บท 17: The Way of the Voice
Lucius followed the girl into the keep, spitting out water to clean his mouth.
"I hate portals." Lucius groaned.
"Your starting sound like Geralt. Get a silver sword and a scar, then i won't be able to tell the difference." Ciri laughed at the elf.
"Just shut up, and open the door." A grumpy Lucius replied.
"Fine, fine." Ciri said pushing open the metal doors into the keep making a load creaking of metal echo off the walls, as if announcing their entry.
"So... a Dragonborn appears, at this moment in the turning of the age." Man in grey robes declared, eyeing Ciri.
"I'm answering your summons. Master." Ciri replied, a smile threatening to break out.
'What a brat' Lucius thought as he smiled.
"We will see if you truly have the gift. Show us, Dragonborn. Let us taste of your Voice." The man requested.
Lucius stepped forward as let his soul release his intention. A single word lingered on his tongue as his mouth slowly opened.
"FUS!" Lucius released.
The slightly stumbled as the blue wave of force passed over him.
"Ah, it was you. Apologies dragonborn. Welcome to High Hrothgar." The man bowed to Lucius.
"I am master Arngeir. I speak for the Greybeards. Now, tell me, Dragonborn, why have you come here?" The man continued, standing straight.
"Um, it was you who asked him to come here." Ciri interjected. "The whole 'Dovakiin!' thing..." Ciri blankly said.
"You misunderstand me, i simply meant, in what do you desire to achieve by coming here? Ultimate power? Peace of mind? Or, is it simply curiosity of our summons?" Arngeir finished with an apologetic look to Ciri.
"I want to learn what it means to be called dragonborn. I have power enough. Peace of mind would be lovely, but other things take precedents to such luxuries." Lucius said with all seriousness required.
"So it seems." Arngeir said, looking the pair up and down. "We are here to guide you in that pursuit, just as the Greybeards have sought to guide those of the Dragon Blood that came before you." He finished.
"You mean I'm not the only Dragonborn?" Lucius asked, his brow creased.
"You are not the first. There have been many of the Dragon Blood since Akatosh first bestowed that gift upon mortal kind. Whether you are the only Dragonborn of this age... that is not ours to know. You are the only one that has been revealed thus far. That is all I can say." Arngeir vaguely said.
"Who was before me?" Lucius asked.
"Martin Septim, of the empire." Arngeir said. "We will do our best to teach you how to use your gift in fulfilment of your destiny, dragonborn."
"Then let's begin." Lucius eagerly said.
Three more men in grey robes came to Arngeir's side.
"Without training, you have already taken the first steps towards projecting your Voice into a Thu'um, a Shout. Now let us see if you are willing and able to learn. When you Shout, you speak in the language of dragons. Thus, your Dragon Blood gives you an inborn ability to learn Words of Power. All Shouts are made up of three Words of Power. As you master each Word, your Shout will become progressively stronger. Master Einarth will now teach you "Ro," the second Word in Unrelenting Force. Ro means "Balance" in the dragon tongue. Combine it with FUS - "Force" - to focus your Thu'um more sharply."
"Ro..." Master Einarth said, A crack formed in the ground in front of him, engravings of the dragon language formed.
'Thank you brain for making this ring.' Lucius praised himself for the lack of headaches, kissing the ring.
Lucius walked up to the engravings and was assaulted with the knowledge of the word balance, Ro.
"You learn a new word like a master... you truly do have the gift. But learning a Word of Power is only the first step... you must unlock its meaning through constant practice in order to use it in a Shout. Well, that is how the rest of us learn Shouts." Arngeir said.
As Dragonborn, you can absorb a slain dragon's life force and knowledge directly. As part of your initiation, Master Einarth will allow you to tap into his understanding of "Ro." Now let us see how quickly you can master your new Thu'um. Use your Unrelenting Force shout to strike the targets as they appear." Arngeir finished.
A less theatrical flow of white, blue and orange flew from Einarth to Lucius. Lacking the fullness a dragon soul contained.
"It feels like i'm being edged." Lucius grumbled, ignoring the look he got from Ciri.
