The Path of 'The Voice'

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Fanfiction

by

PimpedOutToast

Chapter 1

Victory

And so it was that the World-Eater Alduin was stricken down by the Dovahkiin -The Dragonborn. While the world was saved from the great dragon, his former right hand, Paarthurnax was depressed at the news. At least that was how destiny determined it to be. But what if the Dragonborn, the mighty mage that he was, didn't destroy Alduin, but sealed him away with a Shout of his own design?

That...is this tale.

Listen, as the aftermath of this event unfolds...

Alduin attempted to rise, but Horrigoth, the legendary Dragonborn, had used his mighty magic to disable the great World-Eater. The Heroes moved in but Horrigoth raised a hand.

"No. I have other plans for his wretched soul."

Alduin growled. "You'll never defeat me! I am Alduin, the World-Eater! You are a mere Jul-Human!"

Horrigoth got into proper stance. "You've already lost." He inhaled...

"KREN SULEYK GRON!"

3 of the dragon souls that Horrigoth had previously absorbed flew out of his body and spun around Alduin, turning into chains of Magica. They squeezed Alduin until his soul, a black orb, was drawn from his body. It became ensnared and then vanished in a bright flash of light as his body began to decay.

"What... did you do?" asked Gormlaith Golden-Hilt.

Horrigoth caught his breath; that shout was of his own design, but it was crude as he had barely learned the language, and so he had to fuse the souls of 3 dragons and his own magica to use it at full power.

"T'was a shout I created. It has sealed his soul within unbreakable bonds forged from the souls of his fellow dragons and my own Magica. Where it disappeared to... I have nary an idea. Maybe it sent him back to his own time." The Dragonborn shrugged his shoulders.

"I can't say I have any idea. I do know however that this Shout will keep him sealed for eternity. Only I can release it, and obviously I don't plan on doing that."

Lo, the Dragonborn stopped the great World-Eater Alduin, and Skyrim returned to normal. While the Stormcloaks and Imperials still waged war, both sides were beginning to see how naive and childish their fighting was, and some believed that peace was a possibility in the future. Paarthurnax had managed to call a small number of dragons to his side, although quite a few number of the "younger" dragons still terrorized the land. As for the Dragonborn, he returned to the College of Winterhold and was greeted with a hero's welcome. Tales of his triumph spread across the land, and the Nords of Skyrim began to decide the College wasn't such a bad place. After all, if the also-Nordic Dragonborn was Archmage, who were they to doubt him? Frequent couriers made deliveries from all corners of the land, love letters from many a fair maiden. From Prisoner to Legend to Renowned Hero, Horrigoth had fulfilled his destiny as Dragonborn and become idolized by all the land. Life was good for the Dragonborn.

Our story doesn't end there however. Nay, it is just beginning. We move forward in time a month, to a not so exciting day in the Dragonborn's life...that was soon to become otherwise.

Horrigoth sighed as he filled out some paperwork. It turned out being Archmage meant his adventuring days were over.

Well, this was half true; the occasional Dragon showed up to give the inhabitants some trouble, usually of the Blood variety or lower, and was summoned to aid them.

Today, however, was not one of those days. He was stuck in his quarters, writing letters to applicants for the College who couldn't brave the journey to Winterhold to test in person. He had to personally write each letter saying the same thing depending on whether he thought they met the school's standards or not. Suddenly, a young argonian male burst through the door. This was Gi-Rijja, one of the new apprentices of the school.

Seeing the alarm on his face, Horrigoth slowly lowered the quill he was using back into its well. "What seems to be the problem, apprentice?" He attempted to remain calm, but his body betrayed him; his shoulders tensed, hungry for action.

The reptilian male caught his breath and answered "Archmage... there was a huge explosion... and then.."

"What is it? What's wrong?" Horrigoth was standing. "Is someone hurt?"

"N-no sir. It was out a ways from the school, to the north! A smoldering black orb appeared and crashed into a glacier!" The argonian was definitely shook up by the event...as was Horrigoth.

Horrigoth froze and his eyes widened. "For the love of Talos, this had best be not what I think it is. If it is..." He turned and retrieved a glass bottle of Ice Wraith Essence.

"We're all doomed."

When the Dragonborn arrived on the scene he saw a mound in the center of a crater. His sight was hindered however; he had used the WhirlwindSprintShout to get here quickly, and as such his abilities were not fully charged. As a result, he couldn't use his ClearSkiesshout to remove the veil of ice and snow from the blizzard that had started up. He approached it and realized it was a young woman, perhaps a year or two shy of his own age of 23 years. He wasn't sure what to do; his instincts screamed helping the girl was a bad idea, but his personal Chivalrous code forbid him from leaving the young woman out to die. So he picked her up in his arms and used his now-charged Shout to return to the school.

Upon arrival he instructed an apprentice to prepare a bed immediately for the girl. She was wearing a hooded robe that had patches of what appeared to be some form of black leather or scales on the shoulders and chest. Her face had sharp features; he was certainly afraid to get on her bad side. Around her neck was a chain of pure ebony with a gold lock holding it tightly in place. The apprentice shortly returned and Horrigoth placed her on the prepared piece of furniture. He summoned his magicka and held two Flamesspells in his hands, supercharging them. The heat from the spells radiated and warmed the girl, who was shivering in her sleep.

"Come on... " he changed spells; His right hand held the powerful Incinerate, putting out alone more than the two Flames spells combined. His other held the spell Grand Healing, which glowed gold as it charged to full strength.

Once he was sure she was alive, he released the Healing spell and golden light shot out from his hand, engulfing the two of them. He ceased the fire in his left hand.

