My Little Dovahkiin: Wrath of the Damned

Chapter 9

4E 202

The Rift, Skyrim.

"Do you like parties?"

"No."

"Do you like cakes?"

"No."

"Do you like surprises, because this one time-"

"For the last time girl, no! Would you please stop asking me?"

Isen sighed loudly as Pinkie Pie continued her relentless pestering of Sigaar. The carriage driver was on the brink of insanity after three hours of Pinkie's pleas for conversation. The small party had left Riften not too long ago, and Sigaar had been kind enough to take the seven of them to Shor's Stone. Not much had been said during the trip, besides the occasional conversation between the girls and Isen, or with the dour carriage driver.

The sun was glinting over the Birch trees as the carriage rocked on the gravel road. The horses, as Sigaar insisted that two horses be hitched, neighed and snorted in response to the slow turns of the reigns. It had taken awhile for the girls to get used to the horses, but they managed. Rainbow Dash and Applejack had fallen asleep half way through the journey, and Rarity was on the verge of sleep as well. Fluttershy was uncomfortably squished between Isen and Twilight, who was unceremoniously dragging Pinkie away from the driver. Fluttershy paid no mind, though, as her teal eyes scanned the forest, trying to spot any of The Rift's woodland creatures

Isen, on the other hand, was quite tense. Shor's Stone was not his favorite place to dwell. Two months ago, the town was assailed by a dragon, a Blood dragon to be precise, while the Dragonborn and Lydia were passing through. Isen managed to escape with only minor burns and gashes, but Lydia…

Well, the housecarl was lucky she could keep her leg.

Isen shivered as he pushed the memory back into the recesses of his mind. Such things were unpleasant to think about. Besides, he wouldn't want to jinx himself-

The horses stopped abruptly, neighing loudly and stopping their hooves on the gravel. Sigaar yelped and pulled the reigns hard. The girls were shaken from their stupor, and Isen quickly got out of the carriage, followed by the six women.

Isen put a hand on the hilt of his sword, the black leather cool to his touch. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I don't know. The horses must be getting bothered by something." Sigaar answered worryingly. The driver scanned the tree line while Isen, most importantly, searched the sky.

Pinkie Pie then, to the amazement of the two Nords, began twitching rapidly. The eyes of the onlookers widened, and Twilight gasped loudly.

"Oh dear…" she whispered.

Isen crept to Twilight's side and removed his helmet. "What's she doing?"

"Pinkie sense." Twilight responded. She looked for a second longer before locking her violet eyes with Isen's dark-blue ones, "Something's going to fall."

CRACK

Isen and his seven companions cast their gazes to the sky as they beheld a truly frightening sight: a massive pine tree falling from the heavens. The Dragonborn threw Sigaar to the side and used his shout to move the girls away from the carriage, before pulling of his shield and crouching before it. The great pine crashed violently into the carriage reducing the wagon to splinters. The horses, somehow unharmed, broke free from the wreckage and sped off into the forest, their driver not far behind. Isen's shield was pockmarked with splinters. The Nord got up cautiously and unsheathed his sword.

"RWAAAR!"

Isen's heart sank into his stomach. Once again, he yelled for the girls to run, before a plume of earth and ravel erupted from behind him. Isen gulped loudly and slowly turned to his rear. Two green, reptilian eyes greeted him.

A dragon, a Blood dragon, Isen observed, breathed deeply as it raised its head upward. The beast was a massive figure of green scales and sharp teeth, filled with the almost primal urge to kill. The fin that ran across the beasts head was torn, and its scales were blanketed it scars. The dragon began to laugh before preparing to attack the Dragonborn. It reared its head, about to strike-

"STOP!"

Both Isen and the dragon froze before turning their heads to the side. Fluttershy was standing firm on the side of the rode, giving the creepiest glare Isen had ever seen to the gargantuan beast in front of him. To Isen's amazement, though, the Blood dragon actually whimpered!

The beast began to back off under Fluttershy's withering glare. It seemed genuinely frightened by the girl, and Isen stood still in shock at the revelation.

"What gives you the right to attack my friends and scare off the driver?" Fluttershy questioned in a voice that sounded nothing like an angry soldier, as Isen had predicted, but more like a mother scolding her child.

The dragon said something in its language and looked to the side for a moment. Fluttershy seemed undeterred. "But what gives you the right to attack my friends?" she asked.

The beast closed its eyes before muttering incoherently. It yelled ferociously and opened its eyes. The once green spheres were now a completely black, like the eyes had been taken from their sockets. That's when Isen heard it. A sound he heard whenever he fought these creatures, the absence of air in front of the Blood dragon's gaping maw.

'Fire breath.'

