Chapter 40 – The Voice Above All Voices
Alex's consciousness drifted back like a candle struggling to reignite. His eyelashes trembled before his eyes finally opened, greeted by a faint blue glow hovering in the cold air before him
Level Up.
He blinked slowly, dazed. His fingers twitched as he selected Health, and a warm rush of energy spread through his veins, stitching together every bruise, every strain, every freezing ache inside his body. His breath escaped in a soft, white cloud.
But confusion quickly washed over him.
He remembered collapsing
the storm,
the snow tearing at his skin,
Astrid screaming his name somewhere in the blinding blizzard.
So why…
why did it feel like he had been sleeping peacefully?
He tried to push himself up, but his body didn't move. Yet the world was moving swaying gently.
That's when he heard her.
"Hello, tough guy."
Astrid's voice was warm, relieved… and teasing. "Looks like you're finally conscious."
Alex blinked again, and as his vision sharpened, he realized what was happening.
His cheeks flushed instantly.
He was on Astrid's back his body pressed against hers, his arms hanging loosely over her shoulders while she carried him like he weighed nothing at all.
"H-HUH? Wh–what ?!"
He jolted, squirming out of instinct. His face felt like it was on fire.
"H-hey, put me down! I can walk on my own!"
Astrid only chuckled a low, velvety sound that vibrated through her back into his chest.
She gripped him tighter, her strong arms hooking under his legs, refusing to let him slip away.
"Nope," she said with that dangerously playful tone of hers. "Just once… let me pamper my hero."
Alex's heart thumped so loudly he was sure she could feel it. Her warmth seeped through her fur-lined leather jacket, mixing with the faint scent of snow, steel, and her soft, natural perfume.
He tried once more to wriggle free, but her muscles held him still.
"…Fine, Astrid," he muttered in defeat, eyes darting anywhere but the back of her neck.
Then reality hit him like a punch.
"Astrid your leg!"
He stiffened, panic surging back. "Wait are you hurt? Did it open again? Let me "
She glanced back, her cheek brushing against his temple for a moment.
"Relax. I'm fine. You gave me your last potion before you passed out, remember?"
Alex paused, trying to piece the memory together.
(Right… the beasts… those damn ice wraiths… I barely remember hitting the ground…)
He lifted his head, looking around frantically at the silent white world around them. Snow glimmered beneath the faint morning sun, the air still and sharp.
"N-nothing attacked us while I was out, right?"
His voice carried a fragile edge.
Astrid exhaled softly part relief, part fatigue.
"No. Not a single monster. Not even a snow wolf."
She glanced at the empty horizon. "Honestly… it's a little too quiet."
Then she hugged him closer.
Warm. Protective. Almost… possessive.
"Maybe," she whispered teasingly, "they all ran away after hearing the mighty roar of a wild, terrifying man trying to protect a helpless little princess trapped in the snow… hmm?"
Her golden eyes flicked sideways, watching his reaction.
Alex's ears burned red.
But then her tone shifted quiet, trembling at the edges.
"I was really happy when you came for me," she murmured. "So happy that it scared me."
Alex felt her body tense ever so slightly as if remembering the moment she thought she might lose him. The wind around them fell completely silent, as though listening.
He swallowed softly, his breath brushing the back of her neck.
"Astrid…"
Her next words cracked the air like glass breaking.
"Alex…"
A pause. A small, fragile inhale.
"…don't disappear from this world, okay? Promise me."
Everything in her voice fear, longing, love she didn't dare name pierced him clean through.
His arms, which had been limp around her, slowly tightened. He rested his forehead gently against her shoulder blade.
"I promise," he whispered. "And you promise me too. Don't disappear from me either… okay?"
Astrid's steps slowed, and he felt her chest rise and fall in a quiet, emotional sigh.
"…Okay," she whispered, a smile touching her lips. "I promise."
The cold winds of the mountain swirled softly around them, yet Alex felt none of it.
