-Chapter 3: The Dragon II-
Tolfdir's head popped up over his fortified shelter, like a gopher. He glanced over a struggling Phinis but their plans could not be halted to heal the man. The dragon was dangerously close. His eyes passed him by guiltily before moving on to the arch-mage.
"Savos come! I have completed the transmutation! Soran! Keep the dragon occupied!"
Savos quickly moved back to the alteration master while Soran stood and charged up lightning magic. Both mages still watching the dragon constantly. Even Phinis, as he lay barely breathing against the the wall, had his gaze locked upon the beast.
It truly was a mighty beast. A sight to behold, but it held great malevolence under its splendor. For hundreds of years the ancient nords had served these creatures under threat of death and torture. Their cruelty and power was know even now, passed down through legends.
Said dragon was currently distracted by the two watchers darting around its body. They were narrowly avoiding its wings and teeth while smiting its scales with pale white eye-beams.
As the trio fought in the sky, Soran cast lightning from below; still aiming for the joint connecting wing to body. But the dragons aerial agility was phenomenal, it dodged the watchers attacks and most of Soran's own. The lightning bolts that hit scattered across its scales.
/\/\
Before Tolfdir and the arch mage, on the snow behind the fort lay a collection of spears. Grey metal poles tipped with black points. They had been transmuted from the surrounding snow by the alteration master.
"I tipped them with ebony to pierce the dragon's chest." Tolfdir said looking at Savos. The old nord held out his hand and telekinetically floated the spear in between them.
"We can win." he said sagely, "The dragons were defeated once. They can be again."
The dragon was still twisting through the air, attempting to strike the floating daedra harassing him. The black orbs flew with magic alone while the dragon had to use his massive wings in conjunction with the thu'um. But the dragon was an experienced hunter and his patience won out.
The dragon feinted before lunging suddenly, striking like a snake and biting through one of the watchers like an overripe grape. It's mouth was filled with a tarry black substance before the daedra's body faded back into some nameless place in Oblivion.
The other demon quickly followed.
Down on the ground Savos and Tolfdir had combined their telekinetic powers. The arch-mage holding the spear steady while the nord master spun the bolt like a drill. Steadying it for its flight. The metal vibrated and groaned under the forces but the snow forged steel held strong.
Savos prepared to throw it through the dragons heart.
-/-/
Mirmulnir surveyed the scene from above while watching his prey run about. His dagger filled mouth grinned smugly at the thoughts of victory and slaughter. He was a prideful creature, but a deadly hunter. And this hunt was pleasing to him after so long in the slumber of death. These prey were so much more interesting than the last ones! They'd actually managed to wound him. But the pathetic creatures they summoned were an annoyance at best. He had planned to draw out the fight further but if they kept wasting his time like this he'd just finish them off and move on to the castle by the cliff.
There would be more there.
'Pathetic joors, always hiding in the rocks.'
Mirmulnir was not the average dragon serving under Alduin the World Eater. He was a master of the thu'um and used the many benefits it provided to become a hunter like no other. With his skills with the dragon tongue and deadly efficiency Mirmulnir had survived longer than nearly all of his brethren, long into the 2nd era. But he met his fate, slain by the very mortals who's ancestors served him as slaves. But now that he was alive again he would stop at nothing to regain his pride.
They would see why they called him the mulnir
The Mortal Hunter
Using the aura sight provided by his thu'um he could see the life energy of the entire city, those in the streets as well as the weaklings still inside the cliffside castle. He focused his attention on the two groups in the city; those attacking him with magic, and those looking uselessly for survivors.
He grinned savagely. Mirmulnir had made sure none remained long before these newcomers arrived. Crossing the bridge towards their deaths. Little hapless rabbits.
Sudden movement caught his attention and his gaze darted downwards before a transmuted spear pierced through his chest. The rapidly spinning iron lost its rotation as it stabbed all the way through his upper chest and out low on his rib cage. His muscles seized momentarily.
The arch mage's attack narrowly missed the monster's heart.
'What!!' Mirmulnir thought as he focused on regaining the altitude he already lost in his panic. His eyes searched towards the attacking group. Already another spear was floating between two of them. And a pile more lay at their feet.
