The Last Soulmate

9-Dream

When we finally arrived at our shared apartment, Alduin looked at the place like it was a garbage dump. Well, it was to him, probably. Smug bastard. I still felt sore from the attack. 

“This place is rather small.” Alduin says, his head a few inches away from the top of the door frame. 

“It’s all we can afford at the moment.” I sit down on the couch. “We’re not all royalty here.” 

“Glad you acknowledge your place.” Alduin snaps back. Oh divines, I am so sick of his ass. 

“Please stop, I’m not trying to argue with you.” I leaned back against the couch. 

“As you wish.” Alduin sits on a chair. I can tell he’s a bit uncomfortable with him being one of the tallest people I’ve had the displeasure of meeting. 

“So, that woman, the one you called Dovahkiin, what did she do to you?” I ask him. 

Alduin looks down and takes a deep breath. 

“She was prophesied to end me. She and the three heroes defeated me.” Alduin sighed. “Temporarily, anyway. I am eternal.” 

“And that’s why you hate her?” I press my hand against my cheek. “And her looking like me explains your reaction to me at first.” 

“I suppose so.” Alduin sighed, looking at me. “I thought she was someone else at first….but I was wrong.” 

“Who did you think she was?” I ask him. His expression changes from annoyed to a look that I can’t even decipher. He closes his eyes and presses his fingers against his temples. 

“I don’t want to talk about it.” He spoke. Fair enough, I guess. But now I’m curious. Who was it? A family member? A friend? A girlfriend? A child? I almost burst into laughter. Who would be loved by Alduin besides himself? His brother didn’t even seem too fond of him. I feel bad for whoever that was. Can’t imagine that it was too much fun. 

“Anyone want grilled cheese?” Lydia walked from the kitchen to the living room with a platter of sandwiches in her hands. 

“I’ll take one.” I grab one. 

“Did you want any?” Lydia asked Alduin. He shook his head. I haven’t seen him eat. Or drink anything. 

Alduin leaned back against the couch. I finished off my sandwich and put on some TV. I notice he’s starting to get dark eye circles but I’m not telling him that. 

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He was so close. He was almost at the temple itself. Suddenly, he saw Sahlotaar light her ablaze. 

“AEMMA!” He shouted her name. He saw Miraak tilt his head. He was willing to burn her alive. Alduin landed, realizing Aemma was nothing but a pile of ash. Miraak looked at him. 

“You did love her, uncle. But she did not love you.” He spoke in a taunting voice. 

“You’re lying.” Alduin stared at him, narrowing his eyes. 

“We both know she was using you, uncle.” Miraak sighed. Alduin opened his maw and breathed out fire to turn his nephew to ash. 

Miraak laughed as he was intact, not even soot was on his clothing or mask. 

“You did love her, uncle. Good to know it took the woman dying for you to show her love.” Miraak vanished into a dark green portal. 

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Lia woke up screaming. Alduin woke up with sweat on his body and the smell of smoke in his nostrils. Lia was breathing heavily. Serana, Bryan, and the one named Lydia ran into the room. 

“What’s wrong?” Serana asked her. 

“I had this dream….it was horrible.” Lia was grabbing her hair, her chest moving heavily. “I was a little girl and someone stabbed my mother in front of me.” 

Serana hugged Lia while Bryan and Lia held her hands.  Alduin felt a pang in his chest. He was always alone. He did have his priests and at one point, his brothers. But now, he had no one. 

You’ve always been alone, why does it bother you now? He thought to himself. He had been in this weak form for too long. It was starting to affect him. 

“You good, Alduin? It looks like someone poured water on you.” Lia looked at him. He was irked that she cared. He didn’t need anyone pitying him. 

“I am doing far better than you.” He responded, crossing his arms. 

“If you say so,” Lia shrugged. “I’m going to take a shower.” She and the others walked away. Thank Akatosh. He laid back on the couch, half of his legs sticking out of it. Why did he have to be so tall as a mortal? He would have shouted the place apart out of rage if it didn’t render them homeless. As much as he despised the fact that he had to depend on his “queen” to get his old body back, he had to stay on good terms with her.