Astrid's body shielded him completely her strength, her warmth, her heartbeat steady against his.
Her athletic frame carried him with effortless grace, her soft fur jacket brushing against his skin, wrapping him in a cocoon of warmth in the heart of Skyrim's highest, deadliest peak.
Up there, above the world,
above the storms,
above the danger
they felt strangely, impossibly close.
Soon, the narrow path of frozen stone widened into a strange natural structure
two towering slabs of rock, curved inward like an ancient doorway carved by giants. Snow clung to their edges, swirling around them in restless spirals.
Between the stones, a barrier of wind raged like a trapped beast.
It wasn't mere air it was a wall, a dense, roaring torrent that sliced through the snow in sharp, shimmering streaks.
The wind screamed as if alive, clawing at their cloaks and tugging at their hair.
Astrid stepped forward, planting her boots firmly on the icy ground.
Her breath steamed in the cold air, her posture strong, fearless.
"Ready?" she asked softly.
Alex nodded, bracing himself.
Astrid inhaled deeply, then shouted with commanding clarity:
"Lok… Vah… Koor!"
The words exploded from her lips like thunder.
A pulse of blue energy rippled outward from her, sweeping across the howling wall of wind.
The violent gale shuddered then burst apart, dissolving into harmless breezes that drifted away like fading sighs.
Silence followed, deep and awe-striking.
The way opened.
They stepped onto the highest place in all of Skyrim
The Throat of the World.
The air here was impossibly thin, crisp with the purity of untouched snow. Each breath felt like inhaling stars.
The sky stretched endlessly above them, a deep, luminous blue that seemed closer than anywhere else in the world.
"Astrid… put me down. We're here," Alex murmured.
Astrid gently kneeled and let him slide off her back, her hands lingering on his shoulders a moment longer than necessary, as if reluctant to let go.
They walked together toward the cliff edge.
Clouds smothered the world below, thick and glowing like a sea of white silk. It was beautiful but it blocked the view.
"Aw, damn… I wanted to see the scen "
Before he even finished, Astrid stepped forward and whispered:
"Lok… Vah… Koor."
Her voice carried softly this time, but the power was the same.
The shout swept across the sky. The clouds trembled
then burst apart, scattering like flocks of startled birds.
The world revealed itself.
Skyrim unfolded far below in breathtaking majesty
endless forests shimmering under blankets of frost,
rivers cutting silver paths through the earth,
mountain peaks rising like titans from the snow,
and distant cities glowing faintly under the morning sun.
The wind carried scents of pine, frost, and ancient stone.
"Astrid look! Haha!"
Alex laughed, unable to contain his excitement. His eyes sparkled like someone seeing the world for the first time.
He sat down abruptly on the cold rock, too overwhelmed to stand. The cold didn't matter the view stole all sensation.
Astrid sat beside him, the stone crunching softly under her armor.
Because she was taller, her head naturally lowered and gently rested on top of his, like it belonged there.
Her warm exhale brushed his hair.
"Hey," she murmured, voice soft like melted snow, "I guess the terror we went through wasn't for nothing, huh?"
Alex's eyes remained fixed on the golden horizon the world stretching endlessly beneath them, beautiful, distant, alive.
"Yeah," he whispered, warmth spreading through his chest. "It really… really feels worth it."
Astrid's hand brushed lightly against his, their fingers touching.
Not quite holding
but close.
The world below glittered like a living painting.
The sky above embraced them in a quiet cradle of blue.
And for a rare moment on the highest mountain in Skyrim…
they felt completely safe.
Completely together.
Completely alive.
A few peaceful moments slipped by
just the wind whispering across the peak,
the soft crunch of snow settling,
and the distant sparkle of the world below.
Alex and Astrid sat shoulder-to-shoulder, their breaths mingling in the freezing air, letting the beauty of Skyrim's highest point wash over them.
Then
WHOOOOSH.
A deep, powerful gust of wind rolled over the peak.
The stone beneath them trembled.
Astrid's head snapped upward.