Rage filled Mirmulnir's mind. Before it was just a game, but with this act the mortals became a real threat. He couldn't imagine what his brothers would say if Alduin had to resurrect him again. So soon after his first revival. It would be pathetic.
Retribution clouded over other thoughts of strategy and pain. And he moved in for the kill.
--5 seconds ago--
After casting the bolt at the dragon the pair of master wizards had quickly prepared another. It floated between their arms and spun faster than the eye could perceive. Details faded away under the speed and a black and grey blur was all that could be seen.
"Off mark!" Stated Savos loudly. Around the arch mages left eye spun a blue runed circle of magic, the signifier of mage sight use. He had momentarily customized the spell to look through the dragons scales and flesh to target it's vulnerable heart directly.
"Spin the spear faster we need better stability!" He told Tolfdir without looking away from his target.
The dragon had flinched when it was hit, losing altitude. But it quickly regained its aerial footing. The side of its chest was speared through by the long metal shaft of the spear. And the weapon remained lodged in its body, the head poking out of his lower ribs.
It flew towards them immediately, rapidly closing in.
\/\/\\\
Fury filled him as he dove towards the group collected at the bridge. Deep within his bloody chest the rumbling of the thu'um began. Then his slitted eyes widened as he saw the second spear begin to move.
A dragon's wounded pride is a powerful force but Mirmulnir had always valued victory more. When he saw the the second spear flying towards his chest he quickly deviated his path and released his building thu'um towards the white depths of the bounded blizzard.
WULD (whirlwind)
But even dragon magic was not enough to spare him the blow and his left foot exploded into a mess of ruined scales, flesh and bone. The spear drilled through them all as the dragon shot towards the safety of the snow.
Soran never saw the dragon dive into the snowstorm. One moment it was hurtling towards them, then with a shout it was gone, already deep in the blizzard. It's massive body had pierced the roiling clouds of white wind and vanished without a trace.
But it left a burst of gore in its wake. Which quickly fell to the ground.
He looked around and saw the arch mage searching for the beast. The dunmer's eyes once again glowed as he attempted another detect life spell, but unlike his earlier attempts, nothing showed up at all. Only the life signals from his allies around him and deeper in the town. He tried targeting where the dragon entered the blizzard. But he found nothing. No life illuminated itself onto the white winds marking the edge of the dragons arena. He had them trapped like rats, and they had no idea where he was.
For several long moments the group stood there, ready. Phinis shivered terribly still hunched against the wall. Tolfdir and Savos spun another spear between them. Prepared to fire at a moments notice.
Then the storm on the opposite side of the city burst open with the powerful body of mirmulnir. He angled himself so that the last remaining structure in the city, the stone tower of the jarl's keep, lay between him and the mages, shielding the dragon.
Soran quickly turned around to face the threat but his boot slipped against a letter on the icy ground. He hit the ground hard and then the world above him exploded.
FUS RO DAH (force balance push)
Mirmulnir let loose his most dreadful shout and a shockwave was released from his mouth. The sound barrier broke as his might pushed forth. It hit the tower, shattering it and throwing its stones forward like snow in a blizzard.
Like a child kicking a pile of sand and pebbles.
The stone shrapnel shot towards the mages in a flurry of dust and death. Faster than they could react it was upon them.
Flashes of light could barely be seen through the storm of rocks as the Ebonyflesh protections flared. Magic and momentum briefly fought. But each time, the rocks won.
Phinis screamed as the pressure wave hit him directly. Even from the other side of town, the dragons shout had destroyed his eardrums. He was shoved into the wall once more and rocks shattered silently around him.
Savos flew backwards, brutally stuck in the chest and head. He fell unmoving onto the icy ground amongst a scattering of dust and letters.
Tolfdir was even less fortunate. A large piece of granite blew through his skull, shearing away the majority of his head and killing him instantly.
And Soran lay on the ground blearily. His prone position allowed him to avoid the worst of the mess but he was trapped by a mass of wooden beams, rubble and snow that had been blown onto him by the attack. He struggled to breath as they pressed his chest in.
He had been shielded from death only by his clumsy actions. But his fall allowed him to see the entire event play out. As he saw his two most trusted mentors be killed in an instant, he felt like his mind was deep underwater.
