Chapter 511 - Dragon Rising (3)
A/n: Sorry about the Long Delays, I'm focusing on some Academic Studies now so it's taking most of the time but I'll find a way to return to a stable schedule once I catch up with the studies.
Also, there is an important announcement regarding your questions about the plot. This is not spoilers so rest assured. We will deviate from the game's story at some point based on the so-called changes of Fate. Based on that, each Dragon will be named and Unique not like the game's Elder and Ancient Dragons. This means there is a depth in each Dragon as most of them will interact with the Plot in the upcoming events. You will notice it from this chapter with Jarl Balgruuf.
Now, I must thank the Patrons that I didn't have the chance to thank because of my chaotic publish rate:-
@Will Turner (B-rank)
@Jack (D-rank)
@Pookleberry (D-rank)
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The air around the six of them intensified all of a sudden, none cared one bit of how it looked to onlookers and the onlookers were smart enough to take distance. That was a different level of power between mortals and freaks was clear and visible in this particular scene and it started.
"Get 'em." Alina spoke and everything started happening at the same time.
Isha wanted to make distance between her group and Alina's so she swung the spear in a wide slash but before she got to do her part, the spear was already gone from her hands.
Mirren wanted to take the rear of the enemies so he used the short-range instant teleportation spell [Blink] to launch a surprise attack but during the black blink of teleporting, he was already facing the ground with his lower body twisted in the wrong direction.
Miranda wanted to take distance so she gets to act as a long-ranger but without further ado, she was bound by many different kinds of magic binds.
Instant defeat!
Wulfur disarmed Isha of the [Spear of Bitter Mercy] and aimed it at her throat. Jullanar ambushed the ambusher Mirren and pinned him down in a Boston Crab submission move. Miranda was bound from moving by almost five different variations of the [Bind] spell to stop her from both teleporting, overpowering, dispelling, reflecting or resisting.
"Now… let's get to know each other." Alina said as she walked over to Miranda.
Who would have believed that capturing the Altmer twins and Isha would be this easy? Isha shuddered from the shock. She was the least one who is pinned down even though she was disarmed and her spear was pointed at her but looking at Wulfur who was just standing there with a natural look, Isha instincts were screaming at her not to move, this man holding her spear is simply at the pinnacle of spearmanship even in front of her who is a Spear Battlelord.
The truth of the instant defeat laid in Alina who took a special interest in Miranda, Alina can see many versions and possibilities of the future making her the most troublesome opponent to even consider going against. She is already winning everything once her eyes get to see it.
Alina simply put her hand on Miranda's hood and put it down. Miranda's appearance was fully revealed as an Elf beauty of flawless appearance yet deviant style, her blonde hair was trimmed from the sides and had traces of colorful dyes with some tattoos barely visible beneath her upper garment.
"I knew it!" Alina clapped her hands together, "I love your hairstyle, where did you get it done?"
"Wha…" (Isha)
"Huh?" (Wulfur)
"Wait!" (Mirren)
"Ahahaha! She's doing it again." (Jullanar)
There was a huge misunderstanding going on here but Alina cleared it right away.
"No no no, it is not what you are thinking. I just noticed her hair under the hood which looked so stylish. I'm officially bullying her here." Alina said.
Miranda was glaring at Alina trying relentlessly to break the spells she's under but it was almost impossible. Alina's magic is not just prepared but almost custom made to trap Miranda, an absurdity only someone who can predict the future can come up with.
"Let go of me!" Miranda said.
"Ask politely." Alina replied with a delighted face.
"Please, let go of me."
"No."
"…"
"What's wrong? I just told you to ask politely. Who said I am complying?"
Alina was plainly bullying Miranda but that was not her intention from the start, she could clearly tell that Jon had come in contact with that girl very lately. A day or two… she didn't know but she was sure that Jon had slept with that girl in that timeframe. It wasn't magic or her eye powers but rather her female intuition.
She was about to get serious and ask about Jon but before she got the chance to do so, something she couldn't foresee happened.
"Now!" Miranda shouted and her body shone with light, the thing happened with Mirren right away and the two disappeared from their place.
"Impossible!" Alina exclaimed.
She couldn't see through such a thing. This was completely Unforeseen for her.
At that moment, a different figure appeared and attacked Alina from behind. She was almost defenseless and in an instant, a clash happened.
"UGH!"
