“I have.” There was an obvious tone of surprise in her voice, partly from the fact this was Medusa and partly from the fact she did indeed know who she was. “I didn’t know you were… Well.”
“Alive? Yeah, well it’s not something I like to advertise. Freaks people out.” She shrugged, smirk wide on her face. “So what are you exactly, Black Eyes?"
BLOG UPDATES: Updates have been made to both my rules and bio. THREAD UPDATES: I currently owe insedovah two threads and a drabble of heart-wrenching feels. I believe I replied to everyone else, but please inform me if I missed yours.
Hello new guests! I’m so thrilled you stopped by. If you’d like to start something, just jump into my ask or tag me in a starter.
For now, though, I need my beauty sleep. Until next time, darlings!
[ A nervous chuckle escapes him, into coils of resting snakes, ❝ I cannot say it. ❞
❝ Why? ❞ Her skin beneath his fingers prickles as his had subconsciencely grazes her back with his fingertips. Outside, the city sleeps. Its a starry night, clear, the moon is shining brightly. Life was surreal. ]
Black, toiling clouds broke as the beast dove. Leathery wings flapped angrily against plates and bone as the winds howled - an eerie encouragement to the boiling fury resonating in the monster’s chest. At this elevation, even in his dive, one could see nothing but the expanses of cloud - the sky realm, their realm. The moisture beaded upon black scales, traced along the scars from encounters with the sword weilding demons below. Small trails of ruby invaded into the pure sky water from the encrusted blood still betwixt his spines. In the cover of night his dark form seemed like a moving shadow, a dark shade cast from the bowels of Oblivion and thrown into the realm of Cryodill to rip, to devour, and to destroy. They would pay. They would all pay. Whether or not these decisions altered the course of time, whether it erased sweet memories; the Blades would die.
[❝ I cannot say it because we dragons… we fear the idea. We do not actively seek it due to the eternal connections that it creates. I will not say that I love you, because I do not want to- No, be still, let me finish. It is as strong an emotion as is hate, greed, and pain. Its a poison to our souls. It imprints on it, and it will be a part of us. ❞
She had fallen silent now, and was truly listening, despite prior protest. He could tell she wanted to make a remark. ]
Thunder rolled through the clouds, casting white highlights across obsidian spines, the carmine eyes transfixed upon the unseen target below. Around him, the sillhouettes of other dov blinked in the lighting’s grace before hiding once again in the thick clouds of the storm. Breaking through the second veil, each dragon consumed in the vapor until finally they broke free, and continued to dive with the onslaught of pouring rain. Again, thunder clapped.
Below, dark save the faint candlelit windows and torches outside of the Cloud Ruler Temple, everyone slept. It would receive the same fate as its Sky Haven brother. Alduin would allow nothing less. Lower, and lower, only one hundred feet left the World Eater threw out his impressive wings, slowing his descent only to safer speeds though not sacrificing the punch. Hawk-like talons stretched out, closer and closer the rooftop came. He could hear the rain beating against the shingles, the rapping until it rolled off in waves to the courtyard. Now he was close enough to see them.
The support beam snapped on impact, talons sinking into the structure and tearing at the roof. Clawed-phalange upon his wings pushed through the hole he created before tearing back and ripping away the rooftop in pieces. Around him, fellow dragons flew overhead, silent, waiting, and watching. When the first armor clad Blade stared in fear through the gap into the ceiling, rainwater dripping from the World Eater’s scales and slapping the joor in the face, Alduin threw open his jaws and unleashed yellow-white flames into the bare hallway. Windows burst from the extreme flash of heat, glass splintering into small shards, releasing the terrified utterances of screaming victims within.
[ They had both laughed. ❝ Don’t mock what you do not understand, prunah. I am not… “shitting” you. I have seen only two mates of my kind through my entire life - life, dear one - you understand the concept of eternity, yes? ❞
He could feel her smirk. ❝ Oh, it means forever and ever and ever and… ❞, she traced a circle in his chest, before reclining her head back and mimicking the longing look so overplayed on the television. He had clasped his eyes just and covered her own.
