Chapter 26: Chapter 25
I popped over in Whiterun again, just finding a back alley to not draw attention, I felt like I left a bit abruptly after finishing my sword and I wanted to check back in with Thorum and.....show it off if I was being honest.
I wonder if he would know anyone who was a good sword trainer? I wouldn't call myself a novice, but I was in no way a master. Even if the previous me was a master, which he wasn't, these kinds of things need to be physically built up, things like muscle memory and instinct thoroughly trained through combat.
But until then I had a few more thoughts regarding my magecraft, specifically towards my application of runes. I had three spells so far that I considered 'mine'.
Bindings of Gaia, using the earth to bind the target with roots/vines. It corresponded to Midgard in the Norse Mythology.
Fires of Muspelheim, exactly as it sounds, intense fire that basically goes 'fuck everything in that direction'.
And the third one was Freezing Winds of Jotunheim, that produced a cascading freezing wind that emanated out from my position.
This wasn't just to stay on a certain theme either, three spells so far that correspond to three of the Norse Mythologies' Nine Realms. Once I completed them, there should be a noticeable increase in their abilities as I'm borrowing the weight of an entire world-view. There was a reason that Mages tend to name things under godly domains or corresponding to certain figures when applicable. The concepts still existed and could be tapped into, as diminished as they were in the current era. There was a downside as well, they would then also be open to weaknesses that come with their borrowed identity.
If I were to say, fight someone with a lineage that could be traced back to the Jotun, or giants, of Jotunheim, my freezing spell would have little to no effect even if you discounted any immunities that the individual possessed inherently.
Conceptually, why would a 'Jotun' be frozen by 'Jotunheim' cold? That is one of the essences of 'Mystery' it takes on a completely different form of 'logic' than the human perception that is prevalent today.
But I digress, I had a few more thoughts on some more spells. A shield based on Asgard, was one of my new choices, I was lacking in the defense department.
Maybe I should wait until I head back to my home reality before I complete these. I think I would be able to find better reference material there.
I was lost in my own thoughts, but something stood out enough in the streets to give me pause.....where was everyone? I've only been gone a few hours, not even five by my count, yet there was no one here.
"Oi, you, what are you doing outside!?" A turned the corner, immediately shouting at me.
"What? I was.....preoccupied for a few hours and I just came out, what's wrong?"
"Did you not hear, you daft boy? A dragon attacked the western watch tower! Most of the Guards are already over there fighting it. Even the Companions moved out." He exclaimed.
"The companions, all of them!?" That means....Thorum is out there fighting a god damn dragon.
"Aye, even the Jarl's personal guard is out there." He shook his head. "Hurry and get somewhere inside, if it comes overhere—"
"I'm a mage, I can help."
He paused for a moment, barely even giving the time to think. "Fine, alright. There's another group to reinforce them about to head out, follow me." He hurriedly waved his hand over.
There were probably less than twenty overall, I had no idea how long they had been fighting or how many had already been sent, but it seemed like it was all hands on deck here. There were even a few that didn't look like soldiers, not that they didn't carry themselves like they could hold a weapon, but clearly different attire.
The 'leader' didn't even bat an eye as I followed, I guess they were quite desperate here. "Follow me, we're there to grab the wounded and provide relief. That means arrows on the flying lizard and potions to the main fighters. Don't crowd around the Companions, let them do their job."
Hell, there wasn't even a loose formation we were practically sprinting towards the west, I saw the Watchtower in the distance, I cast a Reinforcement on my eyes to get a better view.
I could see someone at the top of a half-demolished tower jump off onto the dragon as it shouted.
"FUS RO DAH" The dragon bellowed loud enough to be heard this far away, blowing apart the remains of the large stone structure.
"Thorum!?" I shouted in disbelief, seeing the familiar figure of my friend having the brilliant idea to try and mount the god damn dragon.
"Divines, that man is crazy." A man next to my shouted.
"Aye, he's a fearless one, which Companion was that?"
"Maybe he can hurt the thing from on top?"
The dragon took to the skies practically piercing the clouds, spinning and flipping. It didn't take long for Thorum to lose his grip and fall, and it was a long way down so much so that he was barely even a dot with my reinforced eyes.
I saw a few of the guards look away, not wanting to watch.
I tensed up, was this shock? For a brief moment my body wouldn't even respond.
