8
Red eyes narrowed as he stared at the Dragonborn. She could not see his expression. She was clutching the Elder Scroll in her arms. He was silent. The portal beside him hummed.
"Well?" she arched an eyebrow, "Will he honour his word?"
Her tusk moved and he inclined his head regally. "Yes."
She stares at him. Taking his measure. He waits, silent and unmoving. When she finally inclined her head, he reached out and grabbed her arm with his bare, bloody hand. The Dragonborn stiffened but he knows she will not fight him. He Shouts the second word to activate the portal. It moves overhead, swallowing them both within its depths.
They reappear in Helvete. The landing room, the largest of his four caverns. The torchbugs that illuminate them are sleeping and his domain is pitch black. She wobbles on her feet but straightens in the darkness. Her tusk does the twitch and his eyes narrow.
She cants her head left and right, her ears twitch. She is assessing his domain, trying to ascertain her whereabouts in the darkness. He is still holding her arm.
"Come ." He drags her behind him as he makes for the den. In his Atmoran form, the rooms and hallways are huge and long, to accommodate his true form. She keeps up with his pace. She does not stumble.
He stills at the entrance of his den. The scent of gold encompasses him briefly. His eyes were drawn to the mountains of gold, silver, jewels, and precious stones. Buried beneath a mound, a black chest awaits.
Guiding the Dragonborn to a mound on the far end of the room, he released her arm to dig into the side of the pile of gold. It takes him a minute to drag the heavy, black-scaled chest out. He flips the lid, gold bars and coins scatter across the floor, breaking the ominous silence. Her muscles tense, the blood pumps loudly.
The Dragonborn raises her head. He hears her inhale, scenting her surroundings. He waits until she lowers her head to grab her arm and dragged her towards the opened chest. She tripped over it in the darkness but does not topple over it. She kept her balance.
He remains silent as he watches her blindly reach out to touch the big chest before her. Her fingers touch the edge, seeing what her eyes can not.
"Drop the Elder Scroll within," he commands. His eyes narrow further as she clutches the scroll tighter to her body. His eyes narrow further behind his helmet. He waits.
Time slows as it is apt to do. She moves deliberately, touching the chest, the Scroll is snug to her body. She does eventually drop the Elder Scroll within. He smiles briefly, showing his fangs. He moves her aside and closes the heavy lid over the box. He straightens and raises a booted foot to the side of the chest.
He makes no noise as he shoves the scaled chest back into the mountain of gold. It disappears. He does not linger and grabs the Dragonborn by the arm as he drags her away. He would keep his end of the bargain.
She stumbled behind him. He takes her back to the landing room. The torchbugs still sleeps, his home is still the pitch blackness he prefers. He stops in the middle of the landing room and straightens. She bumps into his back.
His eyes narrow behind his helmet and he Shouts one word. Ashpit.
She gasps behind him as another portal appears, lighting the area that surrounds it in a purple haze. This portal is different than others. It swirls with blues, purples, blacks and magentas. A miniature Oblivion gate that did not divulge what was on the other side.
He waits while the Dragonborn cautiously moves from behind him to his side. He can see her wide eyes as she stares at the portal in wonder and awe. He frowns as she suddenly frowns and glances about the landing room curiously, her attention elsewhere. Her tusk moves, he focuses on it.
She is searching for something. Her green eyes narrow and she scans what little she can see in the dimness. After a few moments he speaks.
"Our bargain," he raises his gauntleted hand to motion the portal.
She stands beside him, and straightens. Her muscles tense and she turns her head to look up at him. He tilts his head down. Her eyes wander around his helmet, to his horns and then his visor. Her tusk moves again.
"Where is your master?"
He reaches up and removes his helmet, exposing his distinct, glowing red eyes. It was Time for the mortal to understand he was the master. Her eyes widened and she stills completely. She recognized him.
"I was not expecting a man under there," she speaks as though she was disappointed, her eyes travelling his face. He frowns again, confused. She had not recognized him? His eyes narrow as he stares down at her.
"I am Alduin," he says slowly. She blinks at him, her eyes travel his length from top to bottom and back again.
"You are the dragon?" There is disbelief in her tone. His frown deepens.
He motions the portal again and nods. "Yes." He makes the portal pulsars to get her attention. It failed. "Your Lord awaits."
She ignored his words completely and steps back away from him. "Prove it." Her eyes are on his.
His eyes become mere slits. Prove it? She questioned his words? He growled low in his throat, his chest rumbled. He was about to throw her into the portal when he stops. Her arousal was heavier now, stronger. There was an air of excitement about her.
It intrigues him that he scents her arousal at the mention of his natural form. He decides to let her stay a little longer. He would still toss her into the Ashpit, but he was curious now.
He clenched a fist and the purple portal vanishes from view, reducing the visibility in the landing room to absolutely nothing. She gasped again and he watches as she focuses on his eyes, the only source of light now. She can see him watching her.
She takes a step in his general direction just as he shoves the helmet back on his head. He turns on his heels and leaves her stranded in the landing room. He makes his way back to his den, uncaring that she calls, and stumbles blindly behind him.
Here he transforms into his natural form. He lets his aura encompass the room so that even in the darkness she would know he was in here. He moves to his bed and lays down, facing the entrance. He can hear her in the other room.
Torchbugs wings start to flutter. He knows the lights will come on soon. He lays his chin on the bed and curls his tail around his body.
He waits.
