Chapter 13 – Bad News
During the journey, I kept trying to improve my healing skill.
The carriage rocked gently over uneven dirt roads, the wooden wheels creaking with every bump. A cold mountain breeze slipped through the gaps in the carriage walls, brushing against my skin and making the sting sharper each time I-
Stab.
I hissed, clenching my teeth as the small dagger pierced the back of my hand again. A bead of blood rolled down my wrist before I quickly pressed my palm over the wound.
"Healing…"
Warm golden light burst from my hands, wrapping around the cut like soft sunlight. The pain faded instantly, the skin knitting back together with a faint shimmer. Then, once the wound fully closed
Stab.
Heal.
Stab.
Heal.
The rhythm repeated like a strange, self-inflicted ritual.
Across from me, Astrid had frozen mid-bite, her dried meat still halfway to her lips. Her brow arched so high it nearly disappeared under her golden bangs. Beside her, Delphine leaned forward slightly, arms crossed, eyes narrowed as if trying to decide whether I was insane or simply committed.
"What," Delphine finally said, voice flat, "are you doing?"
I looked up, still dripping a bit of blood onto the carriage floor.
"I'm training my healing technique. It's a bit extreme, but… for now, this is the most effective method."
Astrid blinked slowly, then exchanged glances with Delphine the kind of look people share when they mutually agree someone might be hopeless.
The carriage hit a small rock, jolting us. My next stab went slightly deeper than intended.
" Ow! Damn it Healing!"
Golden light pulsed again, filling the dim interior of the carriage and illuminating the dust floating in the air. It cast warm highlights across Astrid's armor and made Delphine's cloak glow faintly at the edges.
In Skyrim, there were only a few reliable ways to grind Restoration:
heal yourself or others, or spam Turn Lesser Undead on any undead creature unfortunate enough to be nearby. Since we didn't have zombies conveniently packed in the carriage with us, method number one was my best option.
Astrid sighed and leaned back, arms crossed, the carriage's wooden wall thumping behind her.
"Alex… only you would think stabbing yourself for two hours is 'effective.'"
Delphine rubbed the bridge of her nose.
"At least try not to bleed all over the floorboards. The owner's going to think we fought a war in here."
I flashed her a thumbs-up.
"Don't worry. I'll heal the floor too if needed."
Delphine stared.
"That's… that's not how floors work."
We continued like that through forests of tall pines swaying in the wind, past distant mountains covered in pale morning fog, and under skies shifting between grey clouds and soft sunlight. The rhythmic clopping of horse hooves filled the air, steady and calm completely opposite of the self-inflicted chaos happening inside the carriage.
By the time the distant roofs of Kynesgrove appeared between the trees, my hands throbbed from repeated stabbing and healing.
and my Restoration?
15 → 21.
Not bad at all.
Astrid muttered, "I still not quite sure that how it worked…."
Delphine only sighed again long and suffering.
But I caught it: the small, reluctant smile she tried to hide.
The road was surprisingly peaceful almost unnaturally so.
No bandits waiting behind rocks, no wolves stalking us from between the trees.
Just the steady clop-clop of the horses' hooves and the whisper of wind sliding through the tall pines.
Sunlight filtered through the branches above, speckling the ground with shifting patterns of gold and shadow. Birds chirped lazily in the distance, and every now and then a cold breeze carried the scent of damp earth and pine sap. For once, Skyrim felt calm… as if even nature was holding its breath.
Eventually, the trees thinned out and the path opened onto the small village of Kynesgrove, smoke rising gently from its chimneys. The hills beyond were quiet too quiet bathed in a pale, overcast afternoon light.
"All right," Delphine said, her tone sharp with purpose. "Follow me to the ancient dragon burial."
We trailed behind her up a winding path.
Frost-coated grass brushed against our boots, and the air grew colder the higher we climbed.
At the top stood the burial mound still untouched, a massive swell of earth covered with patches of dead grass and jagged stones. The place felt… heavy. Like the air itself knew something terrible was supposed to happen here.
Astrid wrapped herself with cloak tighter around herself.
"Looks like we made it in time," she murmured. "If we were late, we might've missed the dragon resurrecting."
