Skyrim II: The Dragonborn Comes.

Part Fifteen: Temple of Miraak.

  "It's so dank in here." Aela murmured. She holds up a torch as five of us make our way through the desecrated temple. Frea nods. "Many have died here. Many have chosen to worship Miraak and the Dragon Cult."  
 "Dragon cult? Worshippers of Alduin?" I ask. "Not all Alduin." Fennorian said in a low voice. "Miraak didn't worship him." 
"I could tell." I think back on my visions and dreams. Miraak never seemed worried about the coming of the World-Eater. I clear my throat, my hands shake my by side. Sinding takes my left hand in his and gives it a squeeze. "It's going to be alright." He mouths. I give him a shaky nod when we stop to the entrance of a room. A large, leatherbound book covered in black  cords, floats on a pedestal. A sickly green light illuminates the room, which is carved out of dragon bones and draugr.  I close my eyes. Its just a book, I tell myself. 
"Much evil is attracted to the pages in that tome. We will be watching you to make sure you stay safe." Fennorian says gently. I give him a small smile. "Thanks, Fenn."  I look at Sinding who says. "I'm right behind you." 
I nod and then turn to walk towards the tome. Frea follows right behind me. "If something happens to you while you read it, I will try to wake you up. My father says that Hermouas Mora holds his power in those books. He could grab you and take you if need be." 
I raise my eyebrows. "I've had my fair share of Daedric princes in my short life." I see Sinding smirk. 
I place my hands on the sides of the book. It's cool to the touch. I open it gently and see old daedric letters. I try to understand what I am reading when I turn a page too fast and a long paper cut forms on my finger. A dark droplet of blood seeps out and before I can wipe it off, a droplet touches the page and the room disappears. I feel the cords of the book hold my arms to my sides as I fall to my knees. I look up and see that I am no longer in that room in the Temple. My husband and the others are gone. I can't hear them. Instead, before me,  is a man. His long black hair runs down his back and he is speaking to two creatures....
"Now my seekers, the time is about near-" his voice is rich, and he whips around to face me. He is beautiful. His dark hair is joined with a dark mustache and beard. His eyes are gold, like fire and he smiles. "Hello, Taniiaae. I was wondering when I was to meet you. Face to face and not just by dreams." He waves a hand and the two seekers lift up their thin arms and I am lifted from my knees. "Let me go, Miraak!" I say, trying to squirm from the cords. He holds his hand up, and the seekers land me to my feet. The cords fall off of my body like nothing. "Where are they? Where are the others who came here with me?!" I snap. I try to lunge forward but sharp pain fills my head and I fall to the ground, my hands holding my head. "They are there. Watching you, writhe in pain, child." He whistles and I hear the bellowing off a dragon.  A sleek dragon, with the head of snake lands a few feet from us. Miraak pulls down his mask and the spikes on it extend. "Come, Sahrotaar, let us leave this place. Mora will find a new toy to place with and we will leave this prison and make our own kingdom in Tamriel." He sits upon the dragon's neck and they take off as I feel the sharp pains in my head increase.  
"Daughter of Hircine. " 
I look up and swallow back a cry. A giant mass of tentacles and eyes stares at me from the sky. It's center eye blinks and a voice comes from it. "Who are you to open the Book of Waking Dreams?" 
"Are you Hermouas Mora?" I rasp. "Are you the Daedric Prince of this realm?" 
The voice hums. "So you know who I am?" 
"Yes, yes, and I came here to-" I try to speak. 
"I KNOW WHY ARE HAVE COME!" Mora's voice shakes the earth. "You want to learn the shout. To Bend Will. To bend the dragons' will, the people and mine." 
I shake my head. "No, I have no fight against you, Prince. I am no lover of the daedra, but I know better than to cross you. I just want the powers to free these people, and to stop Miraak." 
I feel hot tears and snot trickling down my eyes and nose.  "If I give you the Bend Will Shout, you must stop Miraak. And you must serve me." Mora said, his voice booming. 
I shake my head. "I won't serve any more Daedra." 
"Hhmmmmm..." I hear Mora. "I will teach you the Bend Will Shout. But you have to defeat Miraak....and deny Hircine of his gift to you. I will accept no less." My heart beat sped at the mention of being freed for Hircine's grasp. The Daedric Prince of Knowledge doesn't know he would be doing me a favor buy taking away the lycanthropy. "How can I know to trust you?" I rasp, looking up into his giant eye. 
"You can't.....hmmmmm.... but I want Miraak punished for thinking he can overthrow me. I will give you the Bend Will, but if you betray me....you too will face my wrath." I feel my chest clench as if the life was being taken from me and then as quick as a snap I'm gasping for air. 

