---Sun's Dawn, 10th, 4E 201---
The mild howling of the wind painted the morning with a serene aura. Delphine rode firmly on her horse, facing the swarm of thoughts cladding her mind. Dragons. Dragonborn. Thalmor. Conspiracies. The end of the World. Her eyes blankly met the distant mountain horizon, towering as ever. Excitingly calm. The illusion of a placid existence.
"Hey." A dense voice called out, breaking Delphine out of her tranquility.
"What is it?" Delphine replied impatiently.
"Doesn't all this seem a little too artificial? If I am indeed a Dragon-born, why would I be fated to stop the Dragons? Shouldn't I be the one aiding their resurrection?"
Delphine sighed, almost yielding.
Ernand - was a simple lad. His notions did not lie in prophecies and philosophies, but magicka. The only truth. The source of life. The fragments of Magnus. He looked up to the purity of magic, like a priest's ablution. An apprentice mage, his occupying was learning into the knowledge of infinite Arcanum. He was of a tempered make. Blonde hair curled incessantly onto ample shoulders. Eyes mulled over the blue sky, as if they were transparent. Aspects of contemplation forever dwelled on his face, indicating an acumen to studies. He had told her about his past, his apprehension was only but justified, she thought. The Gods choose not the strongest, but the damned.
"You’re not A dragon-born, but you might be The Dragonborn. You must bear with me this once." She tried to explain. "I've seen you. Enduring Bleak Falls Barrow and Ustengrav is not a casual feat. Adding the Greybeards' call, and the fact that you apparently absorbed a dragon soul keeps you alive as the Dragonborn. And we....I, as a Blade, am sworn to aid him. Circumstances compel me to rest my faith, even though none of this would make sense to you."
Delphine sensed his restlessness. She had spent enough time narrating stories of legends to him. She was beginning to question her own choice. What if this idiot is really just an idiot, with too much luck? That's a lot of time wasted.
In his mind, Ernand struggled to reason. Questions brooded over in unending waves. He closed his eyes. Aetherius guide me.
The road descended tardily, the majestic silhouette of Windhelm slowly vanishing behind them. As they turned the path left into Kynesgrove, a distant roar, almost a screech, penetrated the sky. The horses jumped back.
"Whoa, whoa" Delphine tried to settle them, feeling herself stumble. She looked over to Ernand. In his eyes returned that sadness she had seen at Riverwood. Something deep. Like his heart begged for escape.
"This is it." She yelled. "Come on." Ernand followed out of impatience. As if he'd been doing this for a long time, he skillfully cast a calm spell on his horse, and with no real urgency, steadily rode into Kynesgrove.
---X---
"No!! Divines, mercy!!" Iddra yelled, running away as fast as her legs took her. "Everyone, inside your houses."
Another roar, this time closer.
A surge of fear crept over the town of Kynesgrove. Miners ran frantically towards cover. Kjeld, the leader of Kynesgrove, directed the townspeople towards the inn. Guards readied their weapons. Women and children, peered out from the windows, both out of fear and curiousity.
"Fast, before it's too late." Delphine screamed as she blazed through the city. Behind her rode Ernand, stepping up his pace, his anger rising increasingly, as he saw the commotion around him. Am I responsible for this? Why?
Leaving the chaos behind, they entered the forest shrubbery, and turned towards the direction of the roar, their eyes tracing the skies frantically to reveal the source. Ernand could hear the guards behind,
"Leave the wheat, and run for your life!!” "Everyone stay inside!" "Even the sabre cats are fleeing!!"
Then they saw it. From within the clouds, a portentous form. Majestic wings thrusting back the air with each motion. Dark moonwhite scales that meld with the morning mist, sharp and regal, worn like an armor. And infernal eyes overrun with destruction, a divinity of a God.
"Alduin!" Delphine whispered, searching for words.
The pastoral morning died out, birthing a storm above the clouds. Day turned to dusk. As Ernand watched the grimness ahead, his impatience rose. He dismounted, feeling the ground shaking beneath his feet. The sounds of Kynesgrove, he couldn't hear any more. All his senses converged on Alduin, the God of Destruction. Delphine drew her sword, a unique weapon wielded by the Blades of old. Her loose blonde hair danced with the wind, as she took her ground.
The absolute expanse of Alduin’s might was revealed, as he halted, hovering ominously above the burial mound few feet ahead of Ernand, mocking time, and death.
"Sahloknir, ziil gro dovah ulse!" Alduin’s voice pierced through the air, across realms. Ernand felt a sting inside his head, one he’d never felt before.