I swallowed. Somehow that didn't make me feel better.
"So… should we wait until the dragon is raised?" I asked, rubbing my hands together to warm them.
"Yes," Delphine replied firmly. "We stay until it happens."
Astrid tapped her fingers against her hip, thinking.
"Hm… if we're waiting, let's not freeze to death doing it. We should wait at the inn in Kynesgrove. We can take turns keeping watch. If any of us sees signs of a dragon, run to the inn and alert the others."
"Sounds good," I said. "I'll take the first shift. After two hours, we switch."
Delphine nodded and headed back down the hill with Astrid, their figures shrinking into the misty lowering light.
That left me alone atop the burial mound.
The wind blew harder now, carrying the distant howl of mountain drafts. My cloak snapped loudly in the breeze as I resumed my restoration training stab, heal, stab, heal though the cold made each sting sharper.
Two hours passed slowly.
During that time, the sky dimmed into evening hues, the clouds shifting into long grey streaks. My breath came out in pale fog, and the only sounds were wind rustling through dead grass and the faint crackle of healing magic in my hands.
My Restoration finally rose from 21 → 23.
Not much but progress, nonetheless.
Footsteps crunched against frosted ground.
I turned to see Delphine approaching, arms crossed, eyebrows raised so high they nearly touched her hairline.
"You're still doing that?" she said with a deep sigh.
"Oh has it been two hours already?"
"Yes. Come down and go keep the princess company."
"Princess?" I blinked. "Oh, you mean Astrid… She's not a princess, but she kind of looks like one."
I rubbed the back of my head, embarrassed at how obvious the observation sounded when spoken aloud.
"You know," I continued, "back in Helgen she didn't look like a princess at all. Worn-out clothes, hands tied like a prisoner."
Delphine slowed her steps, curiosity flickering across her face.
"Then how did you save her? With all the chaos going on?"
I paused, surprised by the question surprised even more that I didn't know the answer.
"Maybe coincidence?" I said quietly. "I'm not entirely sure. When I woke up, I panicked a bit and saw her collapsed there… and her eyes…"
I exhaled slowly.
"Her eyes looked like she'd already accepted death."
The wind gusted, carrying dead leaves across the burial mound, rustling them around our feet.
I stared out at the horizon.
"Maybe you could call it fate," I murmured. "After all… the Dragonborn wasn't meant to die."
Delphine didn't say anything.
But the way she looked at me less skeptical, more thoughtful told me she was finally beginning to understand.
We chatted quietly for a while
our voices low, blending with the cold breeze sweeping across the burial mound.
Then
FWOOM.
FWOOM.
The air trembled.
A deep, thunderous wingbeat tore through the silence like a giant ripping the sky open.
My blood froze.
A shadow passed over us, gliding across the ground like the wing of death itself.
"A dragon…" I breathed.
Delphine grabbed my arm and pulled me down.
We crouched behind a cluster of jagged rocks, their surfaces icy against our backs. The wind kicked up, carrying dust, loose frost, and the smell of ancient earth like something old and forgotten was stirring beneath us.
I leaned close to her ear, whispering sharply, "Go call Astrid. Now. The dragon's here."
Delphine didn't waste a second.
She sprinted down the slope, boots skidding on gravel, her cloak snapping wildly behind her.
Alone, I peeked over the edge of the rock.
The dragon circled the burial mound in slow, ominous loops.
Its massive wings carved through the sky with each beat, sending ripples through the air.
The creature's scales shimmered with the reflection of the pale moonlight, and every exhale released a cloud of hot steam that twisted up into the cold evening air.
Minutes passed, though each one felt like it stretched forever.
Then
the ground below the dragon began to glow.
A thin beam of pale light shot upward from the center of the burial mound, brightening, intensifying
like a beacon being lit for the dead.
Finally, I heard soft footsteps behind me.
Astrid and Delphine hurried toward my position, crouched low, moving from rock to rock like trained scouts.
Astrid pressed her shoulder beside mine, breath warm and fast.
"Did I miss anything?" she whispered.
I pointed at the circling beast, my voice barely audible.