"Tanii!" I hear Sinding exclaim as I cough and sputter as I land on my backside. I look up at the Black Book which is open on it's stand. Sinding wraps his arms around me and says, "Are you alright? You went still and stopped breathing for a few minutes, I thought you were gone." I look at him, and then I see Frea standing beside me. Behind her, Aela and Fenn stand. "How long was I out?" I ask. 
"You became unresponsive about fifteen minutes ago. But your breathing halted all together for about five minutes." Frea said. "You started frothing at the mouth and nose within those five minutes, and your eyes turned white as if you were dead." 
"Was it Miraak?" Sinding asked. I nod. "And Hermouas Mora. The Prince offered to teach me the Bend Will Shout....as long as I kill Miraak....and give up....give up my power from Hircine." 
Sinding gives me a small smile, but I see Aela stiffen. "And what did you say?" She asked, her voice cool. 
"I agreed." 
   
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It was a relief to walk out of the temple, but the droning sound of the Skaals under Miraak's spell was haunting. I watch as the men, and women, man and Mer spoke in trance. I see Malborn continuing to work alongside them as if nothing had transpired at all. I walk over to the Stone in the center of it all. I press my fingers against its cool, smooth exterior. I take in a deep breath and then shout; "GOL HAH DOV!" I'm thrown back against the steps as are the people who were entranced. On top of the Stone, sits a giant beast. It was black and slimy, it's hands and feet were webbed and it's eyes and jaws like a giant, carnivorous fish. "LURKER!" Frea bellows. Aela tries to bring it down with her bow when the Lurker turns into a dragon. It was Sahrotaar. "Everyone, get out of here!" I say, struggling to get up, but I felt my ribs crack when the blast had thrown me against the steps. I hear laughing above me as Miraak materializes in front of me. "Foolish girl." He sneers as holds his hand out to the dragon. "By releasing these slaves, you released me. Now Tamriel will suffer for your stupidity." The dragon calms as Miraak climbs unto it's neck. He is about to take off when I force myself unto my hands and feet and hold on to it's foot as it soars into the air. Admist the pain, I hold on as much as I can as it leaves the Temple and hits the skies. 
  Sahrotaar feels me clinging unto his  foot and tries to use his fangs to pull me off or eat me. My hands slip and I fall off of the dragon's paw. I hear Miraak laugh as in a pang of fear I scream. This was it, I was going to die and I was going to fall to my death.  
  "OD-AH-VIING!" I shout. It was my last hope. I feel claws gently sounds my body and I look up in shock as Paarthanaax holds me in his paw. He chuckles. "I have you now, little Dovah-kin." Above him, I see a flash of red as soar towards where Miraak had flown off. Odahviing. 
   Paarthunaax slowly lands and sets me down gently into the ash. The pain in my ribs is excruciating as I whimper. "Y-you are here?"
The old dragon chuckles as Odahviing lands beside him. "You did summon me after all." Odahviing muses. "The old one was able to hear as well."  
 "Taniiaae!" 
I turn to see Aela run up to me. Sinding is on her heels. I see nothing but relief in their faces. "I'm here." I say weakly. Aela stops short when she sees the dragons but Sinding hardly acknowledges them when he sees me. "Are you alright?" He asks. I nod my head. "My ribs hurt worse than a horker in the sun, but yes. I'm alright." 
I hear footsteps as Fennorian jogs up. Behind him, I see Malborn. I smile. "Malborn! You're here! You're you!?" 
Malborn wide eyes look around but then he smiles. "I don't know how I got here, but I'm here." 
  Fennorian slowly approaches and he looks at Sinding. "She's fractured a few of her ribs. We need to head back to the Skaal's village for proper treatment."  
"Where's Frea?" Aela asks, looking around. "She's with her people, on there way home. She wanted to talk in a little more of a private setting then here." Fenn says.  
Odahviing tilts his head at Paarthunaax. "Do we want to take them back to the village? I do not know how they will perceive you and I, Old One. I do not wish to be yoked down again like a common pack animal."
 Paarthunaax hums. "I know Storn Crag Strider. The Skaal are not like the Nords of Skyrim."  He looks at me. "You did well." 
I shake my head. "But I didn't, Miraak is free." 
"That is what he thinks....hmmmm......" The Old Dragon said thoughtfully. "He is lacking the power you have. Being trapped in a realm of Oblivion has weakened his power. Come, we will go back to speak to the Skaal's and then we will discuss our next best course of action."

