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It was indeed noisy in the direction of Winterhold, the Greybeards seemed troubled by it as well as the world doesn"t seem to be able to get quiet for two nights straight these days.
"So, you have satisfied your curiosity, Dragonborn?" Arngeir asked.
"Satisfied? Barely. Each answer I get opens the way up for hundreds of questions." Jon replied as he returned the books to Knut who was standing at the side.
"Patience, Dragonborn. Too much knowledge can be as harmful as too much ignorance. Too much curiosity can lead your path astray as it did the ones before you." Arngeir said.
"Indeed, indeed." Knut agreed strongly while trying to advise Jon.
"I… agree." Jon reluctantly agreed, "Curiosity killed the Dog after all."
"Wasn"t it the Ca…" Knut spoke something blasphemous but soon he noticed Jon looking at him with wide eyes.
"It wouldn"t Dare."
Knut smiled wryly as he was no longer bothered by Jon"s att.i.tude. As an Adept of High Hrothgar and a Disciple of the Greybeards, he shouldn"t mind Jon"s unending bizarreness and keep to himself. He may have taken a liking to Jon as a person but questioned his ethics as a chosen one, still, a Dragonborn is a person who alters the course of history and he is but a hermit monk.
"I wish you well in the trials to come, Dragonborn Jon."
"Thank you, brother Knut."
They greeted one another as they know they may not meet for some time after today.
"So, you have learned all that we can teach, Dragonborn. Are you ready for your last Trial?" Arngeir asked Jon.
"I am."
"Retrieve the [Horn of Jurgen Windcaller], our founder, from his tomb in the ancient fane of Ustengrav north of Hjaalmarch."
Jon thought for a second and retrieved an item from his ring that widened the eyes of old master Arngeir.
"Is that Horn of Jurgen Windcaller similar to this horn?" Jon asked.
The Horn carried on Jon"s two hands was gigantic almost as tall as him. It made the calm and collected Knut drop his jaw wide open and for Master Arngeir to hold his breath.
"Such power… this is no ordinary one." Arngeir checked the Horn up close and nodded in certainty, "A horn of a Dragon. No ordinary Dragon at that and no ordinary horn either. It is an immortal horn indeed just like the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller. Where did you get that Horn from, Dragonborn?"
Arngeir"s question was a bit troublesome but knowing that this place is protected by Kyne, Jon could slip away one secret.
"I took it from the vault of the Worm Cult when I battled them in Hammerfell a year ago. This Dragon Horn is the fabled [Horn of Ja"darri]." Jon admitted.
Arngeir nodded as he could tell that Jon wasn"t lying.
"The Sacred National Treasure of the Cat Folk of the South. I am no expert in politics but a treasure like that can start a war with Elsweyr."
"True but the Khajiit are with the Dominion either way. If there is anyone who will try to claim this, it would be the abominable Thalmor. I can"t let such a thing fall into their hands… Also, Mane Topaz is a personal friend and I can convince him to lend the horn." Jon said.
"If that"s the case then I have no more to say."
"But Master Arngeir, what did you mean when you said an Immortal Dragon Horn?" Jon asked.
"Hmmm… Do you know the Abilities of a Dragon Horn, Dragonborn?" Arngeir asked.
"I am aware. A dragon Horn is an artifact enchanted with ancient Tonal Magic that when blown, it creates a strong sound wave that can blast away Dragons but they shatter after a couple of uses." Jon said.
"Indeed. There is a difference between a normal Dragon Horn and an Immortal One. The normal ones break, the technique to make them is lost on Tamriel but it originated from the Savages of Akavir and their Martial Magic which was also made by Tonal Techniques. On the other hand, an Immortal Dragon Horn is a horn given willingly by a Dragon to a Mortal and Enchanted by the Dragons themselves. Ja"darri and Jurgen Windcaller were the only known mortals to receive such honor."
Jon nodded as he contemplated how Master Arngeir praised the Dragon and showed a hint of disdain towards the Akaviri people. Bad blood existed between the Nords, the Dragons and the Akaviri People but almost no story survived in today"s history books about such matters. [A/n: until the Devs decide otherwise.]
"So, Master Arngeir, will this Horn be sufficient to finish the last Trial?" Jon asked with a sly face.
"Hardly. The Horn of Ja"darri is indeed something great but the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller is symbolic to High Hrothgar. That is what you must retrieve."
"Alright." Jon said as he stored away the Horn he has.
He wasn"t sure whether to drop by Riverwood first to get the Horn from the supposed thief who stole it or to just go to Winterhold and ask if they caught the thief or not. He then decided to go to Winterhold and check out what is causing the noise over there.
"Then… I guess it is farewell until I get the Horn, Master Arngeir, brother Knut."
"Remember Dragonborn, remain true to the Way of the Voice."