Isen ran full tilt at Fluttershy before knocking her out of the dragon's range. The Nord raised his steel shield before the creature let loose its flame. Isen could barely hold back the raging tide of fire. His feet slid on the gravel as he struggled to find his footing. Sweat beaded down his face. The intense flames were burning the shield up!

The monster finally relented and roared louder. Isen found himself just outside the creatures range and came up with an idea.

A terribly unorthodox idea.

Isen raised his shield once more as his battle sense once again flooded through him. A slim grin was plastered on his face as he yelled one quick word.

"WULD!"

Isen was catapulted forward, the land around him blurring as he accelerated towards the Blood dragon. A forceful impact shook the Nord to his core, and he was thrown backward by the blast. The dragon was rearing its head back in pain, blood flowing freely from its nostrils. The dragon's nose was obviously broken by the impact, and Isen used this confusion to his advantage.

Running forward, Isen was about to jump upon the beasts neck before being hit by its tail. The steel armor did little to keep the wind from being knocked of Isen, and he connected fiercely with a tree. Isen's ears were ringing and his vision swam. It wasn't too serious of a wound, he knew that, but it didn't mean it wasn't painful. When he regained his vision, Isen saw the dragon's head flying forward, mouth open, revealing two sets of steel-sharp teeth. His sword and shield lay somewhere on the road, and he had yet to recover from his last shout, so the Nord had only one option.

Meet the dragon head-on.

Uttering the fiercest war cry he could muster, Isen charged forth toward the monster made of bones and scales. The beast roared with renewed vigor and accelerated its charge, its black, empty eyes reaching into its opponent's soul. Isen, however, gave no sign of fear as he charged, doubling his speed as well.

At the last moment, Isen vaulted over the dragon's nose and hung on to the beasts head fin. The Blood dragon tried to shake the Dragonborn off, but Isen held on with all his life. Pulling himself up, Isen moved onto the top of the dragons head. The creature roared louder and continued to shake, and it did just what Isen predicted. With a great heft of its wings, the dragon rose into the air the way a hawk would do. It soared ever higher as Isen's grip grew tighter.

"OH, BY ALL THAT IS HOLY, WHY?!" screamed the unfortunate Nord. The single passenger struggled to find purchase on the dragon's smooth, green scales, but was able to grab onto the beasts fin once more. Isen was the least courageous member of his family. By Oblivion, he could go as far as saying his old horse was braver then him! Besides, how can you be a hero when you're afraid of heights? With this sudden revelation, Isen yelled at the top of his lung and did another stupid act: he began punching the dragon's right eye. Isen had lost all notions of logic, basically running on adrenaline and blind fear. The dragon hollered in pain and wavered at every punch. It struggled to keep its flight path but to no avail.

The Isen reared his fist back and committed the last of his strength to a haymaker; a powerful haymaker. The dragon's eye caved in under the power of the attack, and the black abyss exploded in blood and gore. The creature hollered in agony and began descending at a rapid pace to the ground. It was at this moment, and no moment before, that Isen finally realized his grave error. The dragon was going to fall to the earth, and with all likelihood, die. In addition, Isen so happened to be riding said dragon. The same dragon that was about to fall to the earth…and die. So, what was the genius and devilish idea that first came to mind in the hero's head?

'Oh shit I'm going to die.'

His screams synchronizing with the great dragon's cries, Isen held on for dear life as he rode, for a lack of better term, the beast into the ground. Time seemed to slow down as the duo began reaching the tree line, and at the sudden, jolting impact, Isen's world went black.

Twilight Sparkle was known for her relative calmness under stress, and was always a rational thinker at times of great panic. However, this was not one of those times. She and the girls had watched the exchange between Isen and the dragon until they both disappeared into the clouds. The beast wasn't as large as the dragon's in Equestria, but it possessed not only its own language (which Twilight would waste no time deciphering at the soonest possible moment), but also, somehow, has the ability to resist Fluttershy's infamous stare.

Studies aside, Twilight also saw another example of Isen's shouting abilities, orThu'ums as they were technically named. This one was quite different than Isen's previous shout, and instead of forcing enemies away, catapulted the user forward. It was puzzling to her that one shout contained three words and the other had only one. Perhaps they were attained in the physical realm, and not the magical void.

The most alarming thing, however, was that Isen had disappeared into the clouds with the dragon. If Isen was a Pegasus, he would be able to achieve such a feat, but according to the dreadful screams and the apparent lack of flight for any of Mundus' humanoid life, Isen was in quite the situation.

As the screams began to grow louder, the six women looked to the sky in hope to find their friend. They all gasped, though, when they sighted both Isen and the dragon plummeting to the ground.

"What was he thinking!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash, worry evident in her voice.

"Twiligh', can ya' use one a' your spells to stop them?" questioned Applejack.