"Now when the target appears, strike it down with the new word." Arngeir instructed.
"Fiik... Lo...Sah!" Borri cast.
"FUS RO" Lucius let his will fly.
"Well done. You learn quickly. Once more." Arngeir said.
"Fiik... Lo...Sah!" Wulfgar shouted.
"FUS RO" Lucius repeated.
"Impressive. Your Thu'um is precise. You show great promise, Dragonborn. We will perform your next trial in the courtyard. Follow Master Borri." Arngeir said, to a panting Lucius.
"Can we not do it here?" Lucius asked, hands on his knees.
"Not unless you want to be kissing the wall." Arngeir replied, some humour tickling his throat.
Lucius huffed and followed the group of elderly men, Ciri close behind him taking in the sights of the old castle.
They stopped in the middle of a snowy courtyard. Black stone pillars littered around and a great tower facing the horizon imposed itself over the land.
"We will now see how you learn a completely new Shout. Master Borri will teach you 'Wuld' which means "Whirlwind." Arngeir said, motioning to master Borri.
"Wuld..." Borri cast, like before engravings cracked into the courtyard floor.
The word entered Lucius's mind much easier than the last. The process seemed easier the more it occurred.
"You must hear the word within yourself before you can project it into a Thu'um. Approach Master Borri and he will gift you his knowledge of 'Wuld.' Now we will see how quickly you can master a new Shout. Master Wulfgar will demonstrate Whirlwind Sprint. Then it will be your turn. Master Borri." Arngeir spoke, as the wisps entered Lucius
"Bex!" Master Borri cast as he opened gate.
"Wuld... Nah...Kest!" Wulfgar shouted, flying through the gate.
'Please hit the wall, please hit the wall.' Ciri chanted while watching Lucius, fingers crossed.
"Now it is your turn. Stand next to me. Master Borri will open the gate. Use your Whirlwind Sprint to pass through before it closes." Said Arngeir to Lucius, who was watching Ciri in her own little world.
"Bex!" The gate opened.
"Wuld!" Lucius released and he shot through the gate. He turned back around before the gate could close and cast it again. "Wuld!" He appeared in front of Ciri.
"Oh shit!" Ciri screamed and dived into the snow, causing Lucius to bellow out a laugh.
"Oh you should've seen you face!" Lucius kept laughing. Only to be interrupted by Arngeir.
"Your quick mastery of a new Thu'um is... astonishing. I'd heard the stories of the abilities of Dragonborn, but to see it for myself..." He said.
"Thank~ you. Next?" Lucius said, rubbing his chin.
"You are now ready for your last trial. To retrieve the Horn of Jurgen Wind-caller, our founder, from his tomb in the ancient fane of Ustengrav. Remain true to the Way of the Voice, and you will return." Arngeir said as all the greybeards left, returning to meditation.
"Well, i didn't have to turn into a monk after all, eh Ciri?" Lucius said, dusting her off.
"Yay!" She 'happily' cheered.
"Now, where's Ustengrav..." Lucius drawled.
"It's near Morthal in the bog between Solitude." Arngeir told Lucius, showing him on his map.
Lucius glanced over to Ciri.
"No. I'm not a carriage service." She huffed.
"Damn!" He cursed. "At least back to Whiterun?" He pleaded, flashing his eyes to her.
"I might as well take us. Not like i want to climb down this mountain either..." Ciri mumbled.
"What was that?" Lucius teased.
"I said fine, you damn elf!" Ciri burst, in a cute puff of cold air.
"To which one, Whiterun or all the way?" Lucius prodded with a smile.
"All the way." She glared. "Don't get used to it." She finished.
"Shall we?" Lucius said, holding out a hand which Ciri begrudgingly took.
A small flash and they were gone, leaving behind a baffled Arngeir.
______________________________________________________________________________
Boring chapter that i wanted out of the way as fast as possible.
I was going to go to a girls birthday party tonight, but she confessed to me an hour ago...Fuck that.
Review the book please. At least to get it a rating.
Have a good one.
Your "patently evil" Author ;)
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Pythia
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