"That dragon… it's circling the mound. It's gathering power getting ready to resurrect whatever's buried there."
Astrid's eyes widened, but only for a heartbeat. Then her expression hardened, jaw setting with steel-like resolve.
Suddenly
The dragon hovering above us roared a phrase in the dragon tongue, a chant drenched in power:
"Ahloknir! Ziil gro dovah ulse Slen Tiid Vo!!!"
The sky shuddered.
A shockwave blasted outward, slamming into the burial mound.
BOOOOM.
The earth split open
cracks racing across the mound like lightning.
Chunks of dirt exploded upward, showering us with soil and shards of stone.
A column of swirling energy surged from the grave, and from deep within came
A roar.
Raw.
Newborn.
Agonizing.
Alive.
The sound vibrated through my bones, rattling my heart in my chest.
Astrid exhaled sharply.
"The news you gave wasn't just true… it's worse. Skyrim is in danger."
Her brows lowered, her hand tightening around her weapon.
From the erupting pit, the newly resurrected dragon lifted itself, bones cracking and flesh reforming in unnatural movements. Its wings unfurled with a sound like tearing parchment.
Then it spoke its deep voice trembling with reverence and confusion:
"Alduin, thuri! Boaan tiid vokriiha suleyksejun kruziik?"
(Alduin, my lord! Have you returned my ancient strength to me?)
Delphine gasped a sharp, horrified intake of breath.
"What? Alduin? Alduin? According to the legends he's walking terror… the World-Eater… he can resurrect dragons that have been dead for centuries…"
Above, Alduin hovered like a storm cloud given form, his scales burning with malevolent energy.
He answered in a rumble that rattled the rocks around us:
"Geh, Sahloknir, kaoli mir."
(Yes, Sahloknir, rise now.)
Then his gaze snapped toward our hiding place.
Toward Astrid.
Like a predator smelling prey.
His massive head tilted, and his voice dripped with disdain:
"Ful, losei Dovahkiin? Zu'u koraav nid nol dov do hi."
(So… you are the Dragonborn? I do not recognize you as one of our kind.)
And then switching to the common tongue so there would be no mistaking his contempt:
"You do not even know our tongue, do you?
Such arrogance, to dare take for yourself the name of dovah."
Astrid's breath hitched, but she did not back down.
Finally, Alduin gave a command that echoed like a death sentence:
"Sahloknir, daar joorre."
Sahloknir, these mortals are yours.
Then he turned wings beating hard
FWOOOOOM
and vanished into the stormy clouds above, leaving the newly reborn Sahloknir staring directly at us…
…and hungry for a fight.
Sahloknir's bones rattled as he rose to his full size, newly reborn and ravenous.
The moment his hollow eyes locked onto us, they burned with ancient hatred.
He unfurled his wings
FWOOOOOM
kicking up a violent burst of wind that scattered dirt, leaves, and loose stones in every direction.
His voice rumbled like thunder rolling through the earth.
"Astrid! Shield UP!" I yelled.
Astrid snapped her shield into position, legs planting solidly into the dirt, shoulders tensing, jaw clenched so tight it looked like it might crack.
I threw my hand outward, casting conjuration.
A circle of orange runes blossomed at my feet
Pssshhh WHOOM
A Flame Atronach spiraled upward from the fire, her body twirling in a ribbon-like swirl of embers.
Delphine had already drawn an arrow, her eyes narrowed, her entire body turned predator-sharp.
Sahloknir inhaled, the air vibrating around his throat, the ground trembling beneath my boots.
Then
FWOOOOOOOOSH
A river of fire engulfed us.
Astrid's shield slammed backward under the pressure. The heat distorted the air around her, ripples of orange bending the scenery. Her boots dragged trenches in the soil as she struggled not to be blown away.
"HRRRNGH !" She grit her teeth, her arm shaking violently.
The fire-resistance enchantments I stacked on her armor glowed faintly gold, absorbing just enough heat to keep her alive.
The ground around her turned black, rocks cracking from the temperature.
Sahloknir roared:
"I am Sahloknir! Hear my voice and despair!"
