Chapter 74 Fight Alduin
Alduin, the World-Eater the ancient progenitor of all dragons and their supreme leader stood before them in terrifying majesty. His colossal body loomed like a living mountain, scales as dark as obsidian and etched with ancient scars of forgotten wars. Each slow breath he took sent waves of hot air rolling across the summit, carrying the scent of ash and ozone. His vast wings unfolded with a deep, thunderous creak, blotting out the sky itself and casting an overwhelming shadow across the stone peak.
Alex instinctively clenched his fists, his heart pounding violently against his ribs. Astrid stood frozen beside him, her breath caught in her throat as her eyes traced the impossible size of the dragon before them. Even the wind seemed to falter, as if the world itself was holding its breath in Alduin's presence.
Alduin lowered his massive head slightly, molten-gold eyes narrowing as they fixed upon the two mortals. When he spoke, his voice did not merely echo it shook the mountain, each word resonating through bone and soul alike, like the tolling of a cosmic bell announcing the end of all things.
"Pathetic mortals," he rumbled, lips curling back to reveal rows of colossal, serrated fangs. "Do you truly believe you can defeat me?"
A low, contemptuous growl rolled from his chest.
"How insolent."
The stone beneath their feet trembled faintly with his disdain.
Paarthurnax, hovering nearby, slowly descended and landed upon a jagged outcrop. Snow and loose stone scattered as his talons dug into the rock. His wings folded halfway, not in aggression, but in solemn restraint. His ancient eyes once filled with pride now brimmed with sorrow as they rested upon Alduin.
"Alduin…" Paarthurnax said, his voice heavy, burdened with regret. "You have truly changed."
He lowered his head slightly, as if mourning what once was.
"You have been blinded by the power granted to us by our father. You abandoned the duty Akatosh gave you as World-Eater, choosing instead to rule over Nirn."
For a brief moment, the wind howled between them, carrying the weight of ancient history and broken bonds.
Alduin's expression twisted violently. He snapped his head toward Paarthurnax, wings flaring wide in fury, sending shockwaves of wind across the summit.
"Silence!" he roared, his voice cracking like thunder. "You know nothing of our father!"
His claws scraped against the stone as he leaned forward, towering over Paarthurnax.
"Who do you think you are," he snarled, "to dare lecture me?"
Before Paarthurnax could respond, Astrid stepped forward.
Her boots crunched against frost-covered stone as she planted herself firmly between Alduin and Alex. Though her body trembled beneath the crushing aura of the World-Eater, her eyes burned with defiance. She lifted her chin, gripping the hilt of her Daedric sword tightly, knuckles pale beneath her gauntlets.
"Hmph," she said sharply, her voice cutting through the tension. "You're too late, Alduin."
She drew in a deep breath, steadying herself.
"I've already learned the shout Dragonrend."
Alduin let out a low, mocking snort, a burst of hot air blasting past Astrid and causing her cloak to whip violently behind her. His lips curled upward in a cruel grin.
"You think," he said slowly, venom dripping from every word, "that a single Thu'um can stop me?"
Without warning, he spread his wings fully and began to rise. Massive gusts of wind tore across the peak as snow and debris were hurled into the air. Alex raised an arm instinctively to shield his face, his coat snapping violently as Alduin ascended.
Hovering high above them, Alduin looked down upon the mortals as one might gaze upon insects.
"I want to see it," he declared.
"I want to see mortals struggle in vain to stop me."
Then, he unleashed his power.
A deafening Thu'um erupted from his maw, ripping through the heavens themselves. The sky darkened instantly, thick black clouds swirling unnaturally fast. Lightning tore through the clouds in blinding arcs, illuminating Alduin's massive silhouette like a god of destruction. Thunder crashed so violently it felt as though the mountain itself might shatter.
The air burned with raw magic.
Moments later, flaming streaks tore through the sky small meteors, trailing fire and smoke, crashing down upon the peak of the Throat of the World. Each impact sent shockwaves through the stone, geysers of rock and snow erupting with every strike.