"Isen only taught me how to use the flames spell," cried Twilight, "We never got to telekinesis or anything else!"

"Well wha' about-"

Before Applejack could finish the thought, the ground shook as if an earthquake had pounced upon them. The earth a few yards before them erupted in a pillar of dirt, leaves, and gravel. The ground had turned into dust that loomed over the crash site like a storm. The six women could feel their hearts jump into their chests as they awaited either Isen's tall, brawny build, or the green-scaled mass of the dragon.

An echoing 'boom' resounded through the trees, and a cough was heard in the distance. The girls looked at the cloud of dust. Chest plate scratched and splattered with blood, dented helmet in hand, and limping terribly, Isen shambled over to the small group. But that was not all. Following the Nord were six tendrils of orange and blue, twisting and twirling through the air before rapping themselves around Isen in an aura. As the dust cleared, Twilight spotted the dragon, or what remained of it. Gone were the piercing black eyes, green scales, and large tail, and was instead a pile of bones that lay motionless on the ground. It looked as if it was never alive to begin with.

Isen slowly got to the group before falling into the arms of his six companions. The odd aura that had surrounded the Nord was gone, and the Twilight could get a better look at the mess Isen had become. His face was bruised in multiple areas and showed weariness like Twilight had never encountered. A trickle of crimson ran from the top of his forehead to the corner of his likewise bleeding mouth. His armor was spattered with blood-be it Isen's or the dragon's, Twilight couldn't be sure-and was dented in many areas. The Nord's helmet was missing a horn, and was dented and worn. At the sight of the poor Nord, Rarity and Fluttershy had almost fainted, had the adrenaline of the encounter worn of.

"Now," said Isen, catching his breath for a mere moment, "Let's get going."

Night was the most peaceful time of the day for Isen, though it was as cold as an Ice Wraith's innards. All he had to do was rest and relax. He and his small party had made camp near one of the hot springs close not far from the Black River. Here the girls had spent the rest of the day taking a bath (or as Rarity called it, a 'spa') in the warm water. It didn't really bother the Nord that much, but they could have at least warned him. Isen didn't know what was more awkward: being a hero to an ungrateful bunch of revolutionists, or traveling with the least decent women in Skyrim.

However, Isen had more things to worry about then his indecent company. His leg had been broken by the rough landing, and after teaching Twilight how to cast a quick restoration spell, was now as dead as a log. It at least numbed the pain, but it didn't heal the leg. His helmet was now just scrap, and his shield was half melted by the intense heat of the fire. The only metals that survived were his sword and his steel armor.

Pulling the red-wool blanket closer, Isen bent over the tree stump he was currently using as a table. Before him lay his trusty map, which had surprisingly come out unscathed by the dragon's attack. With a lantern in hand, he studied the route he and the girls would be traveling. Hugging close to the Velothi Mountains to the east, the small band of travelers would cross at the mouth of the White River before the Stormcloaks could make notice and would follow the Northern coast until reaching Winterhold.

There were, however, many dangers still on the path. After purchasing all of the necessary supplies, the Nord had already identified every possible danger, but had two main scenarios. Stormcloak patrols had been cracking down in the east since the dragon's showed up. They were not overly friendly to Isen, and since that little accident in Dawnstar…

Well, it was just and unpleasant thought.

The next, and most dangerous, were dragons. Since the whole black-eyes encounter, Isen had become a little paranoid. If dragons could now do that, what other tricks could they perform? That dragon was the strongest Isen had faced in months, and if that new power could be used by the larger variants, then the Dragonborn would be in for a ride.

Perhaps the oddest sight however, was Fluttershy's simple but effective tactic. Not only had she understood the dragon language, something that the Dragonborn could not, but scared it into submission for a short time. Isen quietly reminded himself to not get on Fluttershy's bad side again.

Isen heard a rustle in the dark, and he sighted Fluttershy tip-toeing towards him. She was dressed in her brown pants and green shirt Isen had imparted to her, and was cloaked in a blue-wool blanket similar to Isen's. Fluttershy had been the most worried of the girls about Isen's condition (as well as the angriest, as he had actually killed the dragon). To an extent, she even helped with his injuries, as Fluttershy had helped treat the smaller cuts and bruises with a natural solvent, instead of healing potions.

"So, what are you doing…if-if you don't mind telling me." Fluttershy asked sheepishly.

Isen chuckled a bit at his companion's antics before turning his attention back to his map. "At the moment, I'm laying out the route for the rest of the journey."

He traced the path with his finger to demonstrate, but Fluttershy remained a bit confused. "Why don't we pass through these mountains?" she questioned, pointing to a strip of land north of Whiterun that went to a mountain range near Windhelm; the White Shore.

