Chapter 92 The Mockery and Provocation
The moment Astrid completed the summoning, the air itself seemed to revolt.
A violent wind surged across the wide stone balcony, howling like a living thing as it tore at cloaks, hair, and banners. Loose dust and gravel skidded across the floor, scraping loudly against the ancient stone. Above them, the once-clear sky darkened rapidly thick, churning clouds rolled in from every direction, swallowing the blue as if the heavens were closing their eyes.
Astrid stood at the center of the balcony, her boots planted firmly against the ground, one hand still raised from the summoning. Her armor rattled faintly under the pressure of the wind. Beside her, Alex narrowed his eyes, steadying himself as the temperature dropped and the air grew heavy, charged with something ominous.
They were alone.
Jarl Balgruuf and the Whiterun soldiers had already retreated inside Dragonsreach, their footsteps echoing faintly beyond the doors as they prepared the trap in silence. The massive balcony now felt unnaturally vast an exposed platform suspended between sky and stone, with nothing but the roaring wind and gathering darkness as company.
Then
A thunderous roar split the sky.
The sound was so deep and overwhelming that the stone beneath their feet trembled. Astrid instinctively clenched her fist, while Alex felt the vibration echo through his chest, rattling his bones. The roar carried authority ancient, furious, and unmistakably draconic.
From the distant clouds, a massive shape emerged.
A red-gray dragon tore through the darkness, its enormous wings beating the air with terrifying force. Each flap sent new gusts crashing down onto the balcony. For a brief moment, its glowing eyes burned through the storm like twin embers before the dragon ascended sharply, vanishing once more into the thick cloud cover above.
Alex's jaw tightened.
"...He's testing us," he muttered under his breath.
Then something struck him.
His eyes widened slightly, and he turned to Astrid, his voice low but urgent.
"Astrid… I forgot to tell you something important. Odahviing isn't just any dragon."
Astrid glanced at him, brows knitting together.
"He's Alduin's right-hand man."
For a heartbeat, Astrid said nothing. The wind screamed between them. Then her eyes widened just a fraction, and her expression hardened. She spat to the side, irritation and tension flashing across her face.
"Damn it," she muttered. "Alright… then we absolutely can't underestimate this one."
She shifted her stance subtly, lowering her center of gravity, her hand hovering closer to her weapon as her senses sharpened. This was no ordinary battle.
Alex met her gaze. His expression was calm, but there was steel beneath it focused, unyielding. The storm reflected in his eyes as he nodded once.
"Right," he said firmly. "And remember we're not killing him. We have to capture him."
Inside his mind, doubt flickered brief, but heavy.
(Okay… I hope my strength is enough to restrain him instead of killing him. Holding back against a dragon like this… this is going to be brutal.)
Above them, the clouds churned violently once more, as if something massive was circling just out of sight.
Waiting.
Without warning, the clouds above split apart.
Odahviing burst through the storm like a falling comet, his massive body plunging straight down as the air screamed around him. The pressure alone was suffocating. His shadow swallowed the balcony in an instant, and his glowing eyes locked onto Astrid with predatory precision.
Astrid barely had time to inhale.
Alex felt it before he fully saw it the killing intent, sharp and overwhelming. His pupils shrank, and instinct took over. He thrust his hand forward, fingers splayed.
"Move!"
Invisible force slammed into Astrid's body as telekinesis yanked her sideways. She was torn off her feet, armor screeching against stone as she skidded hard across the balcony. At the same moment, Odahviing's jaws crashed down where she had been standing.
CRACK.
His fangs snapped shut with terrifying force, the impact sending a shockwave through the stone. Sparks flew as one of his teeth scraped across Astrid's Daedric armor, carving a shallow gouge and leaving a sharp, metallic screech echoing in the air.
The dragon roared in frustration, hot breath washing over the balcony like a blast furnace.
"Astrid!" Alex shouted.
He rushed to her side, crouching low, his eyes moving rapidly over her armor, her limbs, her face checking for blood, broken movement, anything wrong. His jaw was tight, his breath shallow.
"Hey are you alright?!"
Astrid groaned softly as she pushed herself up on one knee. Her gauntlet trembled for a brief second before she clenched it into a fist and steadied herself. She rolled her shoulder once, testing it, then exhaled sharply.
"I'm fine," she said, nodding once. "Just a scratch."
Her eyes lifted toward the sky, narrowed and alert, tracking the shifting clouds where Odahviing had already pulled back. Her voice dropped, serious and controlled.
"But we need to be careful. This dragon doesn't underestimate humans like the others do."
She wiped dust from her armor and added grimly, "And that makes him far more troublesome."