Amid the chaos, Paarthurnax roared and took flight, his massive wings beating against the storm as he surged toward Alduin.
"Astrid!" he called out, his voice strained but resolute.
"Use Dragonrend on him, Dragonborn!"
The battlefield had been set.
Alex moved instantly.
His fingers blurred as he reached into his inventory, the familiar sensation of reality momentarily warping around his hands. One by one, the enchanted rings vanished from his fingers three Fire Resistance rings, then two Fortify Alteration rings each removal making the heat of the battlefield bite sharper against his skin. In their place, five rings engraved with violent Destruction runes locked around his fingers.
The effect was immediate.Raw arcane power surged through his veins like lightning through metal. His vision sharpened painfully, Alex exhaled slowly, forcing his trembling hands steady.
"Astrid," he said, his voice tight but resolute, eyes never leaving the sky. "I'll cover you from behind. I'll deflect the meteors with telekinesis."
Astrid turned her head just enough to meet his gaze. Despite the chaos, she gave a sharp nod absolute trust reflected in her eyes.
She stepped forward.
Her boots slid across fractured stone as she planted herself firmly, knees bent, shoulders squared. The wind howled around her, tugging violently at her cloak, but she stood unmoving. Drawing in a deep breath, she felt the ancient words burning at the back of her throat.
"JOOR… ZAH… FRUL!"
The shout tore from her lungs like a weapon made of pure will.
Dragonrend slammed into Alduin.
The effect was instant and catastrophic.
Alduin's roar twisted into a howl of agony as the Thu'um struck not his body but his soul. His massive wings faltered mid-beat, convulsing violently as if the sky itself rejected him. The great dragon plummeted downward, smashing into the stone peak with earth-shattering force. The mountain screamed, cracks spiderwebbing outward from the impact.
"What is this cursed shout?!" Alduin bellowed, thrashing against the ground.
Now grounded. Now vulnerable.
Astrid did not hesitate.
With a sharp motion, she take out her Daedric sword and shield. The blade materialized in her grip with a sinister hum, its black surface drinking in the stormlight. Her shield locked into place just as Alduin reared back, chest swelling as molten fire gathered in his throat.
Astrid braced herself.
The moment Alduin unleashed his dragonfire, she raised her shield high, angling it instinctively to cover Alex behind her. Flames exploded outward, engulfing them in a roaring inferno. The heat was overwhelming but the enchantments held. Fire washed over her armor, curling around the shield's magic barrier before dispersing harmlessly into smoke.
Astrid's boots dug into the stone, sparks skidding across the ground as she held firm.
When the flames faded, she lifted her head, eyes blazing.
"Is that all you've got?" she taunted coldly.
Alduin's fury detonated.
"You INSECT!" he roared.
He lunged forward, jaws snapping wide enough to swallow her whole
but the air screamed.
Alex thrust both hands forward, veins standing out violently along his arms as telekinesis seized Alduin mid-motion. The dragon's massive head jerked to a halt mere meters from Astrid. The invisible force strained and warped under the impossible weight.
Pain exploded inside Alex's skull.
It felt as though his mind were being torn apart from the inside. Blood trickled from the corner of his eyes as the pressure intensified, his knees buckling under the strain of restraining a sentient, godlike being.
"Ggh !" Alex gasped. "Astrid NOW! ATTACK!"
Astrid moved instantly.
She surged forward, every step precise, every muscle screaming. Leaping high, she drove her Daedric blade straight into Alduin's skull. The blade pierced deep, black blood spraying across the stone as Alduin howled in agony.
But then
The weight vanished.
Dragonrend's effect faded.
Alex screamed as the backlash hit him like a hammer. He released his telekinesis, collapsing to one knee, clutching his head. One second longer and he would have lost consciousness entirely.
Alduin roared, blood pouring down his face, one eye impaled by the sword. Yet even in that state, he laughed.
"Hahaha! Witness me, mortals!" he snarled as he tore himself free and took to the skies. "Show me your faces of despair!"