"Because," Isen started, "It's the main roadway from here, Whiterun," he pointed at the horse-head sigil of the trade city, "To Windhelm." He pointed at the bear-head coat-of-arms of the port town. "Right now, Skyrim is imbued in a civil war because Ulfric Stormcloak, the Jarl, or governor, of Windhelm, killed High King Torygg, the ruler of Skyrim, in a challenge of leadership. After the king's death, the Empire, the main governing body of Tamriel, moved in to restore order to the province. Some of the Nord's opposed the Empire, and formed under Ulfric's banner to create the Stormcloak army. If we move through the White Shore, not only will we face dragons and bandits, but possibly Stormcloak and Imperial troops as well."

Fluttershy wore a face of understanding. It was all new to her, but she caught on pretty quick. "So," she said slowly, "Whose side are you on…if you don't mind."

"No one's side, really. I agree that Skyrim should be free, but not under them Supremacist rule of Ulfric. He believes that, and I quote, 'that Nords, and Nords alone, deserve Skyrim. We fought, bled, and died for this country, so why should we give others shelter if they took no part?'"

Isen sighed as he recalled all the 'alluring' recruitment slogans he heard in Winterhold. He really disliked Ulfric. Isen didn't hate the man's premise, just his beliefs. "As for the Empire," the Nord continued, "My father left the Imperial army after the Great War and the signing of the White-Gold concordant. He actually met my mother during the battle of Bravil…sorry I went off track there. Anyway, my dad was never a Talos worshipper to begin with, so I could care less about that, but when the Imperials aligned themselves with the Dominion, who are a bunch of elven supremacists, my parents took great offence. I was raised, pretty much, on an anti-imperial life."

Fluttershy pulled her blanket closer as she pondered the information, and looked back at Isen. "What were your parents like?"

Isen felt his heart sink into his stomach at those words. He didn't really like the topic, as his parents had died years before. However, if he was going to gain the trust of the six girls, then he would have to give up some secrets.

"W-well," Isen stuttered, "My father's name was Halkir, and he was a soldier through and through. He joined the Imperial Legion when he was of conscripting age. When the Great War, a war between the Aldmeri Dominion and the Empire, came about, he was rushing to the front lines before detachment formed up; he even met General Jonna himself, the lucky bastard. Well, when the Nord Legions took Bravil, which is a town, my father saved an Imperial by the name of Giovanna Morelius from a Thalmor attacker. After the war ended, my father left the Legion and reconnected with Giovanna, and a couple years later, they got married. They were the nicest parents a child could have: loving, understanding, but a bit too overprotective and biased when it came to elves. However, one day, they never came home."

Isen's face grew glum and morose in the light of the lantern. "Some guards found their bodies in the lake a couple days later. My sister and I ran away and met up with Tythis and his parents, and we lived with them."

Isen looked up at Fluttershy to see her reaction, and was met with a sad sight. Fluttershy was sniffling a bit, and tears were starting to form in her eyes. "I'm sorry I-I asked, Isen." she said softly.

"Hey, it was never a problem. It's just a bit…tense, if you know what I mean."

Instead of getting a reply, the Nord felt a quick peck on his cheek. Isen looked up in surprise, and saw Fluttershy's face turn the same color as her hair. She quickly retreated back into the darkness of night before Isen could respond.

Said Nord could hardly believe it. He could expect being kissed by his mother, his sister even, but a stranger he met a day before? It was unwonted sure, but in way, Isen liked it. He smiled a bit before looking back at his map. Then, his lantern went out.

'What the-'

And a flash of blue and brown was the last thing Isen saw before the darkness consumed him.

4E 202

Velothi Mountains Outpost, Skyrim.

With unmatched haste Connor O'Drake barreled past any and all obstacles in his path. The assassins around him looked on with curiosity as the Argonian sprinted through the hallways of the repurposed castle nestled into the Velothi mountain range.

He could hardly be blamed for the incident. Connor was tired, and he only closed his eyes for a moment, but sure enough, they were gone.

All seven of them.

'By Stendarr, Trinity is going to kill me for this.' He mused as crashed through the large double doors at the end of the hallway. Inside the room sat another Argonian with green-blue scales with black scales around its searching eyes. It was taller than your average Nord, and had a lean build that stood out on the figure.

Connor rushed past the Argonian before he was stopped by a strong hand. "Hold it there friend," the tall Argonian said calmly in a deep voice, "What's your business with the boss?"

Connor stared up at his kinsman with steely eyes. "It's my business, Komodo, not yours."

Despite this, Komodo stared with renewed power at the smaller lizard. In a flash, Komodo's eyes widened and his jaw fell. "You have got to be kidding me…"

Connor broke eye contact with the larger assassin and sheepishly twiddled his thumbs. "The Stormcloaks got Isen."