Alex followed her gaze. His expression darkened as his thoughts raced. The wind howled around them, tugging at his cloak as an idea began to take shape.
He stepped closer to Astrid, lowering his voice. Leaning in, he whispered near her ear so only she could hear.
"What if I become the bait… and you prepare Dragonrend?"
Astrid turned sharply toward him. For a moment, worry flashed clearly across her face her brows drawing together, her lips parting as if to protest. Her eyes searched his, measuring him.
Then she saw it.
The calm. The confidence. The power he carried now so different from before.
The hesitation faded. Astrid exhaled slowly, then nodded once, firm and resolute.
"…Alright," she said quietly. "I'll trust you."
Alex straightened and stepped forward, placing himself deliberately at the edge of the balcony. He rolled his shoulders once, loosening up, then tilted his head back toward the clouds, a sharp grin forming on his lips.
"Hey!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the wind.
"You oversized flying reptile!"
His arms spread slightly, openly challenging.
"Is all you can do just fly around and hide behind the clouds, huh?!"
For a heartbeat, there was no response.
Then Odahviing inhaled.
The clouds glowed orange as a massive torrent of flame poured downward, roaring toward Alex like a descending wall of destruction. Heat blasted across the balcony, stone glowing faintly under the inferno.
Alex didn't move.
The flames washed over him, licking at his cloak and armor but the enchanted ring on his finger pulsed faintly, and runes woven into his cloak shimmered. The fire parted and weakened around him, reduced to little more than scorching wind.
Alex squinted slightly, brushing imaginary ash from his shoulder.
"…That's it?" he scoffed.
"Come on. Is that really all you've got?"
High above, concealed within the storm, Odahviing circled.
From the clouds, his ancient eyes watched the balcony carefully. The woman was gone vanished from sight. His wings slowed, suspicion creeping into his thoughts like a cold claw.
Where did she go…?
Instinct warned him. If he descended now, something dangerous might be waiting.
So he stayed among the clouds, watching.
Waiting.
Alex clenched his teeth, the muscles in his jaw tightening as he stared up at the roiling clouds. His fingers twitched at his side, mind racing. What would truly provoke a dragon like him…?
Then, a spark ignited.
Wait he's Alduin's right hand.
Alex slowly exhaled. His shoulders relaxed just a fraction, and a knowing glint appeared in his eyes.
He lifted his head and called out, his voice calm almost casual carried effortlessly by the wind.
"You know your master well, don't you, Odahviing?"
A faint, deliberate smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Alduin."
For the briefest instant, the air shifted.
High above, Odahviing's massive form stiffened. One powerful wing beat came a fraction too late, the rhythm of his flight faltering just enough to betray him. The clouds around him rippled unevenly.
(Haha… got you.)
Alex's smile widened not with joy, but with precision. He could feel it now. The connection.
"You know that the Dragonborn, Paarthurnax, and I fought him, right?" Alex continued, his voice ringing sharply through the darkened sky.
He spread his arms slightly, as if presenting a fact rather than a threat.
"Care to guess what happened to him, hmm?"
Then Alex threw his head back and laughed loud, unrestrained, and mocking. The sound echoed again and again between the clouds and the stone walls of Dragonsreach.
"He got completely beaten to a pulp by us! HAHAHAHA!"
Alex pointed upward, eyes blazing.
"And then he ran away like a coward! A Dragon King fleeing like that seriously?!"
The wind surged violently, responding to Odahviing's rising fury.
Alex didn't stop.
"A reptile is still a reptile," he sneered, voice dripping with contempt, "even if he calls himself a king!"
He slammed a fist against his chest.
"Immortal, my ass afraid of a mere mortal like me?! HAHAHAHAHA!"
The clouds exploded outward.
A furious roar tore through the sky, shaking stone and bone alike.
Odahviing's patience shattered.
With a thunderous beat of his wings, the dragon shot upward for a split second then folded them tight and dove straight down, ripping through the thick cloud cover like a spear of living wrath.
"INSOLENT MORTAL!!!"
His voice boomed like the end of the world.
"HOW DARE YOU INSULT MY KING?!"
As the dragon burst from the clouds, his shadow swallowed the balcony whole.
Alex's expression hardened instantly.
"ASTRID NOW!!!" he roared.
He planted his feet and thrust both hands forward, veins standing out along his arms as he focused. Telekinetic force wrapped around Odahviing's massive body, subtle but relentless, nudging the dragon's dive just slightly off its perfect killing line.
Just enough.
The instant Odahviing came into full view
From within, Astrid stepped forward, her stance grounded, her eyes burning with resolve. She drew in a deep breath, ancient power vibrating through her chest.