Before their eyes, his wounds began to close. Flesh knit together. Bone reformed. The impaled eye slowly healed, the blade forced out as if rejected by his body.
Astrid's grip tightened.
Alex stared upward, dread crawling through his chest.
Then
A thunderous impact.
Paarthurnax slammed into Alduin midair, his talons raking across Alduin's side, sending scales flying.
"Astrid!" Paarthurnax roared. "Continue using Dragonrend! It strikes at his soul it is the key!"
Alduin shrieked in rage and whipped around, summoning meteors with a furious Thu'um.
"TRAITOR!" he screamed. "Whose side are you on?!"
Paarthurnax twisted through the storm, narrowly avoiding the falling fire.
"I stand with our father Akatosh!"
"GRRR CURSE YOU!"
Alduin surged forward, jaws clamping around Paarthurnax's neck as they collided in brutal, close-quarters combat. The sky filled with roars, claws, and clashing wings.
"Astrid!" Alex shouted, voice raw. "Use Dragonrend! It's the only way!"
Astrid hesitated, heart pounding.
"I can't!" she yelled back. "I might hit Paarthurnax if he gets caught in it, this could turn into a disaster!"
Alex looked skyward.
The meteors were falling again.
Gritting his teeth, he forced himself upright, blood streaming freely now. With a scream of effort, he extended his telekinesis, seizing the falling meteors one by one. The pain was indescribable his vision blurred, ears ringing violently but he held on.
With a violent gesture, he redirected them.
The meteors slammed into Alduin's back.
The explosion rocked the sky.
"Astrid NOW!!!" Alex screamed.
Astrid unleashed Dragonrend once more.
Alduin screamed not in triumph, but in raw, animal fury, like a predator denied its kill.
"DAMN YOU!" he roared. "I WILL DEVOUR YOU ALL FIRST!"
Paarthurnax was hurled aside, crashing into the mountainside, his neck torn and bleeding but alive. Alduin landed heavily, scales shattered, his breathing labored.
Astrid charged.
Claws met shield. Tail met stone. She blocked, rolled, countered every movement fueled by sheer will. Alex supported her from behind, hurling Thunderbolt spells into Alduin's wounds, lightning tearing through scorched scales despite the agony splitting his skull.
When Dragonrend faded once again, Alduin took flight
but this time, his regeneration slowed.
The wounds did not close instantly. His breathing was uneven.
They could see it now.
Dragonrend was consuming his soul.
And for the first time since the battle began
The World-Eater was weakening.
The battle dragged on far longer than any mortal confrontation should have.
Time lost its meaning amid the endless thunder, flame, and shattered stone. The summit of the Throat of the World had been reduced to a ruin craters gouged deep into the mountain, obsidian-black scorch marks spreading like veins across the rock. The storm above churned violently, as if the sky itself were exhausted from bearing witness.
Alduin roared.
It was no longer a roar of dominion but one of exhaustion and pain.
His massive body trembled as he struggled to remain airborne, wings beating unevenly. Ancient scales cracked and split, black blood seeping between them. Each breath he took came out ragged, the once-endless furnace within his chest now sputtering.
Astrid's Dragonrend had done what no blade or spell ever could.
It had wounded his soul.
Alduin slammed heavily onto the stone once more, talons scraping uselessly as he steadied himself. His glowing eyes locked onto Alex and Astrid no longer filled with cosmic certainty, but with burning, unfiltered hatred.
"Pathetic mortals," he growled, voice hoarse and broken, yet still heavy with threat.
"This is not over."
His wings spread wide.
The air distorted as he prepared to flee.
Alex reacted on instinct.
Ignoring the screams of pain in his skull, he thrust both arms forward, fingers clawing at the air as if trying to seize the world itself. Telekinetic force erupted outward, latching onto Alduin mid-flight.
The dragon's massive body lurched violently.
"What ?!" Alduin snarled as his forward momentum died instantly.
