The Dragonborn

Part 57

Jack tried his best to sleep, but his dreams were back and twisted. In his dream, he was standing on a snowy mountain. The wind was howling around him and the sky thundered with a powerful storm overheard. Bits of flaming rock appeared to rain down from the high peak of the mountain, bursting into the thick snow all around him. The shear cold mixed with the intense heat messed with his vision, blurring everything. Jack could faintly see a dark form circling just out of his limited vision.  It was large and speaking to him in a deep spiteful growling voice. Alduin. As Alduin circled him menacingly, he told him loud and clear. "If you think you are strong enough to defeat me. You are wrong. They fill you with false hope. I will burn away the line of dragon blood in man. And I'll start by tearing out your heart"! 

Alduin's head burst through the whistling wall of stormy snow, snarling at him with blood stained teeth. Jack raised his hand expecting to protect himself from Alduin's flaming breath. Instead, Alduin slowly opened his massive jaws and let Mark's lifeless body fall from his mouth into the snow. Jack fell to his knees watching Mark's blood spill out of Alduin's mouth. Alduin grinned, raising his head up proudly as he roared out. "What will you do now, hero"? A laugh burst from Alduin's throat, before he suddenly lunged out at him without warning and teeth bared. Jack shot upright, panting heavily and clutching his chest. Jerking his head to the bedroll beside him, he forced himself to take a deep breath. Mark was sleeping peacefully next him. Jack pulled his legs up, dropping his forehead to his knees and running his hands through his hair to calm himself down.

Muttering softly to himself, he told himself. "Just a dream. It was just a dream". From somewhere behind him, he heard Esbern whisper back to him. "More like a nightmare if you ask me". Jack lifted his head slowly to look over his shoulder. Esbern sat by the low burning fire, but his eyes were on the fading stars. Carefully crawling out of the tent to join him, Jack asked him curiously. "You could tell"? Esbern lowered his eyes to the grass at his own feet, stating out softly. "I've known a few soldiers who dreamed of their death the night before a battle. It's normal. Although, I'm sure for you it holds more weight. They didn't dream that Alduin was hunting them". Jack glanced back at Mark's sleeping form, mumbling out really worried. "I'm not so sure they are just dreams. It's like the dragons are in my head. Toying with me... Making me see things".

Esbern patted his knee to draw his attention back. When Jack locked eyes with him, Esbern pointed a stern finger at him, saying boldly. "You are connected to them. In your veins, follows the blessed blood of dragons. We don't fully understand it and I doubt we will ever learn its secrets... but you share in their power. If he is sending you visions in your sleep... Whatever Alduin is plaguing you with. You must shut him out. He fears the prophecy. He'll do whatever he has to, to scare you away. The weaker you are, the more he doesn't have to fear you. He's looking for the weakness in your armor". Jack turned his eyes back to Mark, muttering out disheartened. "I think he's found it". Esbern turned his chin to force him to look him in the eyes, before telling him in a soft confident voice. "Dragonborn, listen to me. You are not alone in this fight. We've all lost loved ones to Alduin. I gave up hope... I'm not going to let you give up".

Jack wanted to believe that, but he couldn't stop the fear from encasing his heart. Esbern placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, lightening up the mood by stating out with a smile. "You know what I'm going to do, when this is all over and the world is saved"? Jack rolled his eyes, mumbling back only half-joking. "Will the world ever really be saved? Ulfric still wants his war... or so I've heard". Esbern took his hand off Jack's shoulder to wave it dismissively, telling him still light hearted. "Don't look at it like that. Enjoy the small victories, boy. I'm talking about, when Alduin is dead. You know what I want to do"? Jack shrugged and Esbern's eyes lit up as he looked over the fire, saying hopefully. "I want to collect books. And maybe one day, I'll open up a library, right here in Skyrim. It would hold all the records of dragons and dragonborns. Even all the lost myths and legends of Skyrim".