It had taken Raika and her friends two hours to make the trek to Markarth, as it was the only place in the immediate area that the carriage drivers stopped at in this part of Skyrim. Raika was annoyed that they had wasted the time to find a carriage, as they passed by where Karthspire had been within the first twenty minutes of their ride. As the carriage rolled along the road Raika noticed that Luna was drawn into herself, no doubt mauling over the fact that she had ended the Blades that Rend had put together so long ago. Luna was, however, insistent that the Blades had died out a long time ago and that she had put an end to something else.
"So Trixie," Raika said, hoping to pass the time by having a conversation with the young Equestrian, "I know how everyone else arrived in Skyrim, but I don't think I ever heard how you ended up in our frozen land."
"Its, well, quite the story," Trixie said, giving her a light chuckle, "Back when I was in Equestria I met a unicorn around my age named Twilight Sparkle and she saved the town from a monster that we called an Ursa Major. She showed me that there was so much more to learn about magic, so I decided to depart before she and her friends could corner me. After about a year to a year and a half of roaming I returned and tried to best her in a magical competition, which I thought I had won in the beginning. After a second set of challenges it was painfully clear that she was much more skilled than I would ever be, so I left the town and wandered into the nearby forest.
This forest, called the Everfree Forest by everypony in Equestria, is one of the most dangerous places in all of Equestria and I barely realized my idiotic mistake before I was lost in the middle of it all. I spent a good week wandering around the forest, searching for a way out of there and yet I could never find an opening that would let me leave. On the eighth day in the forest I found some sort of glowing doorway, one that had this cool breeze coming from the other side, and I decided to take it without much thought.
When I emerged from the portal, for that was the only thing it could be, I found that my body felt completely foreign and that my body was covered in snow. The robes you see me wearing now are the same ones I found when I had awoken, though it was some time before I realized that it labeled me as an apprentice to the School of Magic in Winterhold. After some tricky maneuvering I eventually got up on my feet and began to walk around like everyone else. I approached one of the guards in Winterhold and found out that I was no longer in Equestria, but rather the province of Tamriel known as Skyrim.
I spent the greater part of my next two weeks learning from the Mages in the College, carrying out various deeds for the professors and students alike. I pooled several spells into my spellbook, but then I began to realize exactly how to work my own type of magic into what they were teaching me. Those clones that I've been creating are the fruits of my labor, though if I summon too many of them I tend to tire myself out and become vulnerable to my enemies. After learning from the Mages I decided to lend my powers to the various Jarls, crushing bandits and clearing out beast dens alike in return for the coin that would allow me to buy whatever I needed. A few days passed before I eventually caught up with you guys."
That was where Trixie choose to stop her story, as Raika already knew everything that happened after that point and had no desire to hear it all again. She had been hoping that the story would have been longer, just enough to get them past Whiterun and somewhere near Iverstead so she wouldn't be bored for the entire journey. Fate, it seemed, liked to be cruel to her by making her travel by carriage all the time. How she wished she could just magically teleport to a place that she had already visited, as she was sure that it would save time in the long run.
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Most of the day had passed them by before they finally came to Iverstead. Raika, having been completely bored out of her mind, was glad that they had made it to their destination without any delay this time. She would have enjoyed a fight with some bandits, but the only group she saw noticed who was riding in the carriage and decided not to risk their lives for little gold in return. Word had apparently gotten around that the Dragonborn was traveling with four nord's of incredible power and it seemed that the bandits were too scared to try their luck.
What she wasn't expecting was a host of bandits, roughly between thirty to fifty warriors, gathered around Iverstead the moment they had stopped the carriage. She didn't care where they had come from, but rather what they had done to the guards and the townspeople.
"So," one of the bandits, most likely the leader of this mess, said as she appeared on the roof of the inn, "you are the famous Dragonborn that we've heard so much about? Ha! Your just a thieving khajiit that's pretending to 'save' all of Tamriel so you can get whatever you want and live as well as a Jarl does. Well, we're going to put you down and present your head to everyone who has believed you lies, so they can see the truth for themselves."