As if in a dream, he slowly looked away from Tolfdir's mangled body, upwards at the circle of clear blue sky that lay above the city. Then back towards the dragon which was still moving closer. It watched him like a hawk would watch a hare. Like a hunter. As he looked into the eye of the dragon. It became clear to Soran that he was the next target.
That realization poured adrenaline into his veins, forcing his mind away from the death surrounding him and to the clear and present danger ahead.
Move goddamn it!
The grey monster slowly glided forwards as Soran desperately tried to free himself from the wood and rubble. But the logs were too heavy. Even a combination of telekinesis and the spellsword's muscles could not free himself.
The dragon flew closer, staring him down with burning eyes. 'I see you joor, time to join your kin in Sovengarde. More souls for Alduin's feast.'
Deep laughter rumbled in his chest and he shouted once more.
FO (ice)
The dragon let loose a stream of ice, ready to turn the ground into a frosty hell. As the forefront of the attack approached Soran's trapped body, his desperation turned to panic.
His restoration skills were not powerful enough to ward such an attack, his telekinesis wasn't enough to free himself.
'Will I die here. Is this my end?'
He was stuck and could only watch as the wave of magic came upon him.
"Like a portal to Coldharbour" he mumbled softly. But then he recognized the words coming from his mouth. His muttering were more accurate than he thought. If he died here Coldharbour was indeed where his soul would go. His hellish childhood finally catching up to him.
'NO! I cannot die here. Never! Not like some useless peasant whose only mark on the world is his grave. Not when my death brings me to such a horrid fate.'
He stopped his attempts to free himself and focused on bringing forth all his remaining magic. The space above him slowly came under his control as he spread his telekinetic abilities across the area. He imbued the space with force to push the attack away.
As the ice magic enters his domain the redirection worked; but not quickly enough and the icy death moved closer. The temperature rapidly dropped and he felt his eyes water. His skin burned in the cold before numbing altogether and his mind dwindled.
But his will held strong, held together by threats worse than a thousand deaths and a million degrees below zero.
As the worst of the magic crashed into the ground besides him, deflected by mere meters, it spread out on impact. The cold hit him like a hammer. His concentration was destroyed and his telekinetic field dispelled. The tail end of the attack was still on course and he was hit directly.
Nord blood freezes colder than most but it wasn't enough to withstand the ancient magic of a dragon.
There he lay. In a pile of splinted timber and frost. Slowly dying. He saw the couriers frozen body and he saw himself in its dead eyes.
The dragon flew onwards.
That was the scene which Colette's group arrived upon. The two greatest masters of the college lay broken upon the ground. Their wayward student dying in the road while the conjuration master was a shivering, blubbering mess.
Trained in the healing arts as she was, this was a little much. Her mind whirled into overdrive. They had mere moments before the dragon returned to make another pass. And she and the students could not defeat it alone, they could not even defend against it. Her only hope was to heal one of the fallen masters.
"Colette" Jzargo's voice suddenly spoke in her ear, startling her. That cat was always so quiet when he approached. "You must heal Phinis. Jzargo has a plan for him. It is the only chance we have. You must trust Jzargo." He stared seriously at her.
She seriously considered the khajiit's words. Jzargo had always been considered a prodigy at the college, and she herself had no way of defeating the dragon, she could damage it perhaps, but not defeat it. Her eyes looked back to the bodies.
Tolfdir was obviously dead. Smashed like a hard boiled egg under a rock. She quickly looked towards the others.
The arch mage was in an uncertain state. Unconscious and bleeding heavily from the head. Head wounds were terrible to deal with.
And Phinis was still awake. Barely.
"I will do as you say." she stated running to the conjurer. "Onmund! Brelyna! Keep Soran from freezing to death!" The two were not skilled enough to deal with Savos Aren's head wound. Their actions could easily make it worse. Hopefully they could heal Soran enough for him to help them in the fight.
As she reached the conjurers body she saw he was barely cognizant. But there was no time for a detailed analysis and treatment. She flooded his body with healing magics hoping the quick and brutal approach would be enough for whatever role Jzargo had in store for him.
