Chapter 94 Butterfly in the Stomach at skufldan
Odahviing carried them through the freezing sky, the wind howling fiercely around his massive wings. Far below, jagged mountains and endless stretches of snow blurred into one another. Slowly, through the drifting mist and pale clouds, ancient stone structures began to emerge ruins carved into the mountain itself, sharp and solemn, as if the land had grown fangs.
Tall pillars, broken arches, and weathered stairways clung to the cliffside, their surfaces scarred by time and frost. The air grew heavier, colder carrying a strange pressure that made the skin prickle, as if the place itself was watching them.
Astrid leaned forward slightly, her cloak fluttering wildly behind her. She narrowed her eyes, focusing on the ruins ahead, then lifted her arm and pointed.
"Is that where Alduin is?"
Her voice was steady, but there was tension in her shoulders.
Odahviing's deep, resonant voice answered, calm and deliberate.
"No. More precisely, that place is a gateway a nexus connected to the portal that leads to Sovngarde. This place is known as Skuldafn."
As he spoke, the dragon's golden eyes scanned the terrain below. Snow swirled violently near the ground, and broken stone paths twisted like veins around the mountain. After a moment, Odahviing angled his wings and began his descent.
The ground shook as he landed heavily in front of the ancient entrance. Snow burst outward, and loose stones rattled and rolled down the steps. The massive doors of Skuldafn loomed before them, half-buried in ice and shadow.
Odahviing lowered his head slightly.
"I can only take you this far. I will wait here… either for your return or for Alduin."
Without another word, he spread his enormous wings. A powerful gust of wind swept over Alex and Astrid as Odahviing leapt into the air. In seconds, his silhouette vanished into the gray sky, leaving only silence and the oppressive presence of Skuldafn.
Alex stood still, staring at the ruins. His gaze traced the ancient carvings, the steep stairways, the unnatural stillness of the place. His hands clenched unconsciously at his sides.
(In the game, this place can't be reached on foot… It's only accessible through Odahviing. That's why I could never find it without him.)
The realization weighed heavily on him.
Astrid noticed his sudden stillness. She stepped closer and lightly nudged his arm with her elbow.
"Hey. What's wrong?" she asked, tilting her head. "Why are you just standing there like that?"
Alex blinked and snapped out of his thoughts. He shook his head, forcing a small smile.
"It's nothing… really."
He turned his gaze toward the towering stairway leading upward.
"Come on. Let's move. I'm sure the portal to Sovngarde is at the top."
Astrid crossed her arms, studying his face. Her brows furrowed slightly she clearly wasn't convinced.
"Hey," she said more softly, "just say it if you're not sure. Or if this has something to do with your past life."
Alex let out a slow breath. His shoulders relaxed as he nodded.
"Yeah… it does."
He glanced back at the ruins, his expression serious.
"In the game, this place can't be accessed by walking or normal exploration. The only way to reach it… is through Odahviing."
For a moment, Astrid was silent. Then her eyes widened slightly, and understanding washed over her expression.
"Ahhh… so that's why."
She let out a small laugh and shook her head.
"That's why you were so careful back in Dragonsreach making sure Odahviing didn't get killed by you."
She looked at him with a faint, approving smile.
"Good thing you held back."
Alex scratched the back of his head, his tension easing. A sheepish grin spread across his face.
"Hehe… yeah. That's right."
The cold wind howled between the ancient stones as they stood before Skuldafn two figures at the edge of destiny, preparing to walk into a place that even the living were never meant to reach.
Together, they stepped into Skuldafn.
The moment their boots touched the stone of the outer courtyard, a cold, deathly silence shattered. From behind broken pillars and collapsed walls, draugr began to rise, their decayed armor scraping against stone as hollow groans echoed through the open yard.
Astrid's eyes sharpened instantly. Her hand snapped to her weapon, shield lifting as her stance lowered.
"Here they come."
Without hesitation, she charged forward, boots pounding against the frost-covered ground. Steel rang sharply as her blade struck, smashing straight through a draugr's skull. Bone and ancient dust scattered across the stones.
At the same time, Alex raised both hands. His fingers curled, and arcane energy surged from his palms.
"Bound Sword."
With a sharp flash of blue light, two glowing ethereal blades materialized one in each hand. The air hummed as he lunged forward, spinning on his heel. One clean strike crack a draugr's head flew aside, its body collapsing lifelessly.
Astrid noticed him out of the corner of her eye mid-battle. She blocked an incoming strike with her shield, kicked the draugr back, and called out, half-grinning.
"Hey! It's been a while since you fought physically," she said while swinging again. "You usually rely on magic, don't you?"