Her entire body tensed like a bowstring drawn to the limit.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Wings. Huge wings.
The rhythmic beating grew louder, vibrating through their chests. The air became heavy charged with something ancient and immense.
Astrid immediately rose to her feet. Snow scattered beneath her armored boots as she moved.
She whipped out her Daedric shield, dark metal gleaming with a faint crimson glow, and drew her sword in a single, fluid motion.
Her posture became fierce
one foot planted forward, shield raised, sword angled diagonally like she was prepared to slice the sky itself.
"Alex, get behind me !"
But Alex stood slowly, calmly.
The icy wind tugged at his cloak as he looked upward with steady eyes.
"It's alright," he murmured.
Astrid shot him a bewildered glance but before she could question him, a massive shadow swept over the mountaintop.
The dragon descended.
Its wings spread wider than a house, beating the air with a force that sent snow swirling in a blinding spiral.
Gold-gray scales caught the sunlight, shimmering like ancient metal forged by the gods.
Its eyes glowing, wise, and older than the world locked onto them.
Snow blasted outward as the dragon landed, claws digging into the stone with thunderous impact.
Astrid stumbled back a step, shield raised so high her arm trembled.
Alex lifted a hand toward her.
"Astrid wait."
His voice was steady, warm.
"This one's friendly."
"What?" Her eyes darted frantically between him and the massive beast.
"What do you mean friendly?! That's a dragon!"
As if to answer, the dragon lowered its enormous head.
Its breath rolled across the ground like warm mist, melting delicate snowflakes in its path.
Then it spoke
its voice like rolling mountains and crackling fire:
"Drem… Yol… Lok."
A pause, deep and resonant.
"Greetings, Wunduniik. I am Paarthurnax."
Astrid froze.
Her sword dropped slightly.
Her jaw slackened.
Her golden eyes widened so much they reflected the dragon's entire silhouette.
She looked at Alex
then at Paarthurnax
then back at Alex again, utterly stunned.
"Alex he… he's… a dragon! A talking an actual wow !"
Only then did she realize something else.
Alex wasn't shocked.
Not even a little.
He wasn't trembling.
He wasn't stumbling backward.
He wasn't even blinking in disbelief.
He looked… prepared.
"Why why aren't you freaking out?!" she demanded in a breathless whisper.
"Paarthurnax is a dragon THE master of the Voice! The Greybeards' master has been a dragon this whole time!"
Alex felt panic tighten in his chest.
(Crap. I can't tell her I knew this from the game. Skyrim as a game doesn't exist here…)
He forced his expression into a thoughtful calm and quickly pieced together an explanation.
"Well… think about it," he said, scratching the back of his neck.
"Jurgen Windcaller suddenly mastering the Voice out of nowhere? Clearly someone powerful taught him. Someone ancient. Someone who understood the Voice before mortals did."
Astrid blinked, processing his logic.
"And you couldn't teach me the Shouts yourself," Alex continued gently.
"So who else could've taught the first masters… except a dragonborn? Or maybe… a dragon?"
Astrid's eyes softened in realization.
She lowered her shield entirely.
"…You know…" she murmured slowly, "when you put it like that… that actually makes sense."
Above them, the sky shimmered softly with drifting frost, swirling around the dragon's massive wings.
Paarthurnax watched them with patient amusement, his long tail curling around the stone. He let out a low, rumbling breath before speaking again voice warm, ancient, and slightly teasing.
"Are you two finished?"
A soft rumble almost a chuckle echoed through the peak.
"Allow me to introduce myself once more."
He raised his head proudly, wings extending just enough to brush the sunlight.
With calm, commanding authority, his voice rolled across the mountain:
"I am Paarthurnax… master among the masters of the Voice."
The words resonated through the sky, through the stones beneath their feet, and through their very bones
a declaration of ancient power from the highest place in the world.
Status
Main Level: 32
Perk Points: 3
Health: 200 → 210
Stamina: 160
Mana: 250
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