The Great War-A Skyrim Fanfiction-Book One

Chapter Four

Talen awoke under the warm sunlight of the morning. He was lying under an oak tree, a fire to his left. Linwen sat by him, if sat was the right word. She was collapsed on the ground, clearly trying to sit up. Her eyes were half open but she was sleeping soundlessly. Talen kind of thought that she never slept, but it seemed he was wrong. Her face was peaceful, strange after the night before. What had happened the night before? He knew it was something bad, but the exact circumstances were hidden from his memory.

He sat up slowly, his body aching. Slowly standing up, he wobbily bent down and tapped Linwen's shoulder. She bolted upright, looking over at Talen.

"You feeling better?" she asked.

"I don't remember what happened but yeah, I'd assume. But you...."

"Don't worry. I'm used to it. And besides, you...were not doing well."

"What happened?"

"You really don't remember?"

Talen shook his head slowly.

"Well, you woke up screaming, and you were all woozy. Then, well...you fell in the fire. But you didn't burn. You froze. You passed out again, and you started doing better after a while. And now you're up. Let's hope this time goes better."

"Yeah.... Wait-I remember something. I was flying in this other world. It was dark but there were these crystals. They were huge and glowing, but they just felt...wrong. I got sucked towards them and.... That must have been when I woke up."

Linwen's eyes showed right through her. Her mind was racing, trying to find at least a tiny hint. She couldn't. Whatever he had seen, it was beyond her.

"Has anything else like this ever happened?" she asked.

"Don't you think I'd have said something?"

Talen paused. He knew that wasn't true.

"Wait...there was this one time. I was in a burning room. There were banners...and there was something else. There was a wall. Pure black, like night. But there were marks. And one of them...."

"Glowed?" Linwen interrupted.

"I think.... It was a little while ago.... But yes, I think so."

"That's...that's a word wall. The ones the Dragonborn used to gain his knowledge of the Thu'um. But you? Did you feel different?"

"Not then. But now, there's something at the back of my-KRII!"

The seismic explosion occurred even before the wave of energy shot out from his his mouth. The purple energy hit Linwen directly in her chest and she was thrown backwards at least a good five feet. She landed heavily, slowly getting up. Talen saw a slight purple glow on her as she stared at him in disbelief.

"How...how'd you...do that?" she gasped.

Talen was shocked. His face was bursting, his mouth open, eyes wide. He didn't dare to speak, in case whatever had just occured happened again. After quite some time, he worked up the courage to speak. Aiming his face down at the rocky soil at his feet, he spoke.

"What in Oblivion did I just do?"

"Well, there's no real other way to put it. You just used the Voice. The Thu'um."

"Like...like the Dragonborn?"

"Others have the ability to use the Voice, such as the Greybeards, but after years of studying and practicing. Unless you've been destroying your roof every night with that while you're asleep or...."

"So I'm a natural. With the Voice. Great. Visions of fun little green skull maces and then freezing fire and now I'm basically the Dragonborn. Just what I wanted."