The young woman groaned and shifted. She opened her eyes and looked around. "Where am I...?" Her voice lacked the usual accent, and had an inherent rage behind it, although she didn't seem angry.

She then noticed Horrigoth and jumped to her feet, staying on the bed to dwarf the sitting Horrigoth, who was shocked.

"Dovahkiin! Ahst MU;At last we-!" The girl paused her supposedly intimidating speech.

"What Tarohdiis Suleyk -Treacherous Power- is this?"

"FUS-"

The girl looked down at Horrigoth.

"ROH DAH!" A mighty shock wave knocked the girl into a pile of boxes.

Horrigoth raised a hand that sparked with electricity. "How do you know that language- the language of the Dovahh; the dragons?"

The girl grinned wildly. "That is a foolish question to ask Dovahkiin - Dragonborn. I amDovahh - Dragon. I am Alduin!"

Horrigoth grabbed the hood on the girl's head and yanked it down, revealing long black hair and two black horns rising from the sides of her head backwards.

He then lowered the hood and grabbed the girl's hand. "WULD...NAH KEST!" Anyone they passed felt a light breeze as the Dragonborn and his arch- nemisis sped back to his personal quarters.

Horrigoth had summoned a Storm Antriarch to guard Alduin while he informed everyone he wasn't to be disturbed.

Once he returned he stepped over and looked down at the girl seated in front of him.

"Who are you?"

The girl growled. "I'm Alduin! I am the one you thought you had defeated in Sovengarde! "

Horrigoth sighed. "You say that, yet the only thing you share with him are his horns and those red eyes."

"I will take pleasure in ripping your skin from your bones Dovahkiin!" She lunged at him, but he used a Ward to stop her.

"Another thing, aren't all dragons male?" Horrigoth had never fought a Dragon who sounded female.

"You foolish Joor- mortal! Dragons are above gender! As we have no need to reproduce due to our immortality, we are created without gender, although we were given a male voice, and as such use the male form of speech!" the girl was glaring at Horrigoth.

"...Interesting. Come, we must speak with Paarthurnax."

Upon arrival at the Throat of the World, they saw Paarthurnaxconversing with Odaviing.

"It would appear that there are still several Dovahh causing trouble. Also, the winds speak of a group of Elder Dragons who have formed a council, and intend to continue Alduin's plan." The "younger" dragon reported.

While dragons didn't age, they weren't all created at the same time either. Their power also dictated how they were classified. Hence, weaker dragons were called younger.

"I see. That is unfortunate."

"YOK VAK KULL!" The blast of fire narrowly missed Paarthurnax.

"Ah, Dovahkiin. It is nice to see you again. I'm assuming you overheard our conversation."

Horrigoth nodded. "It seems my work isn't done. However, I know that because of this one."

He yanked down the girl's hood. "Say hello to the new Alduin."

The two dragons stared at the girl, then at each other. Then their thunderous laughter shook the air.

"You must be jesting Dovahkiin. This is not the World-Eater." Odaviing moved closer to the girl.

This was a bad idea. "STRUN BAH OU!" The girl shouted. Storm clouds gathered and lighting began to fall, causing the dragons to tense; they knew lightning was a dragon's greatest weakness short of Dragonrend.

Horrigoth was in terror; he knew that shout and its power.

Alduin stood there smirking, which everyone found odd as dragons didn't smirk.

"Dovahkiin! Use your voice to stop the storm before we all perish!" Paarthurnax pleaded.

"Right. LOK VAH KOOR!" Horrigoth's shout cleared away the clouds.

He then rushed over and placed his hand over Alduin's mouth.

He then held her in place with his free hand.

"Do you believe me now?" The Dragonborn released the girl and crossed his arms.

Paarthurnax leaned in closer to get a better look. "Yes. She smells like him."

"Is it true... are you dragons... asexual?" Horrigoth was curious.

Paarthurnax nodded. "Yes dovahkiin, we have no gender. We refer to ourselves as Male however, as our voices dictate."

Horrigoth shrugged. "That aside, do you know what exactly caused this?"

Paarthurnax and Odaviing looked at each other and then back to Horrigoth.

"We do not know. Perhaps you should visit the Sky Haven Temple. Perhaps there is something there that might aid you." Odaviing commented.

"That sounds like a plan. What should I do with her?" Horrigoth rested a hand on the head of the short girl, who immediately tried to bite his hand for the action.

"Why not take her with you?" Paarthurnax suggested.

The Dragonborn groaned. "She's such a... difficult... being to get along with. I will try to keep her under control."

He raised two hands and summoned an overcharged Clairvoyance, which shifted from a white color to a golden one. He then cast it on Alduin.

"What was that?" the girl fumed.

"It was a variation on Clairvoyance. Normally the spell allows the user to find an object or location by showing a path. However, I've altered it so that it will essentially "mark" you. This means if I use it again, I can track you. No running off, understand?" The dragonborn explained.

And so the duo embarked on the makings of a new quest, one that would lead to new revelations... of more than one kind. However, that tale shall be told later...

Chapter 1 is complete. As you can see this is another Bethesda post-game fic. I'm going in with only Skyrim knowledge here, as this is my first Elder Scrolls game. I'm glad it won GOTY, as it is a fantastic game. For those of you worried about Project: EVE, I'll work on that soon; this upcoming Thursday is the last day for this quarter and I'll get on it. At the same time, I want to work on this and another couple of projects that aren't fanfiction. Apologies for making you wait. A certain SOMEONE (you know who you are) decided to bug me one too many times...