That was before an arrow pierced the center of her armor, burying itself deep enough to have the head come out of her back and hard enough to make her fall to the ground.
"Honestly?" Raika shouted, dropping her bow to the ground as she drew her weapons, "Someone tells you that there's a bounty on my head because I'm 'pretending' to be the Dragonborn and you work up the nerve to come at me like this? I swear, when I'm done crushing Alduin beneath my heel I'll find whoever told you this lie and strangle the life out of him until he's nothing but a sack of bones. Come and meet your end!"
The bandits pooled into the town, weapons raised as they prepared to quickly end the pretend Dragonborn before her companions could react. They failed to notice that Luna was prepared for them, swinging her weapon and cutting a few of them down without giving them a moment to fall back. Trixie, pulling her staff to the side, lifted several bandits into the air before tossing them at the mountain, giving her time to focus on the others before they managed to get back up. Celestia majestically moved about, cutting bandits down whenever one decided to get too close to her and while staying out of their reach for the most part. Sombra, staying true to his roots, called upon his crystal spires and impaled several on them before cutting the remaining bandits around him down.
Eventually the remaining bandits, now scared for their lives, decided to forsake the fight and fled for their lives, unaware that none of their enemies would bother chasing them down.
"I hate bandits," Raika said, sheathing her blades without looking through the corpses for any more, "and they have cost us time that cannot be recovered. Now, if we can avoid any more distractions, its time to head up the mountain and meet the Greybeards."
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An hour passed before the group managed to come to the doors of High Hrothgar, though they had to trash several wolves, trolls, and a frost wraith before they could reach the doors. Raika, not wanting to waste time like the previous visit, pressed her hands against the metal and pushed open the doors without too much effort on her part. The pooled into the monastery and closed the doors behind them, but as they moved further in Raika pulled out the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller so she didn't waste any more time.
"Ah, Dovahkiin, you have returned," Master Arngeir welcomed, noticing the horn almost immediately, "and you have brought the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller with you. Good, that's very good. Now it is time to teach you the final Word of Unrelenting Force, Dah - which means Push."
Raika barely moved as the Greybeards took the horn from her and taught her the last word of a shout that she had long thought she'd never completely learn. She was glad that the horn was finally gone, but she had to hold her tongue while the Greybeards spoke to her with the ancient dragon tongue.
"Now Dovahkiin, want can I do for you?" Master Arngeir said, as the others moved to the walls in case they were needed again.
"I heard there was a Shout that could help me defeat Alduin," Raika replied, wondering how he'd react to the request, "and I was told that the Greybeards might know where it is."
"Ah, Dragonrend," Master Arngeir said, almost as if he was cursing out the Shout, "Who told you about this Shout? Was it the Blades? Of course it was the Blades, as they seek to turn the Dragonborn from the path of wisdom once again..."
"The Blades are dead," Raika replied.
"Are they now?" Master Arngeir asked, surprised that the Greybeards' ancient foe was gone at last, "I'm...not sure how to react to this news. I guess I'm glad they are finally gone, but they still attempted to turn you into a mindless killer."
"In more ways than one," Raika sighed, shaking her head just a bit, "but they are not important anymore. I need to know where the Shout that was used to do battle with Alduin is so I can save the world."
"We do not know the Shout that was used so long ago," Master Arngeir admitted, "but our leader, Paarthurnax, might know the information that you seek. We shall show you how to reach him at his perch on the Throat of the World. After that it is up to you to reach him and ask him your questions."
As it turned out the only way to reach Paarthurnax was to traverse a path that circled around the mountain, one that seemed to have a searing wind that could sap the strength from someone's body before they died. The only way to clear the dreadful winds was to use a Shout named Clear Skies, one that the Greybeards imparted upon Raika as their final gift to her. She stood before the gateway that would take her on the trail that would lead her to the one person that could help her defeat Alduin before he destroyed everything. She just hoped that the Greybeard that the Throat of the World had the information she was looking for, otherwise Alduin would get further away from her.
"Lok Vah Koor," Raika shouted, directing the energy towards the winds.
