"Give me one reason to not break you in half, elf."
"Hm, first would be my immaterial status but you may test it if you wish... I would like the chance, however, to discuss something of dire importance." the Monk takes a seat on the icy ground with his legs dangling off of the steep path. "A new threat presents itself to the world, one potentially more dangerous than Alduin, or the other enemies you should have faced."
"Should have?" Surtr grouses, "Drop the riddles and speak plainly."
The elf sighs, "I am a representative of the Psijic Order, I'm sure you've heard rumours of us from many parties, by we consider ourselves Shepards of the world, helping it through one age to another. This time was supposed to be a big step forward, but, something changed..."
Surtr snorts at this, "You mean you lost control. Arrogant racists, calling yourselves the Shepards means you see the rest of us as sheep. I want no part in whatever scheme you've conjured up. Leave me be and pray we don't meet-"
"Michael Tahlin. The threat we foresee." the elf cuts him off, the name quickly quieting Surtr. "He is powerful, resourceful, and lacks any morality or authority that would otherwise keep him in check. You might know of another who also possessed these qualities, a man known as Mannimarco, the King of Worms and most powerful Necromancer this world had ever seen."
"The one who brought Molag Bal to Tamriel?" Surtr questions, somewhat remembering part of this from his time in the Fighter's Guild.
The elf nods, "Indeed, but what most tend to forget, intentionally or not, is that Mannimarco ascended, leaving us with an ever-present enemy that threatens us still..."
Surtr folds his arms, "Or he would, if Michael's tower wasn't blocking him from affecting the realm." he states.
Strangely, the elf nods in agreement as if he'd not called Michael a threat a moment ago. "You are correct, but, did you know that his barrier has also been affecting the more benevolent deities? All but Akatosh have found their reach largely reduced... The Psijic Order has the ability to glimpse into the future, and what we saw requires Aedra, Daedra, and the strife that comes with them. They will be needed to harden Tamriel to face the coming trials."
"And so you want Michael gone?" he shakes his head, "You speak as though he doesn't belong to this world as you and I."
"That's because he doesn't. He's a foreigner from outside of this realm, further even from the realms of Oblivion. His presence has already changed your future, you may never reach your full potential with it..."
"His rescuing me from bandits harmed me you say? Yeah, I can see it, I would be far stronger with my throat slit and gold stolen. Your arguments fail, elf, now release this spell so I can be on my way."
"Much of your destiny was changed, Dragonborn... Battles, decisions, opportunities... Surely you can think of an opportunity missed due to Michael Tahlin's presence..." the elf trials off, letting Surtr contemplate his words.
Immediately, his thoughts dart to Saeko, who was completely dismissive of him because of her affection towards Michael... Would things have been different there without Michael in the picture?... It would, he was sure. "It's in the past now, there's nothing to be done about it."
"The past affects the future, your future will be your past, if you will it, things can change... You are Dragonborn, harbinger of a new age, it is your choice how things will progress." the elf ominously states before standing up and brushing non-existent dust from his ephemeral person. "I will leave you to ruminate on our discussion. Just remember, Michael, whether or not he wishes it, will harm everyone and everything in future, just as he unintentionally harmed your own opportunities. Farewell for now, Dragonborn." he says and fades away, leaving the world to return to normal.
...
Surtr glares at the icy floor in thought, gripping the Dwemer orb in consternation. "Damn elf!" he punches the cave wall, sending web-like cracks throughout from the force of his strike. He lets his breathing and emotions settle, looking up at the exit. "Talos guide me..."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"So, you met him then?" Michael asks Surtr at the door of the Spire. The Dragonborn shakes his head though.
"Meeting is not the word. I found his frozen corpse in the cave, dead of starvation."
"Huh..." Michael hums in thought, was it because the College collapsed or because Hermaeus Mora stopped answering him...? "You got the orb though, right?"
Surtr nods, "Aye," he shows it, "What now?"
"We go to Blackreach and acquire the Elder Scroll, I've been there before but Falmer breed like rats so it's probably infested again." Michael states as he begins stepping out of his tower, only to be stopped by Surtr.
"Actually... I was thinking of doing this alone..." he trails off, unable to give any particular reason.
Michael just shrugs in response, "Alright? I don't really care either way."
Surtr nods, "Thank you for your help, Michael." he says before exiting, leaving Michael standing there with an odd expression.
"Weird guy..."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A week and a half later and Surtr finally climbs back up the Throat of the World with the Elder Scroll in hand. "If I have to walk up this gods-damned mountain another time!" he grunts as Paarthurnax, Durnehviir, and Illococoo come into view.
"Hmm, Dovahkiin, you have returned, and with the Elder Scroll no less."
"Aye! Now tell me what else I need to do to learn the shout!" he exclaims, thoroughly annoyed at the efforts he'd had to take to learn this simple thing.
"Hmmmph, stand there, where the Scroll was once used, open it and send your mind to the past." Paarthurnax states, spitting a breath that uplifts some snow at the exact spot the heroes once stood.
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"Don't people go blind when they look at these things!?" Surtr asks, eying the dragon suspiciously.
"Some, but you are destined for this. Open it, Dragonborn, see."
...
With nothing else left to do, Surtr opens the scroll and is immediately blinded by it. He tries to throw it away but feels it sticking to his hands, locking him in place. He lets out a muffled scream and closes his eyes, only for a glowing pattern to seemingly be engraved to the inside of his eyelids.
The patterns glows with intensity, gradually getting brighter and brighter, Surtr felt like his skull was going to explode, unable to rid himself of the blinding brightness, until... It suddenly stops, leaving him in darkness...