"LET ME GO, YOU WRETCHED MORTAL!"
Alduin thrashed against the invisible grip, wings beating furiously, claws carving deep furrows into the mountain as the force dragged him backward.
Alex's body began to fail.
Blood streamed freely from his eyes, running down his cheeks in thin crimson lines. His legs shook uncontrollably, boots scraping against broken stone as he struggled to stay upright. A weak, almost delirious laugh escaped his lips.
"Heh… Astrid…" he gasped, teeth clenched so tightly they trembled.
"Use… Dragonrend… one more time."
Astrid froze.
Her heart pounded violently as she turned toward Alex. His condition terrified her his face pale, eyes bloodshot, body barely holding together through sheer willpower alone.
For a moment, doubt gripped her.
But then she saw his smile.
Not one of madness but of trust.
Gritting her teeth, Astrid forced herself upright despite the agony tearing through her muscles. Her armor was cracked and scorched, one pauldron hanging loose, her breathing shallow and ragged. Every potion she carried was gone.
Still, she stood.
"For Skyrim," she whispered.
She drew in one final breath.
"JOOR… ZAH… FRUL!"
The shout exploded from her with everything she had left.
Dragonrend struck Alduin again.
The World-Eater screamed.
It was not the roar of a god but the howl of a wounded beast as the Thu'um tore into what remained of his soul. His wings locked stiff, his body convulsing violently in midair.
Astrid's legs finally gave out.
She collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath, one hand braced against the stone to keep herself from falling completely. Her vision blurred, ears ringing, strength utterly spent.
Alex released his telekinetic hold.
The backlash hit him instantly.
"Good… Astrid… ngh…"
He clutched his head with both hands as a white-hot spike of pain tore through his mind. His knees buckled, but he refused to fall. Anyone else would have collapsed long ago but the promise he had made burned in his chest, anchoring him.
He would help her atone.
He would help her save Skyrim.
They both looked up.
They expected Alduin to crash.
But he didn't.
Instead, Alduin's body flared with a dark, terrible light. Ancient runes ignited across his scales as he screamed in defiance, burning away a portion of his own soul to tear free of Dragonrend's grasp.
The cost was immense.
His form flickered, unstable, power bleeding away like smoke but he broke free.
"Hmph…" Alduin snarled, wings spreading with labored effort.
"This… is not over."
With a final furious beat of his wings, Alduin tore through the storm clouds and vanished into the distance, leaving only thunder and ash behind.
Alex staggered forward a few steps, blood dripping onto the stone.
"Hey…" he shouted hoarsely, raising a trembling fist toward the sky.
"Big lizard! Fight us, you coward!"
There was no answer.
Only the howling wind.
Alduin was gone.
And the mountain fell silent at last.
The storm slowly began to fade.
The thunder receded into distant echoes, and the violent winds that had torn across the summit weakened into a cold, mournful breeze. Snow drifted softly once more, settling over scorched stone and shattered ground like a pale shroud laid upon the battlefield.
Paarthurnax lay collapsed near the edge of the peak, his immense form rising and falling with labored breaths. Deep gashes marred his neck and wings, dark blood staining the frost beneath him. Each movement sent a low, pained rumble through his chest.
Nearby, Astrid knelt unsteadily on the broken stone. Her armor was cracked and blackened, her shoulders slumped, every breath sharp and shallow. The battle had taken nearly everything from her.
And Alex
Alex staggered.
His legs nearly gave out as he forced his battered body forward, every step leaving a faint smear of blood behind him. His vision swam, the world tilting dangerously, but he clenched his teeth and refused to fall not yet.
He dropped to one knee beside Astrid and raised a trembling hand. Pale golden light flickered weakly around his fingers as he cast Healing Hand, pressing his palm gently against her side. The warmth spread slowly, closing wounds inch by inch, though the spell wavered with his failing strength.
He let out a breathless, shaky chuckle.
"Heh…" His voice was barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry… Astrid."
He swallowed hard, eyes dim but still searching her face.