His voice shook the trees. Birds fled. Dust rained from the rocks.
Delphine didn't flinch.
She loosed her arrow
SHNK
It embedded straight into Sahloknir's eye.
"For the Blades!" she barked.
The dragon reared back, roaring in agony, half-blinded. The sound vibrated straight through my ribs.
Perfect.
I thrust my right hand forward
THOOM!
A Thunderbolt ripped through the air, splitting the sky with a crack of pure white-blue lightning.
With my left hand
WHSSH!
a Firebolt streaked toward his wing joints.
Both spells detonated on impact, scorching scales and tearing membranes.
Sahloknir staggered, wings buckling. He tried to launch again
but my Atronach blasted him from below, her fireballs exploding against his belly in rapid bursts.
When my magicka dipped dangerously low, purple sparks danced around my arm.
I summoned a Bound Sword
VWOOM! A blade of shimmering violet energy formed in my grip.
I sprinted forward, slashing at the dragon's foreleg tendons. The hits crackled with Daedric magic, leaving streaks of neon purple through the air.
Sahloknir screeched, tail whipping violently.
It struck the ground, sending a shockwave of dirt and stones flying.
I barely rolled away in time.
Astrid didn't hesitate.
She charged his head, boots pounding across the dirt, shield raised, blade ready.
She climbed onto a fallen tree and leaped, bringing her sword down onto his nose ridge.
"RRRAAAAH!"
Delphine supported from afar, her arrows whistling past my ears, striking the thinner scales under his jaw.
The dragon thrashed, wings flapping uselessly now burned, torn, and broken.
He swayed, losing strength.
He was cornered.
Doomed.
Astrid moved for the finish.
Sahloknir snapped at her, catching her shield and yanking her upward
her body lifted off the ground.
For a heartbeat, she hung there
mid-air, suspended right in front of those glowing fangs.
"Astrid!" I reached out too far.
But she twisted
a full spin in the air, a desperate, fluid, beautiful movement of pure instinct.
"Alex!" she shouted.
I understood instantly.
I thrust a lightning spell toward her sword.
CRACK-THRAAAAAM
Electricity surged through the steel, the blade glowing like a shard of thunder.
Delphine fired another arrow this time into Sahloknir's remaining eye.
"GAHH !!"
He roared blindly, snapping too far left, missing Astrid completely.
She fell.
Her boots hit his snout, using it like a stepping stone.
Then she plunged downward, blade first.
SHRRAAAAKK
Her lightning-charged sword drove straight into his chest, piercing bone, heart, and soulspark.
Lightning erupted from the wound, exploding across his ribs
Sahloknir convulsed violently, wings thrashing, tail tearing up the earth in wild arcs.
"HRRAAAAAAAAAH !!"
One final agonizing scream shook the valley
Then
Silence.
His body sagged, collapsing like a felled mountain.
I rushed to Astrid.
She landed on her knees, breathing hard, hair plastered to her face with sweat, knuckles trembling from adrenaline.
Then his body ignited in light.
Flames spun upward in spiraling trails
threads of gold and white weaving toward her
WHOOOOOOOSH
The soul rushed into Astrid's chest.
She staggered, eyes widening
but this time she didn't collapse.
She clenched her fist, steadying her breathing, the shock less intense than her first soul absorption.
I immediately placed both hands on her shoulders and cast Healing Hands, golden light flowing over her bruises.
Delphine muttered restorations spells on herself as well.
My skill levels rose with each cast Restoration, Destruction, one- handed all ticking upward.
Delphine finally lowered her bow.
The terror in her expression faded, replaced by something harsher and heavier.
"It seems," she said quietly, her voice hollow with realization,
"we've uncovered the worst possible news."
She looked at Astrid with newfound gravity.
"And… forgive me. I didn't believe you before."
Delphine exhaled, shoulders dropping, sincerity softening her guarded demeanor.
"Now ask me anything you want to know about me."
For the first time, the Blade trusted us completely.
Status
Main Level: 22 → 24 (after sleep)
Perk Points: 1 → 3 (after sleep)
Destruction: 26 → 31
One-Handed: 23 → 25
Restoration: 15 → 25
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