The Dragonborn

Part 121

Jack gripped Sam a little tighter, uttering out in loud concern. "Miraak?!" The gold dragon's massive head tilted slightly to lock a bright green eye on him. As its lips curled into a sneer, it hissed out pridefully. "In the flesh. Or as close as I can get for now. Thanks to your little... stone setback. But this will suit me just fine for now." Mark lifted his sword at the ready and the dragon turned its head to snort a gust of hot steam in Mark's direction. Mark didn't flinch, the steam was mild. Simply soaking Mark in droplets of warm water. The dragon's eyes narrowed on Mark, asking curiously through clenched teeth. "Do I know you? You look familiar..." Acting quickly, Jack intervened to draw Miraak's attention back to him. "Miraak! Listen to me. I know this world hurt you... but you're being used. You can help us." The dragon's head jerked in Jack's direction, its wings rising aggressively into the air like a cat's hackles. The dragon's long gold tail struck the building menacingly, while its head slithered over to him like a snake to hiss out threateningly. "Never! This world is MINE! And I will burn it to the ground and warm myself in its ashes!"

The dragon snapped its jaws, causing Jack to stagger back away from its playfully striking head. Jack raised a hand and tried again, pleading out as friendly as he could sound. "Hermaeus Mora plans to kill you! With your help we can stop him! We don't have to be enemies, we are..." Jack couldn't finish his sentence. He still couldn't grasp the idea that this man... was an alternate version of himself. Miraak stomped after him with heavy footfalls that he used to impale his talons into the stone and then claw up as he raised his feet. The head drew close enough that Jack could smell the sulfur on his breath, when he sneered out. "He can try as he has done before. He can't kill me, and neither will YOU! I'll NEVER help mankind again! You all deserve to BURN!" Jack's breath caught in his throat as he watched the dragon's nostrils flare when it inhaled deeply. When it slowly opened its mouth, Jack felt the waves of heat and saw the white flames bubbling up the dragon's throat. Conjuring his ward in his raised hand, he yelped as the blazing white flames burst against his ward.

The flames were much more intense than any dragon he had faced before. They pushed hard against his ward, forcing him down to a knee to keep from sliding backward. Jack felt his body starting to drip with sweat, but his ward was holding. He was confident that he could wait this out... until the dragon headbutted his ward. The strength of the dragon far outweighed his own. Striking the ward, it sent Jack clear off the stone platform and into the murky water. As the water crashed over him and his ward vanished, he heard the deep laughter from the surface. Jack shook off the blow, staring up at the surface as a massive head peeked over the side. He was waiting for him to come back up with bared teeth. Jack tried to stay still and hold his breath. Any sign of a ripple and he'd dive that head into the water to get him. He couldn't hold his breath for long though and tried to drift to the sunken stairs. Just as he predicted, the head of the dragon plunged into the water. Thick bubbles bellowed from its mouth as heat clashed with the cold water.

The force of the impact dragged Jack right up against the dragon's head as it snapped blindly into the water. Upon feeling him touch him, the dragon tilted his head to try biting him. Thinking in a rush, Jack took Sam and stabbed at the dragon's eye. The staff bounced off its scaly eyelid, but it stopped him. Instead, the dragon shook its head in the water, causing the water to rush all around him and trap him in a bubbly current. When the dragon stopped, he bared his teeth and went straight for him! The teeth started to encase him, when the dragon let out a watery squeal and jerked his head up from the water. Jack was brought up in the open jaw of the dragon but was tossed across the pavement as it jerked its head around. Jack hit the pavement, vomiting out water and gasping for air. He barely looked up in time to see that Mark had stabbed the dragon's tail with Dragonbane! Mark removed the katana, flipping it in his hand to loosen his wrist. The dragon's eyes practically caught fire as he bellowed out in a loud roaring voice. "WHERE DID YOU FIND THAT?!"