Wait....why was I even hesitating? Who cares if people know I'm a half-devil why was I even hiding this aspect of myself? Because I was embarrassed? Because I didn't like their origin?. Who the fuck cares about any of that crap, I actually have people I care about now.
My wings exploded out from behind me.
My body reinforced, and I didn't stop there.
"BOOST" Me and Ddraig roared as the Gauntlet appeared on my hand.
I pushed off the ground and the air around me distorted, pushing the guards next to me away. Fast, that was all I could think about.
Faster.
I saw his body falling, helpless flailing in the air.
FASTER.
"BOOST"
I had no time to even consider the second boost as a boom erupted behind my back, accelerating to a speed unprecedented.
"YOU DAMN IDIOT" I yelled, catching Thorum only a few dozen feet off the ground, my momentum all disjointed as I crashed with him in my grasp. The dirt kicked up, stone and rubble burst out from our landing as I took the brunt of it.
"Will!?" He coughed, blood leaking from his mouth.
I felt my wing bend at an angle it wasn't accustomed to as I stood up. The pain was....something hard to describe. I don't think I can fly with it like this, no I definitely can't. Even dismissing my wings was excruciatingly painful.
Thorum also stood up, shacking, knees almost buckling under the strain as I shoved a healing potion in his hands. He looked at it, then to me, eyeing my wings before gulping it down. "You....have wings." He just said dumbly.
"Yeah." It was all I could say in response, looking away.
Is it weird that I have enough self reflection to realize I'm self conscious about my wings but can't actively get over it even If I recognize how stupid it is?
Fuck my wings hurt, no time to think about dumb things right now, I'll have a pity party later.
He shook his head, wiping some dirt from his eyes. "The others.....the dragon went up into the clouds. It picks off anyone who tries to run away. We had to keep the wounded here." He pointed towards behind a large piece of rubble where I saw dozens of people sitting, standing, laying as wounds covered their bodies. That wasn't to mention all the corpses I could see and chose not to comment on, they were everywhere.
Burned, frozen, impaled, or simply squashed under weight of a several ton dragon.
"It's playing around." I could only helplessly admit. The way it destroyed the watchtower, it had the kind of power to do that, there was no reason it would leave these people here like this otherwise.
"We figured that out already." He grit out.
"I can....put a shield up around them, how many others can fight?"
"There is no one else." Thorum lowered his head. "It only let me last this long because it found me.....amusing, in its own words."
I've never seen Thorum like this before, it's like all the hope died in his heart.
I felt an indescribable rage in my heart, it completely overshowed the pain I was feeling. How dare this damn dragon harm MY friend like this? IT DARES TO TOUCH SOMETHING OF MINE?
"You have me now." I reassured him gritting my teeth and pushing down my anger.
He gave a sad smile. "What's the plan?"
"It's probably watching us now....I'll put a shield around the wounded so we can fight it out." I wasn't lying it was probably watching us, if it was really just playing around, it would probably let us 'set up' for more amusement.
I withdrew the Staff of Magnus from my ring.
Moving to the center of the wounded, I saw their eyes fall on me. I recognized a few guards I had met before, the Companions who I had talked with and even the old man who was close to death had come up. He looked bad.....running on fumes here. How many of them were even conscious, how many faces did I recognize that were now missing body parts?
My mana swelled and burst out, enough to affect everyone around me.
I liked these people, they were good to me. Skyrim, in general was a place I wouldn't have mind calling home and now something dares to make a mess here, right infront of me!?
The Runes emerged, dozens, hundreds of them all floating around as I coalesced the spell. Using the underlying concepts of Greater Ward, applying it in the same manner as a Bound Field.
"This mongrel, I'll tear all its scales off one by one." I tried my best to hold back a snarl as my spell came together.
My calculations were quick and rough, this spell would not be any masterpiece, but it would be actualized to my needs, I would force it to a suitable level. I was more prone to using finesse, but in this circumstance I'm willing to brute force it.
I anchored it with a Divine Construct.
"Shield of Asgard!" I slammed the Staff of Magnus into the ground.
The Runes shimmered and actualized forming a translucent shield all around us. The dome giving a rejuvenating effect as a warmth overcame everything inside.
