The Dragonborn

Part 3

Jack watched in horror as the large black dragon flew high over the mountains and even higher into the sky, vanishing into the thick grey clouds above the mountains.  He could feel the wind starting to pick up as if it followed the Dragon, or came off from it... Jack had read about Dragons, but they were all killed centuries ago.  They were nothing, but legends now.  Yet, here this one was!  Why did it now decided to come out of hiding?  Jack heard the Captain call out to the men on the tower.  "Sentries! What do you see"?  A man answered, but it was unclear if the man was a sentry or not.  The man sounded worried and he damn well should be.  Jack had never heard of many people being able to take on a fully grown Dragon and live!  "It's in the clouds"!  Jack kept his eyes on the sky where he had last seen the Dragon.  He couldn't explain it... but he felt it.  Could he sense the magical energy in the Dragon?  Then he saw it.  The Dragon shot down from the clouds, steering right for the tower directly in front of Jack!  The creature was massive and angry!  At full speed it landed firmly atop of the tower.  The sheer weight of the beast sent tremors through the ground like an earthquake!  Bits of the stone tower crumbled under the Dragons feet and fell firmly to the ground below, crushing anything beneath them into dust!

A female Stormcloak soldier screamed out in terror.  "Dragon"!  While Jack could only stare at it.  The Dragon seemed to scan the area a moment like it was taking all this in for the first time.  Had it been asleep for the last few centuries?  If it had, he didn't envy the poor bastards who woke him up.  The Dragon arched it's head and Jack's eyes widened with horror.  It was going to blow fire and he was right in the line of if!  Only the Dragon seemed to yell out a single word in anger.  The Dragons voice was deep, but Jack swore it sounded like 'Jul'.  From this single word, everyone in the courtyard was blown off their feet!  Jack was pushed off the block like his body weighed nothing!  The clouds in the sky began to swirl and crackle with lightening as Jack sat up from the ground.  Somewhere General Tullius yelled out to his men.  "Don't just stand there! Kill that thing"!  The Dragon watched the men in the courtyard like rats, before uttering another word that Jack couldn't hear clearly.  His ears were still ringing a bit from the first word the Dragon had uttered.  This next word the Dragon had said however, sent balls of fire raining from the sky!  One landed just a foot or two away from Jack.  The heat from it was almost unbearable, making Jack's vision blur for a moment.  He barely heard or recognized General Tullius's voice as he cried out loudly over the whistling storm.  "Guards, get the towns people to safety"! 

Jack laid still trying to recover his vision, when a hand roughly shook his shoulder telling him.  "Hey, Wizard. Get up! The gods won't give us another chance"!  Jack forced himself onto his feet.  Blurry vison or not, he was not safe out in the open!  The Stormcloak he knew as Ralof, steadied him.  Taking his arm firmly and yelling over the loud crashing noises.  "This way"!  Jack didn't care who got him out of this mess.  Survival was all he cared about right now!  Ralof lead Jack into the nearest set of wooden doors and slammed them closed behind them.  The place muffled the noises from outside a bit, but Jack didn't feel like staying here long.  Nothing felt safe.  Ralof ran passed him when he noticed that Ulfric had retreated here as well.  Jack stayed flush against the stone wall, trying to keep a distance between himself and the Stormcloaks.  Something about Ulfric still really unsettled him.  Ralof kneeled before Ulfric, addressing him like some well trained pup seeking guidance.  "Jarl Ulfric. What is that thing? Could the legends be true"?  Jack understood formalities, but was now really the time to address him like a king? 

Jack figured now was as good a time as any.  He didn't want to get involved with their petty war and if he stayed with them, they'd think him one of them!  He didn't wait to hear anything more from them.  He was free and he was getting out of here!  Raising his hands, he turned his palms in as close to the rope around his wrists as he could.  Then focusing on the spell in his mind, he conjured Flames into the center of his palms.  The flames in his palms licked the ropes just enough to burn them loose enough for him to shake off.  Without looking at any of the Stormcloaks, Jack took off up the spiraled stone staircase.  He'd get to the top of this tower and think of a plan from there!  Behind him, Ralof called out to him.  "Wizard, wait"!  While another Stormcloak soldier yelled up after him.  "You can't go that way! There are rocks blocking the way"!  Jack didn't care nor listen to them.  He wasn't going to be dragged into anymore of their bloody politics!  Just as he reached the point that was blocked off by a wall of fallen stones, the wall beside him blasted apart revealing the large black head of the Dragon!