***
Jon descended the mountain, put away the plain temple robes he used to wear and donned his armor and weapons. By now; Alina, Jullanar and Wulfur should have established a foothold in three of the four factions in Skyrim. What remained was the Dark Brotherhood and he wasn"t going to let anyone dear to him deal with Sithis related matters directly.
The Dark Brotherhood is a Cult of Sithis which Nurina is a Priestess in. Still, the Cult of Sithis is the most mysterious because every member of it has his/her own way of handling the way they worship Sithis. For example, Nurina worships Sithis for Art and Creation, she may not look like the type but Nurina thinks that turning a blank page into a piece of art is the greatest change there is. Others like to change Life to Death or even Undeath. Others seek to create new absurdities like what happened with Isha"s brother, Zain.
In the end, only he would deal with the Dark Brotherhood as he knows exactly that he is the most suitable for such an important questline. But… how to mess it all up was Jon"s idea. Too many variables depend on his actions such as Vittoria"s life which he values dearly. He needed to return to Winterhold and put a plan but as soon as he reached Eastmarch on his flying Atronach, Jon felt the change in the air above him.
*ROAR!*
A Dragon.
He could see a Dragon flying higher and faster than the Atronach he is on. No matter what, Dragons rule the Sky and if they want, no one can reach them.
But that Dragon didn"t even mind Jon or anyone along the way and flew to the south. His direction didn"t matter but the direction he came from was Winterhold, which mattered.
Winterhold is protected. The defense systems can hold a Dragon for a good amount of time until the people of Winterhold and Saarthal reach a safe shelter. In Saarthal, there is the Dare Tower and in Winterhold, there is a large vault under the mountain. There is also a mine and a few caves that are prepared for such situations.
Either way, Jon decided to cut the few hours journey into one hour by taking a shortcut.
And he reached Winterhold after exhausting half of his Magicka to Teleport above the Shrine of Azura. He could see all the hold from above the great statue.
The Cities are safe but the hold seemed on extreme alert and pillars of smoke were riding from Kastav Fortress. Also, the Stormcloak Army was blocking the road to the south.
"What happened? Alina, Alina, can you hear me?" Jon used his Telepathy to try and call Alina but she didn"t respond.
His heart sank and his murderous reaction distorted his Aura that broke free without his will. Jon was about to shout to the sky in anger but before anything could happen, a hand grabbed him by the ear and tossed him from above the towering shrine all the way to the land level.
The figure which appeared in his place sighed in tiredness and disappeared from that place appearing right beside where Jon was about to fall to. Jon, who was currently free-falling, managed to collect his thoughts and cast [Levitate] right before he landed on his face, his body broke into cold sweat now that he found the ground an inch away from him.
His irrational anger disappeared but his self-pride was almost shattered. Who in their right mind would grab him by the ear and toss him like that in Winterhold? This must be…
"Nurina?"
"We need to talk."
***
Before he gets to say anything Jon was dragged by Nurina to the College without anyone seeing or knowing. Nurina"s quarters were as messy as ever but today there was a new addition to the mess.
A head mount on a metal rod that looked very lively for some reason.
"Is that some sort of a Daedra?" Jon asked as he poked the head with his finger causing it to react violently.
"Just a fool who attacked your wife." Nurina said as she walked past a mountain of books.
Jon"s face stiffened and a murderous glare was seen on his face as he turned to the head.
"What on Nirn are you talking about?" He asked, barely keeping it in.
"Hehehe… Jon… Dare…"
Seeing the dangerous look on his face, the demonic head showed a disgusting smile. Jon"s hand instantly held the laughing demonic head up and as it continued laughing, he smiled back and let something dark within him out.
The [Chaos Infection] was directed through the Mystical Tattoos on Jon"s arms directly to the head. Speak of Alina"s red glare all you want but the Chaos infection holds all the unholy secrets that would make the devil wail.
And it wailed.
"Enough!"
If not for Nurina shouting at Jon, he would have completely purged the head in an instant but he rather violently returned it back on the metal rod causing it more pain.
"What happened to Alina?" Jon asked.
"Nothing." Nurina replied as she walked close to him, "She just exerted more effort into a prophecy."
"She doesn"t need to put effort to see prophecies." Jon retorted.
"It is a troublesome one." Nurina said as she slapped Jon on his arm, "Don"t you ever lose your sense like that in front of anyone. We were being watched all along."
Jon"s brows furrowed as he didn"t understand what Nurina was implying.
"Watched?" He asked.
"Did you happen to come across a Dragon that was flying south?"
"I did. What happened?"
Nurina sighed and walked to a seat. She then started telling Jon what happened in Winterhold from yesterday till now starting from the few battles that occurred, what happened to the Stormcloak garrison in Fort Kastav, the strange ent.i.ties known as Daedric Minions and the sightings of all the evil creatures around Winterhold.
The culprit was obvious this time.
The Dragon Cult and their Dragon Masters.