Myr's attack didn't land but rather, Alina was completely pressing him down with her eyes glowing red like a thirsty vampire.
"Such a nerve to hide from my sight but still… only one man can escape my eyes."
An agonizing pain struck Myr all of a sudden before he could act or react, the damage received from Alina's eyes started to weigh on his burden and his Blessing of Mephala activated on its own, splitting him back to his Aspects of Duality.
Seeing the one being become two, Alina was plainly surprised but the sudden occurrence that she couldn't understand. It was clear that two Elves escaped somehow with the appearance of this third individual but to think the two can combine themselves to create a third person with greater power that even she can't foresee his movements, there was something really interesting about the pair.
"Stop hurting them!"
Isha shouted as she ignored Wulfur and ran at Alina but Jullanar tackled her down.
"Easy there." Wulfur called, "This situation got out of hand. Alina, what on Nirn are you after?" He asked.
"Alina?" Mirren, Miranda and Isha surely heard of that name before and the description fits very perfectly.
"Stooooop!" In this chaotic situation, a seventh individual interfered to stop the fight and that individual happened to be an acquaintance of both parties, Aela the Huntress.
The two parties were about to officially be introduced to one another but as soon as the basic introductions were made by Aela, the city got too noisy all of a sudden. The Jarl's Housecarl Irileth ran into the upper city on a horse and stormed her way towards the castle, the guards behind her had one word that kept repeating on their tongues.
A Dragon!
***
"A Dragon has been sighted nearby."
"A Dragon? How exciting! Where was it seen and what was it doing?" Farengar became excited for no apparent reason.
"I'd take this more seriously if I were you." Irileth retorted at him right away and turned to Balgruuf, "My Lord, your orders!"
"Woman! You've seen a dragon?" Jarl Balgruuf, who was still in Farengar's lab, asked with a stiff face.
"No, a guard came from the western watchtower." Irileth replied.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Bring him over here." Jarl Balgruuf shouted.
Irileth nodded and went back to the hall dragging in a guard.
"So, Irileth tells me you came from the western watchtower?" Balgruuf asked the guard.
"Yes, my lord."
"Tell him what you told me. About the dragon." Irileth urged the guard to keep talking.
"Uh... that's right. We saw it coming from the south. It was fast... faster than anything I've ever seen."
"What did it do? Is it attacking the watchtower?" Balgruuf asked.
"No, my lord. It was just circling overhead when I left. I never ran so fast in my life... I thought it would come after me for sure."
The Jarl fell into silence but I still could hear Farengar and Delphine whispering to one another. The Jarl didn't mind then and spoke to the guard.
"Good work, son. We'll take it from here. Head down to the barracks for some food and rest. You've earned it."
As the guard walked away, he turned to Irileth.
"Irileth, call the other Housecarls, all the available Thanes, the Clan Heads and all the fine warriors in Whiterun. By the order of the Jarl, we are going after that Dragon."
Hm? I know the situation was different from the game but just now… it took a totally different turn, didn't it?
"I've already ordered my men to muster near the main gate." Irileth replied and went to her business.
I was still trying to recover from the massive deviation that happened in the storyline, the Jarl is going out to fight the Dragon? This didn't happen in the game at all. He just sends Irileth, the player and some guards.
"There's no time to stand on ceremony, my friend. I need your help again. I want you to come with us and help fight this Dragon. You survived Helgen, so you have more experience with dragons than anyone else here."
This was all turning out different than what I expected. The Jarl is changing the game story. I had to understand what's going on here.
"Excuse me, Jarl Balgruuf. Are you really risking yourself going against the Dragon? Isn't it dangerous to go without a force to measure the situation first?" I asked.
"What in Oblivion are you talking about?" The Jarl looked at me with an offended face, "I am the Jarl of this hold and I just said it a minute ago, I won't stand idly by when a dragon comes to me home. We will chase the beast off." The Jarl replied in the most determined Nord tone I heard in years.
Somehow, his reply made perfect sense. You are the Jarl, you won't just send some ordinary guards, a Housecarl and some stranger to fight something that is threatening your city, right? ... right?
God! What were the game writers thinking?
"I should come along. I would very much like to see this dragon." Farengar jumped in.
"I can't risk both of you and Irileth on such a dangerous mission but in the legends of those who fought dragons, there was always a mage existing. We need our clever men on this one as well but keep a safe distance, Farengar."