"I couldn't keep my promise. I couldn't defeat Alduin… I couldn't help you atone."
Astrid's breath hitched.
She reached up slowly, her gauntlet scraping softly as she removed it, revealing trembling fingers. With infinite care, she cupped Alex's cheek, her thumb brushing away the blood trailing from the corner of his eye. Her touch was warm grounding real.
Her lips curved into a gentle, aching smile.
"It's alright," she whispered, voice thick with emotion.
"We're still here. And we'll get our revenge together."
Alex let out a soft laugh, relief and exhaustion mingling in the sound. His forehead leaned lightly against hers for a fleeting moment just long enough for her to feel his warmth, his breath, his presence.
Then his body went slack.
Alex collapsed forward into her arms.
"Alex! Alex!!!"
Panic surged through her as she caught him, pulling his limp form against her chest. She pressed her ear to his chest, her hands shaking as she searched desperately for signs of life.
A heartbeat.
Weak but there.
She exhaled sharply, her shoulders sagging as tears finally spilled freely down her cheeks. She held him close, one hand tangled in his hair, whispering his name over and over like a prayer.
Behind them, a low rumble echoed.
Paarthurnax stirred.
Golden light began to shimmer faintly across his wounds as his scales slowly knit together, ancient regeneration asserting itself. With effort, he lifted his massive head and looked toward Astrid, his expression solemn yet kind.
"Dragonborn," he said gently. "Your companion's spirit is unbreakable."
He lowered himself further, offering his broad back.
"Allow me to help you. I will carry you to High Hrothgar."
Carefully, Astrid adjusted Alex in her arms and climbed onto Paarthurnax's back, cradling Alex against her chest. As they rose into the sky, the cold wind rushed past but Astrid shielded Alex with her body, wrapping her cloak around him as if to keep him anchored to this world.
As the mountain shrank beneath them, Paarthurnax spoke again, his voice calm and reflective.
"I have seen many strong mortals across countless ages," he said.
"But none like your partner. To restrain Alduin our leader even for a moment…"
A deep, reverent pause followed.
"That is an extraordinary feat for one so fragile as a mortal, even with Alduin weakened by our father he still stronger in our kind."
Astrid tightened her hold on Alex.
"Is Alduin weaker now?" she asked quietly.
"Yes," Paarthurnax replied. "He burned his soul to regenerate. But it was your Dragonrend that truly wounded him. It does not merely force dragons to the ground it tears at our very souls. It is a weapon forged solely for our kind."
She nodded slowly, eyes fixed on Alex's pale face.
"Do you know where he went?"
"Unfortunately, no," Paarthurnax said. "I severed ties with him long ago when he defied Akatosh. That is why Akatosh chose you, Dragonborn. Remember this Akatosh stands with you."
High Hrothgar soon emerged through the thinning clouds.
The great stone monastery stood silent and solemn against the mountain, ancient and unyielding. As Paarthurnax descended, the massive doors opened, and the Greybeards rushed out, their faces filled with awe as they beheld the ancient dragon with their own eyes.
Without hesitation, they bowed deeply.
"Treat Alex," Paarthurnax commanded, his voice carrying undeniable authority.
"He is in critical condition."
The Greybeards moved swiftly, carefully lifting Alex from Astrid's arms and carrying him inside. Astrid followed closely, reluctant to let go until the last possible moment.
At the threshold, she stopped.
Turning back, she bowed deeply toward Paarthurnax, her voice trembling but sincere.
"Thank you… truly."
Paarthurnax inclined his massive head, a gentle smile softening his ancient features.
"Of course," he replied. "Think nothing of it."
With a powerful beat of his wings, he rose into the sky once more, returning to the lonely peak above while Astrid stepped into High Hrothgar, carrying both hope and fear in her heart.
And beside her, Alex still breathed.
Status
Main Level: 38 → 40 (after sleep)
Perk Points: 5 → 7 (after sleep)
Destruction: 72 → 80
Alteration: 62 → 78
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