Jon was not certain if such a thing may happen but his existence as a powerhouse in Winterhold forced the Dragons to seek a faction of their own now that the war was going slower than what they antic.i.p.ated.
Jon used politics and commercial leverages to pressure the war into a lazy state which was not what the Dragons wanted. Now that they lead an army of their own, they directly started undoing Jon"s peace project and attacked Winterhold as the faction that supports the Dragonborn.
He may have avoided attention as the Dragonborn but he couldn"t avoid it as someone who is against the War. The Dragons are now troubled by his efforts to keep the Nords from killing each other which means less Souls to devour for Alduin.
"It means our efforts are working." Jon said.
"True." Nurina nodded, "But the Dragons were watching us all the time. That Dragon you saw retreating was the one orchestrating the attack around the hold from the sky by commanding the ground forces through his dominance over them. It seems that the Dragons know of ancient lost techniques which would enslave mortals by planting Daedra into them and making them more powerful."
Jon kept silent as he watched the head which was still withering from the chaos he used on it.
"So you"re telling me that this thing I just a.s.saulted was some innocent?" Jon asked.
"What? No! That b.a.s.t.a.r.d and others like him allied themselves with the Dragons to exact personal revenge on you. They are Bloodsails."
"Bloodsails?" Jon jumped on his feet.
What are the Bloodsails if not Winterhold"s most hated enemies. The Clan of Thieves which led the Blood-Horker pirates to enslave Winterhold for many long years. Jon personally rooted them out and sent them to Oblivion. He killed every Bloodsail male and spared the women and children as they escaped by boats in the sea. He didn"t really mind them as the children won"t pose a threat not even in 10 years.
"I was sure I annihilated them." Jon said.
"Some survived somehow, this Daedric Minion won"t tell me but he answered more valuable questions."
"I would love to know what you know." Jon said as he leaned forward with an impatient look in his eyes.
"Alright…"
Nurina spoke of the Dragon Cult which serves Alduin. They are quite the Number but not all of them were revived but it seemed that Alduin and some other Dragons were still operating before the attack on Helgen. That aside, the Dragon Horde of Alduin and the Dragon Cult has four factions. The First is the War Dragons which was led by a Dragon known as Kungosvern, a Golden Dragon and the Champion of Alduin. The second is the Wise Dragons led by Onikkeindrog, the Strategist of Alduin. The Third is the Secret Dragons led by an unknown Dragon and their role is also mysterious but totally very dangerous. The fourth is the Guardian Dragons whose leader turned on Alduin back in the First Era and the current leader position is vacant. That last Dragon is clearly Paarthurnax.
Aside from knowing about the Dragon Horde"s structure, each Faction had a cult serving it and they have various goals. The War Dragons Cult was to wage war, the Wise Dragons Cult was to sabotage the enemies, the Secret Dragons Cult was to act in the shadows, the Guardian Dragons Cult was to acquire riches and rule the subjects.
They were not some mindless beasts, the Dragons are even more organized than Jon thought they would be. They basically ruled an Empire in the past so they should be veterans in this game. But Winterhold is a whole new animal compared to what they know, it is a place of absolute efficiency and a paradise of opportunities. The scary human-machine in Winterhold is not moved by fear like the Dragon Cult but rather by motivation. Fear is a dangerous way to rule but motivation is a cold-hearted machine.
If it is Winterhold against the Dragon Cult then let it be, Jon is not afraid and neither is Winterhold.
The Second Dragon War, that"s how it started. Skyrim"s Civil War was the West vs the East but the Second Dragon War is the North vs the South.
From that Demonic Head, Nurina extracted the holds in which the Dragon Cult existed and operated. The Reach, Falkreath and the Rift. It seems that the Dragons have gained substantial resources and found many places to hide in the Jerall Mountains. This never existed in the Game and Jon found himself venturing into a completely new territory much to his liking. He knew what needed to be done and Winterhold was just ready for the real challenge.
"So the Dragons fly high in the Sky and do recon? I"ll shut that down then." Jon said as he already had a counter plan, "I should go see Alina now."
Jon went up but Nurina held him and told him she has something to say, actually, the reason why he is here all along. Jon didn"t expect anything big but she just dropped a bomb on his head.
His true enemy, she said.
The vision which Alina put her life on the line to see.
"How… that"s nonsense!"
Jon is not disrespectful towards Nurina but he almost shouted at her in anger.
"Jon, calm down!"
"Calm down? This is madness! My true Enemy? That idiot wife of mine… I can"t believe it…"
Jon never questioned Alina in the past as she was always the wise one, the one who knows things. But this time… this time Jon was questioning everyone else"s sanity and that"s Jon Dare doing that.
He charged out of Nurina"s room and walked out of the college to his house. Everyone was there but he ignored them all and went to the master bedroom where Alina was resting.
"You are not my enemies, you G.o.dd.a.m.n fools. None of you are."
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