❝ Em- Em stop, please”, he had to force through a smile, “I don’t think you understand my sincerity. ❞ ]
Bellows drowned the storm’s song, the entire rafters of the Cloud Ruler temple lit aflame, the powerful, furious roar trailing into a pitiful cry. His kind responded with their own song, circling above much like vultures. They would not aid until their overlord allowed them. Throwing his wings down the World Eater tore at another section of the temple before rising to flight, the wall toppled, crumbling after years of standing proud atop the hill. Floors fell within themselves and those still alived dropped into the rubble. Stone after stone, the temple toppled, the few survivors racing through the courtyard. The Blades swore and taunted him, threw spears that bounced off of his hide like pebbles. Some shot arrows that only stuck when lodged between the overlapping plates. Skull snapped towards them, the demons, those devils. They were worse than the Daedra. They would burn in the fiery plains of Oblivion, every realm and torture the Princes could find for them. Clasping his wings against his hide, the Bane of Kings fell into their training grounds, throwing his head back with a fang baring roar. The sky reddened, and meteors aflame fell with the rain.
All civilized battle tactics that Alduin had previously inlisted were vacant from his mind. Animalistic instincts drove his fangs forward, crunching flesh and blood as easily as a pestle does powder. Their weapons were mere stings he endured until he could cripple their wielders. Pools of blood collected as the rain would have, sinking into the soil and tainting the earth. The Cyrodillic Blades had no defense in comparison to the their Skyrim brethren, trained and prepared for dragon combat. These fools were dead while they still lived - each and every one of them. Alduin would not allow a single Blade to continue on. It was their fault. They had done this to him, and they would pay with every single last drop of blood in their veins. Emotion wouldn’t ache, cripple his immortal soul if they hadn’t interferred. A black, tainted heart bent on destruction wouldn’t hiccup at the thought of a snake, it wouldn’t halt briefly when dreams played horrible tricks on him. Why would someone do this so willingly? How had this happened? It didn’t matter. None of it mattered. Vengence. Revenge. Through the blood of the enemy. It was the only satiable action. Whether this altered that future, he cared not. Let the world be changed as it would, let everything form around the World Eater’s rage.
For several hours he fought them, until they were naught but corpses and remains strewn across their intricate courtyard. Every sword he found he bent beyond recognition with his fangs save the soft gum tissue suffering from their finely sharpened edges, and for sometime after he ripped at the stone fortress until it was but a shell of its former self. Fellows had landed, and watched in silence as their thuri ravaged without pause. None were willing to intervene. They fear their own safety.
Rain suffocated the flames, the meteors faded away, and the Bane of Kings stood at the top of the temple’s impressive staircase. Blood dripped from him as if it had continued to rain though the storm was but a rumble in the distance. Chest rose, shaking with fatigue at the very effort with breathing, before slipping between nostrils cut more than thrice with swords, black ooze dripping from the lacerations. They bubbled and sprayed when the exhale was ragged. Out at the Imperial Nation he stared, stared at where the families to his enemy slept in peace. Peace. The concept made him snort, and his muzzle dipped, exhaustion creeping in. Muscles convulsed at the briefest alteration to his stance, the shifting weight throwing him off balance. If he had not had an audience, he considered dropping, laying in the filth of his rage to rest briefly. The relatives of his prey lived and loved still. Red orbs glared into the darkness. They would not be allowed.
[ ❝ So, the Great Stone dragon doesn’t feel, hmm? Do I get it now, Mushu? ❞ She tapped on the flesh above, where he supposed, human hearts were. The ring on one of her fingers was a familiar gift. He’d thrown one of the many pairs of sunglasses she owned at her, letting him stare into the dark mirrors in hopes, perhaps, he could see what was beyond.
Your pop culture still eludes me, though I understand your Mushu pet name. I suppose this is where I laugh. Rergardless… My trinkets to you have much symbolism (we can discuss them over a drink sometime?). First, an Amulet of Dibella I had handcrafted for you (don’t worry about it). Second, a ring I bore upon waking in this ridiculous realm. There is much to it, from my observations. Please, do take it.
Yours,
Alduin
Her hands ran through the dragon engraving and the beautiful necklace, tracing the leaves and the middle gem as she read the letter. She grinned widely, her snakes wounding tightly around each other.
“What a cutie."
Em fastened the necklace around her neck and slipped the ring on her thumb. She had a feeling she would be seeing him again.
