The Dragonborn

Part 112

The Skaal villagers unsheathed their weapons and rushed in with loud battle cries. The Lurker turned away from Jack to brace himself as they surrounded him. The Lurker slashed at one side but missed as the man rolled across the snow. Rolling to a knee, the man threw his axe at the Lurker's chest with impressive accuracy. The axe impaled itself into the Lurker's tough thick chest plate, staggering the Lurker back a step or two. From the sides, the others shot arrows at its eyes and sides. While others slashed at its legs with their sharp swords. Jack stood stunned. He hadn't expected people to help him. The Lurker roared, sending a mass of slimy tentacles from its mouth that wrapped around people's necks to strangle them or throw them aside. Mark rushed past him to cut the tentacles from a few of the villagers, before helping them advance back into fray. Jack took a deep breath, angling his shout to try and knock it to the ground. The shout rang through the air. Striking the Lurker hard in the face, sending it backward off its feet.

The Lurker splashed into the water and Mark yelled to the others commandingly. "NOW!" Those with close range weapons followed Mark in to impale their weapons into any soft spot they could find. The Lurker let out inhuman screams, starting to sit back up as it slash out at its attackers. Jack raised his bound bow, sending a glowing blue arrow between its eyes... but it was still getting to its feet. Beside Jack, a large Skaal man dropped a heavy hand on his shoulder, telling him in a growling voice. "Stand aside. He's mine!" Jack jumped away as the man bent over and let out a deep vicious roar. The other villages retreated from the Lurker, dragging Mark back. Jack watched the man next to him grow in size and become a hulking grizzly bear. A werebear! The bear roared aggressively at the Lurker, drawing its full attention. The Lurker leaned forward, starting to rise to its feet as the bear charged at him. The Lurker didn't get up, before the bear slammed into him with enough force to send it back into the water.

The Lurker slashed at the bear, cutting gashes into his thick fur, but the bear was in a rage. The bear didn't appear to feel any pain as it slashed and pounded its large paws onto the Lurker's chest. Every heavy pound, cracking the Lurker's thick chest plate. The villagers cheered the bear on. While the bear roared louder in frustration from the fact that the Lurker was still fighting and attacked with more blind rage. The Lurker got a good hit on the bear's face, staggering it back... but that was a mistake. The bear bared its teeth and whirled back on the Lurker. The bear's jaws snapped onto the Lurker by its throat, pounding one last time on the Lurker's chest. The Lurker's chest caved in under the bear's weight as the bear violently tore the Lurker's throat out. The villagers cheered victoriously, but Jack and Mark stood in silence. The bear spit the Lurker's throat to the ground, then buried its muzzle into the Lurker's chest to rip out its large black heart. The bear rose to its full height, showing everyone the large heart before devouring it in a few chomps of its huge teeth.

Mark moved casually over to Jack, wrapping an arm around him to comfort him. Jack didn't know how to feel about what he saw... but the Lurker was dead. With the threat taken care of, the Skaal villagers approached him with their weapons at the ready. Jack puffed himself up defensively, watching them approach him. Until one of the Skaal villagers tipped his head to Jack, then asked him boldly. "Dragonborn, we are in your debt and service. How may we help?" Mark raised an eyebrow slightly impressed, before looking to him. Jack looked them all over, asking them confidently. "You wanna help us cleanse the other stones of these things?" The villagers raised their weapons in loud war cries. Even Mark joined them. Jack nodded feeling bolder as he told them. "Get what you need. Saddle any horses you have. We ride out in ten minutes." Everyone broke off to do their own thing, leaving Jack to head back toward the village. At his heels, Mark told him with a chuckle. "Guess I should have expected a few of them to be... Werebears."

Jack chuckled softly in response, replying lightly. "No kidding. Did you see that thing? He was huge!" They shared a chuckled, when Storn met them at the edge of the village. Storn nodded to them with a smile, telling them proudly. "You have prevailed. I knew you would. Thank you, Dragonborn." Jack tipped his head in respect, telling him honestly. "With your people's help we prevailed. Your people are free. However, I did ask them to join me to cleanse the other stones. I hope you don't mind?" Storn reached out to place a gentle hand on Jack's shoulder, responding with a small smile. "You have proven yourself an ally to the Skaal, and so the Skaal shall be allies to you. I doubt cleansing the stones will fully stop whatever Miraak is doing, but it may slow down his progress." Jack shook his head, asking slightly defeated. "It's not enough... I need a way to stop Miraak now. A sure way." Storn patted his shoulder comfortingly, retorting in a hopeful tone. "That is why I was on my way to see you. I cannot help you with that. None here can. You will need to learn more about this black book."