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   "PA! MA!" Lucia cried running to us after Sinding helped me climb off of Odahviing's neck. Sinding, knowing I was hurt, intercepted her into a hug and kissed her head. "How's my darling girl?" He brought her over to me where I held  her face in my hands and kissed her cheeks. "Your ma had a bit of an accident, so she is sore. So be careful with her." Sinding said in a soft voice. I shake my head. Lucia nods. "I know, the old man, Mr. Crag Strider told me you were hurt saving his people." I look at Sinding, and then back at Lucia. "How did he know?" 
"I've been a shaman for many decades. And The All-Maker relays many answers to my prayers." Storn said, walking up through the snow with Frea by his side. The village was bustling with noise and laughter. Storn smiled. "I have to thank you for freeing our people. The village hasn't been so active in months." 
  Paarthunaax landed softly into the snow, Malborn, Aela and Fennorian slid off of him. Storn bowed his head low to the dragon. "The Leader of the Greybeards. It has been a very long time since you have graced us with your presence, Wise One."  
 The dragon nodded, "Far too long, my friend." 
"I wasn't able to defeat Miraak." I said, "He escaped." 
Storn nodded. "Indeed, but you won a victory.  But I sense a new presence attached to you. You have spoken to Herma-Mora?"
 Before I could speak, Frea intercepted. "Father. She read one of the Black Books like we asked her to do. Mora said he could give her the Dragon Shout if she helped kill Miraak." 
Storn bowed his head. "Indeed, but your shout isn't as powerful enough to go against Miraak as we thought." 
   He looked towards Fennorian. "You have been alive for hundreds of years, my friend. Are there other ways to strengthen her knowledge." 
Fenn looked at me, then the Shaman. "I know what you know. She would have to indulge in another Black Book." 
"I was afraid so." Storn said, rubbing his eyes. 
"Father? What do you mean? There are more Black Books here in Solstheim?" Frea asks. 
Storn bows his head. "Yes, but I do not know where they are. I know that Master Neloth of House Telvanni has knowledge of where to find such books." 
  "Where does he live?" I ask. 
"Tel Mithryn. I can take you to him." Fenn offers.  I look at Paarthunaax and then Storn Crag Strider. "Is reading more of the Black Books the only way?"  
The old man doesn't say anything, instead it is Paarthuunax who does. "Miraak touched the darkness and let it consume him. You have also touched him but are fighting against it. This is the only way. Miraak is not of this world, not anymore. Unlike Alduin, is fighting against his fate."