The Outsider Act 4: Apprenticeship and Grandeur - Chapter 5 - Ruby

• Posted by Soneca the Exiled January 14, 2014 - 887 views

  A dragon…

   

  He-he-he-he…

   

  A dragon…

   

  If what Shade said is true… his soul… his soul will be mine!

   

  “You’ve found it child, your vocation, your calling, your key to greatness… the world will be yours, we will crush the scales of this beast, and take it’s soul to ourselves”

   

  Yes, he-he-he-he, my heart is beating very fast. Brennan seems scared, that coward. This is my moment!

   

  The moment Irileth left the room I began chuckling to myself, Brennan seemed to have noticed, but when he looked at my direction I stopped myself before he could ask what was going on.

   

  We hurried, I strapped the quiver to my back and hanged the ebony bow over my shoulder, I was never too good with ranged weapons, but the brotherhood seemed to have faith that these black arrows would pierce the dragon’s hide. I doubt my spells would have any major effect on the beast though, maybe the words Capran taught me would work, but I still don’t have enough knowledge of that art.

   

  -Are you coming? Or are you going to stay lost in thought? – Brennan said, snapping me from my trance

   

  We quickly joined the dark elf when she was about to exit the keep. Making our way through the keep’s door, past the stairs, and past the beautiful pink foliage of the Gildergreen tree.

   

  Once we were at the city’s gates we met up with a group of eager soldiers who were ready to confront the terrible beast. The gates were opened and we rushed out, we kept our bows ready, for the case that we saw the beast. I do not know what good these bows would do in the long run, too bad Whiterun is not as well equipped as some other cities, they don’t have ballistae, and those would be superb against a dragon.

   

  After some time of running we reached the watchtower. The place was completely destroyed, ruined beyond measure. There were a few guards, they were all inside, and once we got closer they yelled at us to come into their shelter.

   

  I jumped up unto the ruined walkway, and once I got close to the soldiers one of them turned their gaze and looked through me, into the sky. I noticed his gaze, and became frozen for a moment, too scared to move. I shook those thoughts out of my head and turned, sure enough, I saw it, a great shadow looming over us, and with impossible speed crashing down into the tower. I was thrown back, my black bow flung from my hands with the impact.

   

  The beast landed on top of the walkway, it was colossal, at least fifteen foot from head to tail. It’s scales were of a light brown color, and the eyes, enormous light grey orbs, which stared right into mine as he turned his head and closer than I would deem it safe. The beast had a set of massive wings, and sharp talons that resembled long bony fingers coming out of their front. His head was huge; with long jagged horns jetting from it’s back. After he took a good long look at me he turned his head again and approached his nostrils, sniffing my face.

   

  -Wo los hi, hi los dovah, nuz hin sahlon los joor (Who are you, you are dragon, but your smell is mortal) – Said the titanic beast in a deep guttural voice, it’s hot breath hitting my face, adding to the terror I was feeling

   

  -What are you saying? What is your name? – I said as curiosity got the best of me, I still moved my hands slowly towards the mace

   

  -You are Dov, yet you do not speak our language, I am Mirmulnir, what is your name, nisaad dovah? (fake dragon) – he spoke, revealing razor sharp bearing from his jaw

   

  -My name is Ruby, I am Dovahkin, and I’m here to TAKE YOUR SOUL! – I said as I quickly unsheathed my mace and struck his skull

   

  Terror had messed with my reflexes; I missed his left eye by a few inches, but I still put enough strength behind my strike to send the dragon back a few steps. My dreams of victory were short lived though; as soon as I advanced for a second strike it rammed its head against me, sending me flying back into the ruined keep.

   

  -Zin son dostoz! (Honor less fiend) – he roared – I will crush you! –

   

  As he said that he began moving inside, his long serpentine neck wriggling inside the tower, but as soon as he closed in on my fallen body he was thrown to the side. I lifted my face to have a better look and sure enough, it was Brennan, with his scimitars unsheathed, and with a calm look of his face, his eyes serene under his straw hat.

   

  His look did not last long though, he quickly dived inside the tower, and a torrent of flame followed right after, almost turning the swordsman to ashes. I got up and advanced, diving into flames while weaving a ward around myself.

   

  My ward held, and protected me from the crimson tongues blazing around me. I rolled when I hit the ground and quickly turned around to face the overgrown lizard, our eyes were locked, I could feel his anger, and I had no doubt that he could sense my hunger. He opened his mouth and with an ear splitting roar he launched his flames towards me.

   

  -YOL, TOOR SHUL! (Fire inferno sun) – The beast shouted as the air around me became a blazing inferno

   

  -FO, KRAH DIIN! (Frost cold freeze) – I countered with my own voice, as both shouts canceled each other

   

  The dragon pounced, jumping into the air and beginning to open his jaws, intent on ripping me apart. His head was pushed to the side in the last moment, missing my torso by a few inches. It was a bolt of lighting that hit him on his flank, thrown by Irileth, who was now ordering the soldiers to fire. I could see their arrows, fine black metal, sparkling in the moonlight cast by Masser, seems like Brennan prepared them as well.

   

  The dragon saw them, and before they could fire their volley he screeched again.

   

  -KRII, LUN AUS! (Kill leech suffer) – As he let loose this earth shattering roar a purple energy hit the soldiers. Irileth managed to dive behind a rock, dodging the attack.