The Staff was absurd, amplifying the properties of the spell to a whole new level. I don't think I could break this spell without some serious effort and cheating. If it were any other situation, I may have been embarrassed by such sloppy spellcasting. It was quite literally being help up by divine might.
There was nothing I could do for now, my repertoire wasn't excellent when it came to defensive spells.
I grabbed Thorum and cast the best Healing Spell I could muster. I saw his pale face visibly get more healthy. "Give me your sword."
Thorum looked at me in confusion but handed over his steel weapon. It still had my original enchantments on it but I swept my hand across the flat casting a Reinforcement. "This is temporary but should last long enough. It's a lot more durable and sharper now." I tossed it back.
"This isn't the worst way to die." Thorum chuckled, staring at his weapon.
"Haaah." I let out a long breath. "I never did tell you, I got myself a woman....and she's going to kill me when she finds out I picked a fight with a dragon."
Thorum snorted in laughter. "If we could I would give you a toast.....what's her name?"
"Meridia." I smiled, picturing her face.
"Is she named after the Daedric Lord...?" He asked.
"No."
He tilted his head, a look of understanding slowing covering his face. "Oh.....you did have that job back at Meridia's statue by Solitude, didn't you...."
"Yup." My lips slowly curled up as I knew he put two and two together.
"....I think that deserved two drinks at least." He laughed harder. "It may be better to die by the dragon's hands then."
I couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, her angry face is cute, it alteast gives me something to look forward to."
If there was something that could calm me down, it was the thought of her.
"It's coming." He suddenly jerked his head up.
I blinked, looking up. Thorum somehow detected the dragon before me?
The colossal beast of scales and death landed on a large piece of rubble that had been the destroyed tower, opposite of us.
"Hi Kos new." The dragon...spoke, looking towards me. "Hi smell do dovah, kos hi dii zeymah? Or los nii aan dovahkiin... niid."
I stared at the dragon, looking at it's body while it wasted time. There were some marks and even some blood draw here and there. It looks like the people here did some work on the beast, but it was still practically unscathed.
"Must I use this language, then?" The dragon once more took my attention. "Why do you smell like Dovah, little mortal?"
"Because I fucked your mother." I replied without skipping a beat. Truly my days on the internet had not been wasted.
Thorum looked at me, absolutely shocked.
The dragon looked at me, just as surprised I blurted that out.
"You mortals, such bravery in the face of death." The dragon finally spoke with a laugh. "It is why hunting you is so much fun."
"Fun? All this is because of fun?" I hissed, hearing it actually speak those words made my blood boil. "You will beg for death by the time I'm done with you." I growled.
"Little not-dovah, does this make you angry? Then come, battle me, clash your steel against my scales!"
You didn't need to tell me, I moved as the ground below me burst apart. Grabbing Mirage from my ring. "One bird." I shouted, slicing the air infront of me as the sword phantom shot out.
"What!?" The dragon shouted in confusion as a few of its scales were torn apart at the impact, drawing blood from the creature who no doubt hadn't expected it.
"Two Birds!" I focused again, swinging my blade as two more shot off.
"Wuld Nah Kest" The dragon shouted, moving from the ground up into the air high above within the blink of an eye.
It dodged with ease as it gained speed and flew around the battlefield. "Yol Toor Shul." It's loud voice echoing in my ears, the flames spouted from its mouth and burned towards me.
"10 Birds!" I shouted again, swinging my sword. It was ten swings overlaid upon one another. No, it should have been so, but only a half dozen manifested, flying towards the dragon as I clenched my hand as tightly as possible as to not drop my sword. I felt muscles tearing in my arm at the strain, blood vessels rupturing under the surface.
Arrogant fucking dumbass!!! I couldn't help but chastise myself, I hadn't even fully tested this yet my calculations on the initial creation were bare fucking bones. I was too caught up in my own bullshit and didn't think it through properly.
The dragon seemed content on 'trading' letting its scales get split in several places as it swooped down, avoiding any true damage and bellowed out its flames.
I hurriedly grabbed Thorum and moved out of the way, the flame turning the stone to slag as it passed over.
"Let me see if I can bring him down, wait for a chance." I told him as he nodded and ducked for cover. He didn't have much long range, so he would have to play the role of a last resort. I had a few cards to play if I had someone waiting in the rear.