Alex ducked beneath a rusted axe, slashing upward and cutting through another draugr's torso. Without looking back, he replied calmly,
"Well," slash, "if I don't move my body properly," step, parry, "it'll get stiff, won't it?"
They fell into a natural rhythm Astrid breaking through the front lines with brute force and Thu'um, Alex covering her flanks with precise, fluid strikes. When one of them staggered an enemy, the other finished it. No wasted movement. No hesitation.
They fought as one, like a team that had done this countless times.
Finally, the last draugr collapsed in a heap of ancient bones.
Astrid exhaled sharply and planted her sword into the ground for support. She wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her glove, shoulders rising and falling.
"Phew… there were quite a lot of them," she said, rolling her neck. "Good thing I used my Unrelenting Force Thu'um sent most of them flying."
Alex reached into his inventory and flicked a small bottle toward her.
"Catch."
Astrid turned just in time, catching it effortlessly with one hand. She looked at the stamina potion, then up at him, a grateful smile tugging at her lips.
"Thanks."
Astrid tilted her head back and drank the stamina potion in long gulps, the liquid spilling slightly at the corner of her lips. She exhaled slowly as warmth spread through her body, her shoulders loosening.
Meanwhile, Alex remained still.
His eyes moved deliberately across the courtyard over the broken pillars, the stairways, the shadows between ruined walls. His brow furrowed, jaw tightening as if something didn't sit right with him.
"Hm…" he muttered under his breath. "Strange. They should be here."
Astrid lowered the now-empty bottle, letting it fall from her fingers onto the stone with a light clink. She turned toward him, one eyebrow raised.
"They?" she asked. "Who do you mean?"
Alex opened his mouth to answer
but the air suddenly shuddered.
A deep, thunderous WHOOOM rolled across the sky as massive wings beat against the wind. Loose snow and debris trembled on the ground, and a sharp shadow swept over them.
Astrid stiffened instantly.
A split second later, two dragons descended from above one trailing frost-laced mist, the other wreathed in waves of heat and smoke. Their roars tore through the silence, echoing off the ancient stone like a war drum.
Astrid spun sharply toward Alex, eyes blazing.
"HEY!" she shouted over the roaring wind. "Why didn't you tell me there were DRAGONS here, Alex?!"
Alex winced slightly and scratched his cheek, giving her an awkward, apologetic smile.
"Well… I kinda thought you already knew," he said lightly. "I mean, if Alduin was healing himself, he'd obviously have guards, right?"
Astrid stared at him for a second.
Then she sighed heavily and rolled her eyes.
"Unbelievable…"
She lifted her shield and pointed her sword toward the frost-covered dragon as it landed with a crash.
"Fine. I'll handle this one," she said firmly. "You take the other. Okay?"
Alex's expression sharpened. Arcane energy crackled around his hands as sparks of blue-white lightning danced between his fingers. He grinned.
"Okay," he said confidently. "Don't worry."
They split apart without another word.
Astrid charged straight at the ice dragon, planting her feet firmly as its breath froze the ground around her. She raised her shield to block the blast, frost crawling across the metal, then countered with a powerful Thu'um, her shout tearing through the air and staggering the beast. Steel clashed against scale as she struck again and again.
On the other side of the courtyard, Alex faced the fire dragon. Flames surged toward him, but he slid aside smoothly, unleashing torrents of magic lightning ripping through the air, explosive spells detonating against the dragon's chest, and arcane force bending the battlefield to his will.
The battle raged roars, shouts, magic, and steel colliding in an overwhelming storm.
Finally, with one last deafening cry, both dragons fell their massive bodies crashing into the stone, sending shockwaves through the courtyard.
Silence returned.
Exhaustion hit them all at once.
Astrid planted her sword into the ground and leaned heavily against it, chest rising and falling as sweat dripped down her temple. She lifted her head and looked toward Alex across the ruined yard.
"Alex…" she said between breaths. "We should rest for a bit."
Alex wiped sweat from his brow and let out a tired laugh.
"Haha… yeah. Maybe we've been living too comfortably lately," he said, stretching his shoulders. "Looks like our bodies got lazy."
Alex turned his head toward the towering entrance of the temple, his eyes lingering on the massive stone doors half-swallowed by darkness and ancient carvings.
"Let's go inside Skuldafn Temple," he said, rolling his shoulders as if trying to shake off the fatigue. "We can look for a safe place to rest there, okay?"
Astrid inhaled deeply, then lifted her thumb with a small but confident grin.
"Yeah. Sounds good."