The cat was there at her side. Turning Phinis' head to look him in the eye and channeling his own magics to invigorate the mage. As soon as his eyes were focused, and his eardrums were repaired Jzargo began explaining his plan.
/\/\
The dragon turned slowly, savoring the last fight left in the group of mages. He was wary now. Every jolt of pain from the spear still lodged in his chest reminded him to not underestimate their magics. But he knew in his heart of hearts that victory was now upon him. His last attacks had defeated the two most powerful foes and gravely injured the whelp who burned his wing.
He could feel it in his bones; the battle would soon draw to a close. While the attackers had wounded him gravely, he had overcome their magicks. A good battle he thought. Once again he was grateful for the new chance Alduin has graced him with. A new dragon age.
But that could wait for another day, after this he'd leave the castle alone and take a break. He needed to remove this godsforsaken spear from his chest.
'And now the end comes.'
The dragon landed hard on the frozen road directly in front of the three mages that left the herd. He was bombarded by fire bolts and lightning from the two brown hooded mages while the older female began a more esoteric spell. He felt the pestilence ridden energy within the glowing ring she was forming and he moved decisively.
Mirmulnir immediately lunged for her. He had battled against enough powerful magics for the day and would not allow another to be used against him.
Death to the diseased one!
Forcing his ruined leg to carry his weight he moved forward, towards Colette Marence. His claws dug furrows into the permafrost as he lunged.
Like a striking serpent the dragon reached deceptively far, far enough to reach Colette before her spell could be ready. She tried to overcharge it with her whole mana pool, knowing death was imminent, but the dragon was faster and the healer was crushed in his jaws. Stabbed with dagger teeth. Her bones broke like twigs under the force of the bite.
"No!" Onmund and Brelyna watched on in horror. Their spells were barely working on the dragons hide. They had hoped the ice wielding creature would have some weakness to fire, but the fire bolts they threw were barely enough to darken its scales. They continued their assault fruitless as the dragon threw aside the body like a broken toy and then turned to the pair.
It took a step forwards, then a bolt of thunder struck the metal spear within its chest. The electricity traveled through Tolfdir's spear like a lightning rod and the shock went deep into Mirmulnir's chest, bypassing his magic resistant hide entirely. The dragons muscles spasmed as his heat skipped a beat.
Mirmulnir stumbled at the attack and his neck whipped around to face the threat. Near the entrance to what was once an alleyway, Soran stood wearily. He was held up by an equally exhausted Phinis Gestor. Soran's arm had fallen from where he threw the thunder. And he focused all his remaining energy on remaining standing.
Between the dragon and the pair lay an assortment of corpses. Dead guardsmen, citizens, and a frozen corpse of one of the khajiit mercenaries. All slain by the recently resurrected dragon.
"Come on you shtoopid lizard!" the conjuration master slurred. His half frozen face distorting the words.
The beast growled and moved to face the new threat. He dragged himself forwards on grounded wings. But before he reached them he froze.
A dagger-filled grin slowly grew as Mirmulnir slowly turned his head to look into another nearby alleyway.
"Foolish cat, I see you preparing to attack from the dark, none can hide from me. My thu'um can see life itself." the dragon mocked. His head reared back, preparing to douse the desert cat in frozen death.
Then the dead bodies surrounding the dragon moved. Five zombies leapt forward and clung to the dragon like it was their last hope at life. Three gaurds, the crushed body of a local merchant and the frozen khajiit were controlled by Phinis will, their recently departed souls forced back into their own dead bodies.
Then Jzargo's spell hit his fellow khajiit. The soul inside the body detonated, exploding into a burst of fire. The flames set off a chain reaction with the other undead, immolating the dragon caught between them in a massive explosion.
"But you can't see the dead, can you? Stupid lizard." Jzargo.
The dragon lay pitifully upon the ground. Still alive. But fading quickly.
"Foolish joors. I Mirmulnir will return again... wait..what is this... dovakiin!!? NOO-". the dragons last words were cut off as Soran unleashed a stream of sparks upon the now bent spear sticking out of the dragon. Roasting the insides of the already charred reptile.
Then the dragon burst into beautiful flames. White fires erupted from the fallen foe, burning apart flesh and blood. Before raising into the air and flowing into Soran.
Who collapsed onto the ground.
/