The moment the words escaped her mouth the winds died down, crawling to a stop before there was nothing between Raika and the mountain trail. Before the winds came in on the path Raika sprung forward, making a mad dash through the snow before she came to an old wooden bridge that carried her to the other side of the path. Whenever she thought that she needed to apply pressure on the winds she Shouted at them, causing them to shrink back and allow her to continue on her way. Though she wanted her friends to travel up the mountain with her this was a trial for her, so she had to undertake the challenge alone.
Along the way she had to contend with several monsters that had made their way past the Greybeards and camped on the path to kill and devour any who came up to the peak. Raika, not wanting to let anyone or anything stand in her way, was quick to put whatever got in her way down as fast as she possibly could. The only monsters she encountered were a pair of frost wraiths and a lone frost troll, both of which put up a tough fight before they laid dead at her feet. Eventually she came to the same gateway that she had passed to start the trial and she blasted the winds away, causing them to disappear completely.
She reached the top of the peak and sat on the ground, letting her lungs catch her breath from the fighting and all the heavy walking she had done to get this far. Her break was interrupted by the sound of a dragon, one larger than the other ones she had seen, landed on the other side of the summit and stared at her. She couldn't believe that after everything she went through, everything that she endured to get this far, was going to be undone by a dragon attacking her while she was recovering. Raika gripped her swords and pulled herself up, determined to fight to the bitter end.
"Gevild Dovahkiin," the dragon said, causing Raika to pause for a moment, "Fey hin zun ahrk hon dii Zul!"
"Excuse me?" Raika asked, raising an eyebrow as she lowered her swords just a bit.
"Frolaaz zey," the dragon said, "forgive me. I said 'Hold Dragonborn' and 'Stay your weapons and hear my Voice!' I mean you no harm, Dovahkiin."
"I hope you forgive me for not believing you immediately," Raika replied, placing her swords directly into the ground beside her, "I have faced several of your kind in the past and each of them has tried to kill me."
"Yes, I can understand your voreistigaar, your uncertainty," the dragon continued, drawing closer while staying clear in case she pulled the swords out again, "Now, why have you come to the top of my strunmah, my mountain? Why do you intrude upon my hadriidak, my meditation?"
"I came to learn the Shout that was used to defeat Alduin..." Raika began, realizing that she had no idea what the Greybeards had called the ancient Shout, "Master Arngeir gave it a name, but I cannot recall what it was."
"Ah, you seek Dragonrend," the dragon chuckled, or what Raika assumed was a chuckle, "First, I must introduce myself. I am Paarthurnax, appointed leader of the Greybeards by the Greybeards themselves. But Krosis, sorrow, I do not know the Shout that you are searching for. My hahdrim, my mind, cannot comprehend the meaning of the Shout, as it was used as a weapon against my brother so many ages ago."
"Your...brother?" Raika asked, wondering who the dragon was talking about.
"Yes, Alduin, the Elder Brother," Paarthurnax replied, dipping his head just a bit, "but I cannot help you with your quest. Only the ancient nords who used the Dragonrend Shout know the words that were used. They also used a Kel, and Elder Scroll, to cast him adrift in Time, but I knew that he would return one day and have remained here every since."
"Any idea where that Scroll went?" Raika asked, hoping that the ancient dragon would tell her something useful that would actually aid her in her quest.
"Krosis, no," Paarthurnax replied, "I heard one of the ancient nords mention helping build a College in someplace that they planned on calling Winterhold. If such a College exists today I suggest you start your search for the Scroll there, otherwise I cannot help you any more. I wish you gluus, luck, Dovahkiin."
Raika sighed and picked up her swords, sheathing them before turning to face the trail that she had finished climbing up to meet with the dragon. She had hoped for the Shout that would help her fight Alduin, but all she got was another vague clue that made the answer seem further away. She had absolutely no idea if the mages at the College of Winterhold had any idea where she could find an Elder Scroll, but she'd have to ask the moment she got there. She really hoped that they had a Scroll on hand that she could potentially borrow so she could defeat Alduin, but she'd never know until she got there.
She wasn't looking forward to the climb back down the mountain. Nor was she looking forward to telling her friends that the trip had almost been a complete waste of time.