"JOOR… ZAH… FRUL!"
The Thu'um tore through the air.
Dragonrend slammed into Odahviing's body like an invisible hammer, forcing the alien weight of mortality onto his immortal form. His roar twisted into agony as his dive faltered violently.
The impact was catastrophic.
Odahviing crashed into the balcony with a deafening BOOM, stone exploding outward in shards. Deep cracks spiderwebbed across the ancient floor as sections of the balcony began to collapse.
Alex was thrown backward by the shockwave.
Gritting his teeth, he wrenched himself sideways with telekinesis, barely escaping as tons of stone gave way beneath him and plunged into the abyss below.
Odahviing roared in pain, claws scraping desperately against stone as he struggled to rise. He lunged toward Alex
but the weakened balcony could no longer hold.
With a large crack, the stone shattered completely.
Odahviing slid, his massive body slamming against the edge. He barely managed to hook his claws into the crumbling stone, clinging on with raw strength.
"DAMN YOU!!!" he snarled, saliva and smoke dripping from his jaws.
"I'LL DEVOUR YOU ALIVE!!!"
Alex clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms. Every instinct screamed to finish it but he forced himself to hold back.
He has to live.
He straightened and looked down at the enraged dragon, a cold, taunting smile returning to his face.
"Well…" Alex said calmly, tilting his head, "seeing you like this…"
"…I guess it makes sense that your leader got beaten senseless by us, right?"
Odahviing's eyes snapped fully onto Alex.
Nothing else existed.
Rage consumed him completely.
"BASTARD!!!"
With a savage roar, Odahviing lunged straight toward Alex, abandoning all caution.
Alex spun on his heel and bolted toward the interior of Dragonsreach, boots pounding against the stone floor. Even as he ran, he threw a glance over his shoulder, a grin tugging at his lips.
"Oh? What's wrong?" he shouted mockingly. "Having trouble catching a mere mortal?"
Behind him, Odahviing roared in pure fury, abandoning all restraint. The massive dragon forced his way after Alex, wings scraping violently against the stone walls. Talons gouged deep furrows into the floor, sending chunks of stone skittering everywhere. Pillars cracked. Tapestries were shredded in an instant.
Alex weaved through the hall with sharp turns, deliberately slowing just enough to keep the dragon enraged and close.
"Careful!" Alex added, ducking under falling debris. "These pillars are historic! Whiterun's going to charge you for that!"
Odahviing snapped his jaws inches behind him, the shock of it rattling Alex's teeth.
"STOP RUNNING, MORTAL!!!" the dragon thundered.
Alex glanced back again, panting slightly but still smirking.
"Hey, hey, you're the one who started chasing! Don't blame me if your wings don't fit indoors!"
They reached the center of Dragonsreach the exact point Balgruuf had prepared. Heavy mechanisms groaned faintly above, hidden among the beams and chains.
Alex skidded to a halt, sliding across the stone floor and pivoting smoothly to the side.
"Right about… here," he muttered.
High above, Jarl Balgruuf stood with the soldiers, his expression sharp and unyielding as he raised his hand.
"Activate it."
CLANG KRAK THOOM!
The massive trap dropped in an instant. Thick iron restraints slammed down around Odahviing's neck and wings with brutal precision. Chains snapped tight, runes flaring as the mechanism locked in place.
Odahviing thrashed wildly, roaring in rage and disbelief. His wings slammed uselessly against the restraints, claws scraping sparks from the stone.
"ROOOOAAARRR!!! LET ME GO!!!"
Alex covered one ear and winced.
"Wow, wow indoor voice, please."
The dragon struggled again harder but the trap didn't budge.
Nothing moved.
Silence crept in.
Odahviing's movements slowed. His roar faded into a low, furious growl as realization finally settled in.
…He was trapped.
His massive head lowered slightly, chains creaking as he turned and his eyes met Alex's.
Alex stood a short distance away, hands on his hips, chest rising and falling from exertion. A smug, almost childish grin spread across his face. He leaned forward just a bit, eyes glittering with satisfaction.
"Hehehe…"
He pointed at the immobilized dragon.
"Looks like one dragon has finally been cap-tu-red."
Odahviing snarled, smoke curling from his nostrils but for the first time, there was something else mixed into his rage.
Humiliation.
Astrid, watching from behind, released a long, slow breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Her shoulders finally relaxed, though her eyes never left Alex.
She studied his expression the grin, the taunting ease, the way he stood so casually in front of an ancient, furious dragon.
A strange unease settled in her chest.
Not fear.
Not danger.
Just… realization.
Perhaps… she thought quietly, this is simply the true nature of humans.
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