I aimed Mirage at the flying dragon, spell circles spun around my blade. "Ether Canon" It was the biggest one I've performed since my memories returned. It was big enough to blow the head off the dragon.
Perhaps that's why the dragon realized the danger. "Tiid Klo Ui"
I could feel time distort around the dragon as its wings tucked it and it rolled under my spell, dodging it within a hair's breath before unfurling its wings again and taking back higher into the skies.
I frowned in annoyance, flicking my hand and sending another dozen spells soaring to it, all helplessly splashing against its scales. My runic circles were doing nothing but distracting it for now as lightning shot forth, fire crashed against its body and ice spears tried to impale it, all to no avail.
My scowl deepened, I didn't have any more talismans to utilize the creation cycle and bolster something worth a damn and it was keenly aware of my Ether Canon now, something that would most definitely be able to harm it.
Dammit, this was one of the worse opponents for the current me. Most my magic does nothing and my Ether cannon is useless if I can't hit it, my wings making it so I couldn't take the fight into the air. I had thoughts about perhaps portaling high up then casting something but that would just leave me to susceptible to counter attacks. I briefly thought about grabbing the Staff again....but the thought of Thorum losing all his friends made me hesitate.
"Distort" I quickly cast, allowing a few dozen copies of me to flood out in every direction, giving me a moments of breathing room.
"Fuck me" I cursed under my breath, because I could swear I saw it 'smile' as it intentionally went after all the fakes.
Motherfucking lizard was playing with ME.
[There is an obvious choice here.] Ddraig finally spoke up.
"I didn't think you would offer it to me." I reined in my temper, getting impaired due to my anger would be unwise.
[I hadn't planned to.... until recently.]
I pulled out a health potion, drinking it to the last drop. I kept my spell barrage up on the dragon, to at least keep its attention. This would be easier if my wing wasn't crippled for the moment, this health potion not doing much to mend a metaphysical limb.
"And what changed?" I grit out.
[The way you rushed in to save your friend.]
"Really? I didn't think you cared about such things, is that why you allowed me a second boost. Were you inspired by the power friendship?" I snorted, my body was already aching from that little tidbit, but I was ignoring it for now. It's not like I wasn't hurt in other places worse.
[I didn't allow it, you did it yourself. I told you before, I forced the Boosted Gear back into its Twice-Critical status, that meant the normal conditions still applied. Desire and willpower, those are the two aspects that trigger Sacred Gears. You were acknowledged by the Boosted Gear, you pushed past the false fa?ade and were able to access MY power.]
[I acknowledge you, Wilhelm Henry Schweinorg. Not because of who you were, but because of who you are now. You are still rough around the edges, but I don't regret being taken by you. Now, there is a path open to you right now, do you wish to take it?]
I couldn't help but laugh a smile forming on my face. "All it takes is giving up a piece of myself to you, isn't that right?"
[Indeed, that is the condition for using the Balance Breaker before you can unlock it the normal way, but that isn't much of a detriment for you, now is it? My normal host would need help to expel the draconic power from his body at certain intervals less he goes wild, but you are not a normal host.]
I could take Thorum and run, but then the others would die. I could maybe buy time and send them away as well, but then the dragon would attack the town.
I didn't consider myself a hero, but I had my own pride. And at this particular moment, I wanted to pull that dragon down from the skies and make it beg for mercy.
There was only one option.
"My heart, take my heart." I said without hesitation.
[Good choice.]
As he said that I screamed in pain. My heart physically changing inside my body. I could only claw at the ground beneath me, my fingers dyed in blood as the skin was ripped at the tips and my eyes almost rolled back from the alteration to my heart. I swung my body wildly, doing anything to keep myself conscious. It seemed like an eternity, yet I doubt even a minute had passed before I finally regained some manner of my self control.
"Little whelp, you asked why he smelled like a dragon?" Ddraig spoke outside the Boosted Gear for the first time as I did my best to regain my senses and control over my body.
The dragon paused his assault, gliding overhead and staring down.
"I AM Y DDRAIG GOCH, THE RED DRAGON EMPEROR, AND HE IS THE ONE I HAVE CHOSEN AS MY PARTNER."
[Show him, show this little whelp our power.]
I stood up straight, eyes locking with the flying beast who had force me into this state.
We shouted as one.
"WELSH DRAGON, BALANCE BREAKER."
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