"Yes, my Jarl. I will bring my apprentices along."
So even Farengar is tagging along. That also didn't happen in the game.
Just what caused this change to happen?
***
Everything happened so fast afterward. The Jarl led all the able-bodied men of Whiterun outside the city towards the western watchtower and all those who volunteered to follow were appreciated as well. While the Jarl and his men were readying themselves to go, he had to send a scouting team under the lead of Irileth to check out the tower without engaging. Jon was among that team.
The eastern watchtower was one hour away from the city on the road to Greymoor fort. The place was seriously ravaged by the Civil War and the tower was clearly damaged due to some battle.
The situation in Falkreath and Riverwood may haven't been like this but the plains of Whiterun were much different from the ones in the game now that Jon took a closer look. The lands were scorched and the grass was completely ravaged while the dirt was submerged with the strong scent of iron as if a river of blood had passed through here. More to that, there were a lot of broken swords and bent banners with a lot of ashen wooden structures and traces of the dead.
"Never seen a battle's leftovers before?" Irileth asked.
"I have… it is just… I hate wars." Jon replied.
"Good."
The scout party traveled past the decayed battlefields and arrived near the watchtower where they started seeing pillars of smoke rising to the skies. They hid in the shade of a boulder right away and started watching from a distance.
"No signs of any dragon right now, but it sure looks like he's been here." Irileth said and started organizing the roles on the guards. "We've got to figure out what happened. And if that dragon is still skulking around somewhere. Spread out and look for survivors. We need to know what we're dealing with. Adventurer, you follow me."
Jon and Irileth teamed up as they started advancing sneakily through the long grass around the tower. Jon thought it was useless since sneaking on a dragon isn't something even he can do since if a Dragon is on guard, it will use the [Aura Whisper] to reveal all the enemies yet Jon didn't voice his complaint.
In actuality, the Dragon in question was using the watchtower as bait for more humans to come. After all, that's what that dragon's name means.
The guards spread out and circled the tower until they found a way in unseen. Once the voices of survivors were heard from inside, Irileth and the others started to rush into the tower.
"Is everyone alright in here?" Irileth asked as she moved the rubble blocking the tower's door.
Inside the tower, there were some guards who looked pale from fear. Once they saw Irileth, they fell to panic.
"No! Get back! It's still here somewhere! Hroki and Tor just got grabbed when they tried to make a run for it!" A Guard shouted
"Guardsman! What happened here? Where's this dragon? Quickly now!" Irileth almost slapped the panicking guard.
"I don't know. We were just patrolling around the tower and out of nowhere, it descended on us." The guard replied.
"It breathed fire on us. Gods! It killed three men in a blink of an eye then grabbed two of the men like mice and flew away." Another said.
"It's terrible! We can't fight that. We need to escape." A third guard wanted to run out of the tower but Irileth punched him to the ground.
"Get yourself together, will you? And you call yourselves Nords?" Irileth was grumpier than her usual and her Aura oppressed the other guards to fall in order.
"You! Describe that Dragon. How large was it? Can arrows pierce it?" After lining up the men, she started to gather information from the survivors.
"It was undoubtedly large. I doubt that a normal sword switch can bother it." A guard replied.
"A sword swing? Damn thing kills without even landing. It was faster than any arrow I can shoot. We need strong warriors, better archers." Another continued.
"Let's hold our ground then. The Jarl will arrive with Whiterun's finest. We will deal with that Dragon." Irileth changed her intimidating voice into the source of hope those afraid guardsmen needed.
"The Jarl is coming?"
"By Ysmir we will live."
The guards were delighted hearing that there are more reinforcements but the mood couldn't even last a couple of seconds.
"Something in the sky!" A guard called from outside.
Immediately, a terrible voice shook the world.
"JOOR, BO LUFT ZEY! THURI DU HIN SIL KO SOVNGARDE!" (Mortals, come face me! My Lord will devour your souls in Sovngarde.)
A terrible presence overtook everything in the area. The hearts of everyone almost sunk to their feet Irileth and Jon included.
"He's here." Jon spoke and walked to the nearest arrowslit in the tower.
There, he saw the dragon that starts it all. A terrible enemy, a powerful foe and an unavoidable disaster.
The Loyal Strong Hunter, Mirmulnir. (Allegiance Strong Hunt)
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