They watched as the forest around them turned dark and desolate.
"Watch out". Cautioned Delphine, taking a step back. The mound unsealed. The ground shook without admonition, but Ernand balanced himself, his blue eyes now black, reflecting the dark clouds.
Shards of bright light materialized in a spiral above the gaping mound. Delphine toned up her guard. They watched as the shards converged in the shape of a dragon. Sahloknir. Piercing black razorscales protruded out his back, as he breathed life into his soul. He felt rejuvenated. Revived.
"Alduin, thuri! Boaan tiid vokriiha suleyksejun kruziik?” Yes. The answer came to Ernand by itself. Delphine looked over at him, waiting for him to make the first move. Come on, prove me wrong.
---X---
Sahloknir, now full in form, mind and shape, advanced with a menacing terror. Delphine couldn't help but retract. Her hands feeling the weight of her sword, in front of the behemoth figure.
Ernand closed his eyes. His thoughts spontaneously taking a mind of their own."Daar los ni wo hi fen meyz. Daar los wo hi los." He felt it. He embraced the magicka emanating from the dragon. His veins sensed the Fire being amassed within Sahloknir, as if it were erupting inside his own body.
In a second, without warning, a blaze of fire - "Yol....Tor Shul!!
As the flames mercilessly charged towards Ernand, he instinctively brought his left hand ahead of him, the ward splitting the fire around.
My turn.Reacting immediately, with his right hand, he called upon the power of lightning. He sent a lightning bolt at Sahloknir, who felt it hit instantly.
"Sahlag stav wont droz dovah karaak.” Laughed the dragon. Delphine went numb, as her heart jolted out of her chest, both with hope and fear. Who could stand before a dragon like that? She felt her energy rising. She threw her sword down, whipped out her bow, and began to take aim. The arrow hit Sahloknir, like a needle.
"Krosis, Joore!” Mocked Sahloknir. She realized her mistake as Sahloknir started to rise up in the air, scattering the dust as he went.
Delphine and Ernand watched as the dragon hovered around them, taunting. "Dovahkin, fos yirt. Hi dont mindok fos nii los wah kos dovah. Mu los kul do Bormah."
Irritated, Ernand switched to a conjuration spell, and summoned a storm atronach. "Let's end this quick."
The battle continued gradually, Ernand began to feel his powerlessness against the might of Sahloknir. Delphine was left a spectator, in this duel between Dragon and Dragonborn. His strength diminishing, Ernand was left warding off the waves of fire storms Sahloknir sent his way, relying wholly on his magic. Delphine felt her heart trembling. She sent her arrows the dragon's way, hoping to distract him. Sahloknir laughed in amusement as the two mortals desperately tried to outdo him.
---X---
Landing on the ground, Sahloknir turned his devouring gaze over to Ernand, who was now on his knees, gasping for breath. He was done for. His magicka depleted, his strength gone.
"daar los wo hi los. Joor. Hi fought pruzah nuz hi los nid dovahkiin. Nu grind hin oblaan." With a sense of finality, Sahloknir prepared for one last shout, as he felt another shout taking shape.
"Fus Ro!!.” The dragon ducked back as the unrelenting force hit him like a hurricane. That should buy me some time, thought Ernand as he slowly tried to rise to his feet.
"Hi krilon?" Sahloknir yelled.
Shaking off the attack, he immediately retaliated with a destructive shout."Yol Tor Shul!!!."
Before the shout could hit, Ernand now out of choices, engaged the only feasible defense. Dragonskin. His body glowed blue as he put up a weak ward to block the fire. But, the fire cut through the ward with ease. Ernand let out a blood-curdling scream. Ruthless pain. He felt felt his robes catching fire. His dragonskin protecting him to a point.
Drained in will and shape, his knees started to rest, his spells lost their potency. His magic reserves were spent up on healing his burning body. This is who I am.
Sensing the diminished magicka regeneration of Ernand, Sahloknir started to advance towards him, pounding the ground with tigerish ferocity,
Just as Sahloknir lunged with full force to devour Ernand, a swift swing of a Daedric greatsword landed hard on Sahloknir's head, causing him to draw in. He let out a spine chilling scream and rose up in the air, retreating.
"I honor my Lord, by destroying you”. The dremora Lord called out.
Alarmed, Delphine turned around. Her puzzled eyes caught something that sprang her hope back to life.
"Sorceress!!"
---X---
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Yay! Sorceress!