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The Western Watchtower was little more than a smoking ruin.
From the moment Thalia crested the last hill, she could smell it — the stink of charred wood, scorched stone, and something worse: burnt flesh.
The sky overhead was a swirl of gray clouds, stirred and scattered by the beat of massive wings.
Thalia narrowed her eyes, spotting the dark shape circling high above.
The dragon.
Its scales were the color of old iron, and smoke trailed from its open jaws as it let out a roar that shook the earth.
Around her, a dozen Whiterun guards and the dark-skinned Dunmer housecarl, Irileth, readied their bows and shields.
Irileth barked orders with crisp authority, her voice cutting through the fear choking the air.
"Hold fast, men! Remember, this is for Whiterun! For your families!"
Thalia flexed her fingers around her sword hilt. The battered weapon would do, for now.
Lightning danced unconsciously at her fingertips — instinctive, eager.
The dragon circled once more, then tucked its wings and dove.
"Incoming!" someone screamed.
Thalia sprang sideways just as the beast's fire spewed across the ground in a molten wave. Dirt exploded. Men screamed. Shields melted.
She charged.
While the others scrambled to regroup, Thalia sprinted straight toward the dragon, using its landing to close the distance.
Her boots pounded the cracked earth. Every heartbeat was a drumbeat in her ears.
The dragon reared back on its hind legs, jaws yawning wide for another blast.
Thalia didn't hesitate. She hurled herself into a roll beneath its jaw, feeling the heat of its breath sear over her back. She slashed upward, carving a shallow line across its armored neck.
The dragon roared, a sound that seemed to tear the very air apart, and lashed out with a massive claw.
Thalia barely dodged, the talons slicing a spray of blood from her shoulder. Pain flared white-hot, but she gritted her teeth and pressed forward.
Irileth and the guards rallied, peppering the beast with arrows. The dragon snarled, thrashing side to side, trying to shake them off.
"Thalia, fall back!" Irileth shouted. "We can't—"
"No!" Thalia barked back. "Keep it busy!"
She sprinted up a low pile of rubble, launching herself onto the creature's back.
For a moment, she almost lost her grip — the scales were slick, each one harder than iron. But she found purchase between two ridges and climbed.
The dragon thrashed, wings battering the air. Thalia clung with all her strength, climbing higher toward the base of its skull.
Got to hit something vital.
The dragon snapped its head back, jaws groping for her, but she was faster. With a shout of pure rage, she drove her sword downward with all her weight.
Steel rang on bone.
The dragon shrieked and bucked, throwing her off.
Thalia hit the ground hard, air exploding from her lungs. She rolled aside just in time to avoid a crushing foot, and staggered back to her feet.
The guards unleashed another volley of arrows. Irileth darted in, slashing a deep gouge along the dragon's thigh with her sword.
We can kill this thing, Thalia thought fiercely. We just have to hold on!
The dragon growled, pulling away and beating its wings, trying to lift off.
Thalia knew if it got airborne again, it would rain death from above—and they'd have no cover.
She dug deep, pulling lightning to her fingertips.
The energy answered her call, crackling hungrily along her arms.
With a furious cry, Thalia unleashed a bolt of pure lightning at the dragon's chest.
CRACK-BOOM!
The impact staggered the beast mid-lift, its muscles locking as arcs of electricity danced over its body.
Thalia pressed the attack, another bolt following the first, then a third.
Each blast stole more of her strength—but it was working.
The dragon crashed back to the ground with a thunderous roar, smoke pouring from its maw.
Thalia gritted her teeth, blood trickling down her side, and rushed in.
She dodged a snapping bite, leapt over a sweeping tail, and with a final surge, she drove her sword straight into the dragon's exposed throat.
The blade sank deep, piercing past the armored scales into the softer flesh beneath.
The dragon let out one last, shuddering roar—and then collapsed, its wings folding like broken sails.
For a moment, there was only silence.
The guards stared. Irileth lowered her sword, breathing hard.
Thalia stumbled back, ripping her sword free.
And then—
The dragon's corpse began to burn.
Not with ordinary fire — but with a golden, ethereal light.
The flames licked upward, and then a roaring surge of energy burst from the dragon's remains — a blinding, howling wind that rushed toward Thalia.
She staggered, raising her hands instinctively — but the energy didn't harm her.
It entered her.
It poured into her skin, her bones, her very soul.
She felt it — raw, ancient power, surging through her veins like molten silver.
Visions flashed behind her eyes: towering mountains, ancient words etched in stone, roaring voices shouting a single word.
FUS.
The Word seared itself into her mind, glowing, demanding to be spoken.
Thalia gasped, falling to one knee.
Her heart hammered against her ribs. Sweat ran down her brow. She pressed her hands to the ground, struggling to steady herself.
What the Hades just happened?
The energy settled at last, but a strange strength now thrummed inside her. A pressure, waiting to be released.
The guards stared at her as if she had sprouted wings.
One of them whispered, voice trembling, "She… she absorbed its soul."
Another muttered, "Dragonborn… she's Dragonborn…"
Thalia struggled to her feet, wary.
"Dragonborn?" she echoed, her voice hoarse. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Irileth approached cautiously, sword still in hand.
"It means," the Dunmer said grimly, "that you are something... very rare. And very powerful."
Thalia wiped blood from her mouth and grimaced.
"Great," she muttered. "Another prophecy. Just what I needed."
But deep down, unease twisted in her gut.
She'd barely arrived in this world—and already it was trying to label her, mold her, shove her into destinies she didn't understand.
For now, one thing was certain.
The storm inside her had just gotten a whole lot bigger.