   

  The soldiers fell to the floor, their skin peeling and their armor quickly deteriorating. Their cries of pain were inhuman, howls of extreme agony, caused by that terrifying power, a power I now wielded…

   

  -KRII, LUN AUS! – I shouted in the dragon’s direction, hitting his left wing and part of his face

   

  The dragon took to the skies after that, creating great gusts of wind when his wings flapped. I could see it, once he made that motion with his limb the membrane of the wing started to deteriorate, just like the soldier’s armor and skin.

   

  I was nearly blown away by the strength of that gust, but I managed to sink my ebony stiletto into the ground before that happened. The dragon was amazing, a true show of beauty and greatness, soaring around us, getting ready to dive.

   

  Sure enough I was his first target, but as soon as he was a few feet from me something exploded beneath him, and an enormous pillar of ice erupted skyward, causing the dragon to become trapped in the ice.

   

  That was Brennan’s scroll! He had thrown it in front of me as soon as the dragon took flight, correctly predicting its movements.

   

  -How dare you joor!? Your magic is pathetic when compared to mine! – The dragon roared, then he started to move and his scales vibrated. The ice that trapped him started to melt, and I could feel a great heat coming from his body

   

  Once the dragon was free he pounced on me, but I managed to duck, his skin was still blazing, and I was almost knocked out by the heat radiating from him.

   

  Brennan and Irileth took advantage of the situation, while the beast was distracted with me, they ordered the soldiers to prepare a firing line, and once they were ready I could hear a melody of bowstrings.

   

  The dragon cried in pain as the black arrows drove their way through his scales and pierced his flesh. He shook, and with unimaginable speed, turned around and smacked the guards with his tail. Brennan was fast enough to use his flash step to get out of the way, and Irileth managed to grab a shield from one of the soldiers; she defended herself, at the cost of a broken shield and a fractured arm.

   

  The dragon jumped and took flight once more, but now I was ready for it. Before he left the ground I leaped and grabbed one of the arrow shafts that were deeper into his hide. He cried in pain as I grabbed the arrow and unintentionally shifted and turned it into his flesh.

   

  The scales started to vibrate, and as soon as that happened I could feel a great heat radiating from him. It was getting too hot, and it began to burn my hands, a terrible situation really, being burned and flung around while he made his way to the city and tried to bite me meanwhile.

   

  -FO, KRAH DIIN! – I shouted, my frost breath cooling the heat from his scales and making it harder for him to flap his wings

   

  He was in bad shape, his wing was quickly deteriorating because of the marked for death shout, and so was part of his face. His movements were slowed down by the frost covering his body, we were about to crash.

   

  The trajectory was a bit crooked; I had a hard time predicting where the dragon was to land. We were very close to Whiterun now, and I managed to scream my lungs of to warn the guards standing at the watchtower near the gates to move before we rammed into them, destroying the tower and crashing into the town square.

   

  I jumped of him, and managed to land on my feet, he was terribly wounded, his left wing was now completely deteriorated, and part of his skull was showing, he was ready to be put down.

   

  His pride did not let him admit defeat, so he quickly stood on his hind legs and shouted to the skies, a battle cry, worthy of legends.

   

  Citizens were hiding in their homes or behind stonewalls, peeking from the corner. They… they were all watching me, with… hope… they were cheering for me… were they? I was their only hope, and they wanted a hero…

   

  I smiled a little, this was my chance…

   

  -Come dragon! Lets settle this! – I screamed, charging his position while pounced at me

   

  It was like time slowed down, I could see everything around me, the peasants and guards watched me in anxiety, and the dragon’s form grew ever closer, its shadow eclipsing the sun.

   

  I side stepped his bite at the last moment, remembering all that Shade taught me I swung the daedric mace, lodging it right in his eye, breaking his skull and killing him instantly in the processes.

   

  The dragon was dead.

   

  It felt strange, as soon as the beast was slain the crowd gathered around me, wanting to know what was happening. The dragon’s scales started to deteriorate quickly, turning into raw energy, and flowing into me.

   

  It was painful, too much knowledge being absorbed into my mind at once. All of this beast’s life was flashing through my eyes. I fell to my knees and grasped my skull, my eyes felt like they were going to pop out. Names, words, places, memories, all flooding inside my head at once. And then, clarity…

   

  I understand it all now, why the dragons did it, why they disappeared, why the mortals were not fit to rule…

   

  We were the ones meant to shepherd the joor, it is our divine mission! They should look to us as emperors! It is my destiny…

   

  The people were now looking at me, gasping; I was their hero, their savior…

   

  I got up and walked over to a stone, this would be a nice pedestal. I removed my cape, throwing it away, and letting the people gaze at me, to mark in their minds the image of their savior.

   

  -Listen to me people of Whiterun! What you just witnessed is just the beginning, this is genesis! The dragons are no match for me, for I am Dragonborn! I am the hero Skyrim needs! The one who will make a path of glory for this great country! My life is now devoted to you, the people, and together we will rid this country of evil! Every single one of you is now under my protection, and let your enemies rue the day they crossed the ones under the Dragonborn’s protection! – I shouted, and the people followed, cheering my victory, cheering my speech

   

  With the corner of my eye I saw Brennan, his cloak was tattered from the previous battle, his straw hat was covering most of his face, but his gaze was clear at me, he noticed, Shade’s leash was loosening, and my time for greatness was nigh…