Together, they pushed against the massive doors. Stone scraped against stone with a deep, grinding groan as the doors slowly gave way. Cold air rushed out from within, carrying the smell of dust, rot, and something unmistakably dead.
They stepped inside.
Dim torchlight flickered along narrow corridors and high stone ceilings. Cracked walls were lined with ancient Nordic carvings, their faces twisted in eternal screams. From the shadows, draugr stirred, their hollow eyes glowing faintly as they reached for rusted weapons.
Astrid let out an exaggerated groan.
"Ugh… them again."
She didn't wait.
With a sharp step forward, she charged, shield raised and sword swinging in a brutal arc. One strike crack a draugr's skull shattered. She twisted her wrist smoothly, cutting down another before it could even lift its axe.
Alex followed close behind. His hand rose, fingers spreading as arcane energy surged.
"Chain Lightning."
A bolt of lightning erupted from his palm, leaping from one draugr to the next. Their bodies convulsed violently before collapsing in smoking heaps.
Alex glanced around as the echoes faded, eyes scanning the branching corridors.
"We should also look for a place to rest," he said calmly. "Somewhere with a fireplace would be perfect."
Astrid wiped her blade on a fallen draugr's armor and nodded.
"Good idea. You search that side," she said, pointing down a shadowy hallway. "I'll search this one."
Alex gave a short nod and headed off.
He moved carefully, clearing a nearby room first checking corners, listening for movement. Once satisfied it was safe, he relaxed slightly and began searching. A faint smile crossed his face as he opened an old chest.
"Haha, not bad," he muttered. "Some potions, gold… and gems."
He continued deeper, but each room he checked was the same empty stone chambers, collapsed furniture, no warmth, no fire. His expression tightened with mild disappointment.
Then
"Aleeeex!" Astrid's voice echoed loudly through the corridors.
"Over here! I found it!"
Alex straightened instantly and broke into a light jog, following the sound of her voice. Along the way, he stepped over piles of draugr corpses, broken bones scattered across the floor.
"Haha," he chuckled breathlessly, "there were so many of them."
He turned the final corner and entered the room.
Astrid was already there sitting down, her posture relaxed for the first time since entering the temple. The faint glow of firelight danced across the stone walls, casting warm shadows as the crackle of flames filled the air.
"Look at this room," Astrid said, a soft smile spreading across her lips as she slowly turned in place. The warm glow of the fireplace reflected in her eyes. "Perfect, right? We can rest here first before continuing."
Alex followed her gaze, taking in the sturdy stone walls, the steady crackle of the fire, and the sense of safety the room offered. With a small flick of his wrist, two bedrolls appeared on the floor, neatly placed beside the hearth.
Astrid's eyes widened in amazement. She leaned closer, crouching slightly to inspect them.
"Waaah… that's so convenient," she said, her voice filled with genuine wonder. "I really wish I could do that too."
Alex chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Haha, maybe one day Farengar will figure out how I do it," he replied lightly. "He's the diligent type if anyone can, it's him."
Astrid smiled and gently lowered herself to sit beside Alex. Their shoulders brushed, close enough to feel each other's warmth. For a while, neither of them spoke. They simply sat together, watching the flames dance, listening to the quiet crackle of burning wood and the soft hush of the wind beyond the walls.
"We're almost there, Alex," Astrid said at last, her voice barely above a whisper. She rested her head lightly against his shoulder. "Soon… we'll finally have peace. We can enjoy our time together just us, and Lucia."
Alex felt his chest tighten. He reached for her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers, squeezing gently as his eyes remained fixed on the fire.
"Yeah…" he murmured softly. "That's right."
After a moment, Astrid slowly lifted her left hand, extending it forward. Her fingers relaxed, then her pinky moved shyly, brushing the air as if testing something unseen.
"But for some reason," she said quietly, a hint of vulnerability in her tone, "I'm afraid this little finger might get hurt. I want someone to protect it."
Alex turned toward her. He understood immediately.
A warm smile spread across his face as he leaned closer, his breath brushing her skin. He placed a gentle kiss on her neck, lingering just long enough to make her shiver.
"Hehe… I know exactly what you mean," he whispered. "And I will. I'll give you a beautiful ring… and an Amulet of Mara, my love."
Astrid let out a soft, delighted giggle, her cheeks warming as her heart fluttered wildly like butterflies dancing inside her stomach.
"Hihihi~"
They leaned closer, foreheads touching, the world outside fading away. Like inseparable lovebirds, the gentle warmth of the fire and the comfort of each other slowly pulled them into sleep.
Before they knew it, they fell asleep together, side by side held by warmth, trust, and a future they were about to fight for.
One Handed 31 ->35
Destruction 80 ->82
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