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Chapter Text

Chapter One

Silence. The world had suddenly settled to a deathly silence. I let out an earth-shattering roar as the driving rain battered my wings, trickled off of my scales, washed my midnight-black claws clean of the dark, sticky blood. I had to kill the silence. I had to distract myself. I had to take my mind off of what I had done.

The dragon lay in front of me, blood still gushing out of the long gash in his belly, turning the long, tan grass around him a deep red. His golden scales were quickly fading to a dull brown as the life left his body. His sides heaved with each shallow breath he drew. One of his golden-brown wings hung at an odd angle from his body.

Broken. I gasped in horror as the light faded from his emerald-green eyes. Those eyes.... The two cloudy circles stared lifelessly at me. Staring into my very soul! I quickly tried to avert my eyes, but the spell had captured my mind. My eyes were now locked with his. My first kill. How did it feel, my claws against his belly? What was it like for his soul to separate from his body? What was it like...to die?

In a daze, I rolled the body onto its back, still staring into the eyes of the fallen dragon. Don't look there! Close your eyes! Watch the rain fall, the grass bend in the wind! Anything but those eyes!

"Yol-toor-shul!" I watched as fire shot from my mouth onto the corpse, crackling as it consumed the cold flesh and climbed the four long, mud-brown horns sticking out from the dead dragon's head. The deep-throated bellow of my voice surprised me. It sounds like my voice...and yet...doesn't. Something is there that wasn't before, or...is something missing?

I shook myself before spreading my dark wings in the storm. As I pushed myself off of the ground with my two legs, I stole a final glance at the carcass. The fire had completely burned the flesh, leaving behind smoldering, black bones. The empty sockets in the skull seemed to give an eerie, green glow, still staring. Staring at me! I quickly flapped my wings until I soared into the pale gray sky, not thinking about where they would carry me. I saw nothing, felt nothing, except for the cold stare of my fellow dovah's eyes.

Chapter Text

Chapter Two

"Alduin!" she called out in delight as I landed on the flat stretch of rock jutting out from the side of the largest of the immense, snow-capped mountains that stretched beyond the horizon. "Drem-yol-lok. Greetings," the scarlet female dragon nudged my chest with her head. The tiny, fiery-orange flecks on her long, black horns glimmered faintly as a weak flash of sunlight peeked through the clouds for a heartbeat. Her long, black spines rose formidably from the back of her neck to her tail, and her amber eyes carried an unquenchable flame, a wild ferocity, the spirit of a true dovah.

How did I ever manage to find such a creature? I smiled as she stared into my eyes, unable to contain my joy. "Drem-yol-lok, Brityolvahdin," I replied. As soon as I am worthy of you, I promise you will be mine.

"Where's Bruniikloksivaas? He went hunting for elk with you, didn't he?" Brityolvahdin asked, staring into the sky, searching for the golden male.

"Brityolvahdin...." I whispered, locking eyes with her. Bile began to rise in my throat, bitter and stinging on the back of my tongue. How can I tell you that he won't be returning? Several heartbeats passed before I gave a loud sigh. "We became separated in the storm. You know how rough the weather can be this time of the year. I'm sure he'll come soon."

Liar! You filthy liar!

"I'll stay out here and watch for him. Oh, Alduin, I just remembered. The Kruziikke, the Ancients.... They wish to see you." Brityolvahdin turned her head to the gigantic, black mountain towering over the distant plains. "You've been summoned to the Throat of the World. I...I...hope everything goes well. You know that some...never come back." Brityolvahdin stared desperately into my eyes. "Maybe there was a mistake. Maybe they summoned someone else...."

"Oh, you don't want me to leave? Afraid you'll lose me?" I chuckled, giving her a sly, toothy grin.

"I...I..." She whispered, staring at the ground, not daring to look me in the eye. "You just take care of yourself. Promise me.... Promise me you'll come back."

"I don't know what will happen, but I promise to do the best I can," I replied as I touched noses with her. A warm spark seemed to ignite in the depths of my heart as our noses touched, as I felt her warm scales, inhaled her sweet breath. "Did they say what they wanted?" I asked as she drew her nose away from mine.

"No. A large, green dragon with a sail fin on its back and head landed here while you were hunting with Bruniikloksivaas. He asked for you, and when I told him you weren't here, he took his leave. He had scars all over him. Big, pale, ugly scars. And those yellow eyes! He frightened me, Alduin! Alduin....?"

Eyes...eyes.... The word echoed in my mind, and the image of the two clouded circles devoid of life flashed before me. I gasped as I noticed the warm, red liquid streaming down my claws onto the rock beneath me. Blood...so much blood.... I'm standing in a puddle of blood! My muscles locked at the sight of a large, red wave in the distance coming for me. The metallic taste of the bloody wave filled my mouth as the world became red. I'm drowning in blood!

"Alduin...are you all right?" As Brityolvadin placed her cheek on my shoulder, I gasped. The bloody ocean engulfing me faded, and the sharp, tangy scent and taste gradually left my nose and mouth. Her worried stare replaced the clouded, demonic gaze of the dead. Shuddering, I gave her a weak smile.

"Yes. I was...thinking...about that dragon that you mentioned. He frightened you?" I growled. "If he dared to-"

"He didn't touch me, but Alduin, please don't go! The...Kruziikke.... They're unpredictable at best. Remember the last young dragon to be called to the Throat of the World was brought back in pieces. There was hardly enough of him left to burn and bury!"
I gazed at the fear in her eyes. Black, cold fear.

I felt my own heart race in my chest as I remembered the bloody exhibition of the small heap of blood, bones, and flesh that had been presented to the parents of what had been their only youngling. No one mentioned what the members of the Kruziikke had done to him, but the bloody maws of the lesser members who had brought back the corpse hinted at the brutality that had taken place at the Throat of the World. The mother disappeared only a week after seeing what was left of her son, and the father was summoned to the Kruziikke only three days after his mate's disappearance. Neither of the parents returned. For months after the incident, other dov speculated the father's death, but it was never confirmed.

Perhaps he's still there. Maybe they're forcing him to work for them as a servant. I've heard stories about that happening....

"Maybe...maybe it's best if you hid for a few months. Please, Alduin," Brityolvahdin pleaded, her eyes filled with desperation. "The Kruziikke...they could kill you!"

"I have to go, or else they'll hunt me down and kill not only me, but you, my family, and yours if they found out that you helped in hiding me. You know the law." I spread my wings and quickly rose into the air. "I'm sorry...."

"Then, just be careful!" she called out to me, her voice echoing in the crisp mountain air.
"I will!" I replied. "You'll see me again!"

Hopefully in one piece, I silently added as I began my journey to the Throat of the World. I glanced behind myself, catching a final glimpse of her before she faded from my sight. I'm sorry.... In more ways than one, I'm so sorry....