Was this what the Moth priests felt when they finally lost their sight? Had he been betrayed by the dragon?
...
Thankfully, something manifested into view... A splotchy, dark red window into a fuzzy reality... A blizzard with raging around the Throat of the World, and three people stood against Alduin... They a shout Surtr hadn't ever heard before... Even amongst his tens of thousands of years of compiled memories...
JOOR ZAH FRUL, the words of mortality, of humans... Dragonrend.
They battle for hours, maybe even days, but even with the power of Dragonrend crippling Alduin, eventually one of the heroes fell. Alduin bit through her body and swallowed her torso as her companions roared in fury and anguish.
The second hero soon follows, without their combined might they were unable to combat the dragon... Alduin roars in triumph as his foes fall one by one, his opposition crumbling...
But, he didn't take one thing into account. The Elder Scroll, the same one Surtr had used earlier, the Nordic hero raises it up above his head and commands it, sending Alduin into the future, saving the present, or past from Surtr's perspective.
The vision ends with the last remaining hero mourning over his companions, knowing full well that they'd failed in their mission and only postponed Alduin's return.
With that, the vision ends sending Surtr back into blackness... Then the bright patterns return, blinding him once more and allowing him to blink, his vision clearing and revealing himself still standing atop the Throat of the World with the four dragons... Wait, wasn't it three dragons?
His eyes widen as he spots Alduin flying above the mountain with the three friendly dragons standing against him positioned around Surtr protectively.
"I FELT YOUR PRESENCE, DOVAHKIIN, AND THE PRESENCE OF THAT FOUL SCROLL! YOU ARE MISTAKEN IF YOU THINK I WILL FALL FOR THAT TRICK AGAIN!" the giant black dragon angrily exclaims.
"You are a fool to come here, brother!" Paarthurnax shouts back.
"YOU ARE NO BROTHER OF MINE, PAARTHURNAX, YOU LOST THAT RIGHT WHEN YOU CHOOSE THESE MORTALS OVER YOUR KIN! LOOK AT YOU NOW, WHO YOU CALL ALLIES! A ROTTING ABOMINATION! AN IMPURE WHELP! AND A MORTAL! PATHETIC!"
Surtr shakes his head, finally recovering from the scroll's effects, "THIS MORTAL WILL PUT YOUR HEAD ON HIS WALL! COMING HERE IS YOUR LAST MISTAKE, ALDUIN!"
"I KNOW OF THE PROPHECY, DOVAHKIIN, IT CALLS YOU LAST DRAGONBORN FOR A REASON! WITH NO WORLD, THERE CAN BE NO MORE!"
"NO! THERE JUST WON'T BE A NEED FOR ANOTHER! JOOR ZAH FRUL!" he shouts, using the recently learned shout.
Dragonrend launches a huge blue wave towards Alduin, striking him in the chest and causing him to stumble and falter in the air... He was quickly descending, unable to keep himself flying under the shout's effect.
"THAT FOUL MOCKERY OF OUR LANGUAGE!" Alduin furiously roars. The shout didn't just bring dragons to the ground, it rendered them closer to mortality, drastically reducing their strength.
*Kuuuush!*
Alduin hits the ground hard, uplifting snow and stone. Even when crippled however, he was an imposing sight. Standing much taller than both Paarthurnax and Durnehviir, even with how large they were compared to most other dragons. "I WILL DEVOUR YOU AS I DID YOUR ANCESTORS! MORTAL!"
"Go!" Paarthurnax exclaims, flying into the air with Durnehviir and Illococoo before proceeding to rain fire and other shouts down at Alduin... His scales absorb most of the damage however, the dragon simply glares up at them in annoyance.
"DOVAH BAH QO!" Alduin shouts, causing the world above them to start swirling, and small meteors to start falling. A modern-day man would liken it to being directly under an artillery barrage, Surtr was lucky enough that most of these stayed a good distance from Alduin, but his dragon friends were having to continually dodge in mid-air to avoid them.
High Hrothgar and the other settlements around the mountain were likely having problems too, the shout was affecting too wide of an area to avoid collateral damage.
"Hi Fen Aus! Zu'u Fen Zek Faal Suleyk Bormah sheek Kael Hi!" (YOU WILL SUFFER! I WILL BACK THE POWER FATHER MISTAKENLY GAVE YOU!) "YOL TOOR SHUL!"
"YOL TOOR SHUL!" Surtr fires his own fire breath against Alduin's, allowing the flames to crash against each other in a power struggle. Surtr was coming off worse however, slowly giving way to Alduin's attack.
"Ag Wah Kii! Lif kora Orin Enkii!" (BURN TO ASH! LEAVE NOUGHT EVEN AN EMBER!) Alduin roars, causing his flames to intensify even further.
"YOL!... YOL!...." Surtr tries to push back, but it's not nearly enough...
"Yol Sahlom Votahriik!" Illococoo shouts as she flies overhead, instantly lowering the strength of Alduin's flames... This only allows Surtr to leap out of the way though, barely avoiding a fiery death in the process.
He draws Wuuthrad from his back and charges the great dragon, shouting "SU GRAH DUN!", using Elemental Fury to empower himself. "DIE ALDUIN! DIR!"
"MAH BO LOK!" Alduin growls, and Surtr finds himself losing tracking on the ground, his body turning and beginning to fall upwards, as if gravity had been reversed. The dragon follows it up by shouting "FUS RO DAH!".
Hope you bois liked the chap, if I missed anything please let me know. Thanks!
Also, thanks to my patrons for their support :
ShinAmazake
Kingsprovince
Faruk Ereng
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