, ending its life. The dragon exhaled its last breath, the sound mingling with the wind whistling around me. Moments later, the dragon began to glow, flaking apart as I had seen with the first dragon I killed. A swirl of rainbow light entered my body, making me feel the same shudder of power as before. The knowledge of thousands of years entered my brain while the rest of the power settled in my stomach area. What astonished me the most, was that after absorbing the dragon's soul, I could understand what it said. It had said, "Alduin will have your soul, Dragonborn." That wasn't a good sign.

Translations:

Fen- Will, future tense

Lost- Have

Hin- Your

Sil- Soul, character, or life

Dovakiin- Dragonborn, a person born with the soul of a dragon.

Strun- Storm

Bah- Wrath

Qo- Lighnting

Liz- Ice

Yol- Fire

Fus- Force