Dragonborn Saga-Chapter 756: Jullanar the Dragon

"The Centurion who sold out his men to live. I thought you were rotting in an Elven dungeon."

"Not for long. I've served many masters since then."

"Let me guess, you abandoned them all and ran away."

"As I once told you, the moment I smell death, I don't stay in one place."

"I remember. Funny! The Dragons got their perfect soldier who cannot die anymore."

"Best masters I ever served. A shame how things turned out for them."

The conversation was interrupted when the mountain started shaking from the collapse it just suffered. Many rocks fell around them, but the scene calmed down eventually.

"So, what now?" Kendov asked.

"You have wronged me, Wilhelm," Jonrad replied, "You kidnapped the young ones, tried to kill my boy, and made my wife cry. Death won't cut it for you."

"Lucky you then, Commander. I don't die," Kendov replied and was ready to face the worst Jonrad could do.

As for Jonrad, he took out the katana by his side, Goldbrand, a Daedric artifact that can incinerate almost anything. Jonrad sighed, and without a second of doubt, he stuck the sword into Kendov's guts.

"AAAAAH! Ah... Ahaha! It... BURNS! HAH! HAH!"

Kendov's reaction was in line with what Jonrad had expected. He started burning, but somehow he was kept alive.

A subordinate from the bitter days of the Great War, one that feared no enemy, excelled in all sorts of combat, and performed his duties with wits and cunning. His worst fear, however, was death, and he wasn't the honorable type either. As long as a fight is winnable, Wilhelm would always be at the Vanguard, but when the odds are going back and forth, he prefers to stay away from the fight.

While the attitude fit a mercenary more than it fit a Legionary, let alone a Centurion, it was only a matter of time before Wilhelm turned tail and ran. He was one of those who fled during the retreat in Skyrim and left his troops to die as he escaped. He spent most of his days afterward as a wanted man, and the Aldmeri Dominion captured him at the end, where he ended up exchanging valuable strategic information for his life.

After that, no one heard of him, but it is possible that his fear of death and old age led him on the road to search for immortality and eventually into the Dragon Cult's upper echelons.

Jonrad has always wondered if Wilhelm and death had a natural relationship; maybe Wilhelm would have been the best Legionary to ever walk this Nirn.

Alas...

Seeing that Goldbrand is constantly burning and searing through the agonized Kendov, Jonrad lays one last spell on the sword for it to keep burning and for its flames to never die down. Unless it is Boethiah herself who pulls Goldbrand off this place, nobody else can.

The broken mountain shook once again, and as rocks started falling, Jonrad left Kendov, the sword, and the fire, as they were all buried down under a mountain.

***

"HYAAAAAA! DIE, MAGGOTS!"

From the streets of Saarthal to its skies, chaos was unfolding, and precious minutes were the only time the people of the city were given to evacuate to the shelters. Once the dragons were spotted from the mountain's lookouts, an alarm bell signal was broadcast across Winterhold: one for enemies from the land, two for enemies from the sea, three for enemies from the sky—Dragons.

Winterhold's top fighters were all busy running around Skyrim to search for the kidnapped children of Jonrad at the moment, and the ones left were not the faces of this fight. Still, the one who led the defense was a frequent face in almost every Dragon hunt.

"Man the ballistas! I want to see dragons drop like flies!"

Jullanar the Mad was standing on top of a building, aiming her crossbow down, and mowing down the cultists that infiltrated the city.

The War Dragon Cult was the most treacherous opponent Winterhold met so far, and they knew how to wage war. While their numbers weren't their forte, the Cultists relied on the one thing that could flip the numbers game on the heads of the many: Undead and Necromancy.

An hour ago, a horde of draugrs was conjured in the main plaza of Saarthal, and it started attacking people indiscriminately. The Dare Troopers along with the Winterhold Guards were quick to respond thanks to the attack launched by the Dragon Cult just last night. However, it seemed that the Dragon Cult had long since infiltrated the city, and many places were already infested with sleeping Draugr that bounced on the defenders when the time was right.

Casualties fell at a rapid pace, and the enemy was being elusive. The fact that the attack commenced behind the walls of Saarthal left the defenders confused and disturbed the lines of communication. On another front, the defenders on the city walls spotted seven dragons circling the city from a distance and going as far as the city of Winterhold.

It would take 100 men to repel a single dragon with the defensive capabilities of this era. If Mages were involved, one mage would account for 10 ordinary soldiers. Seven Dragons meant that it could either be 700 men or 70 mages; either this or that was something the Dare Troopers couldn't simply pull off right away.

The Dare Troopers are only a thousand strong, and even though they are all elites, they need to follow the drill where 100 men face against 1 dragon. Still, leaving only 300 men to control the situation in the city while the others prepare on the defensive towers to face the dragons is a really tough call to make.

But then...

"Jullanar, where do you want us?"

From the chaos in the streets, three red-headed figures come running to aid the defenders while calling Jullanar. She turned to them and saw some of the most powerful members of House Firemane: Njord, Foresti, and Skadi.

"Good, get to the..."

*ROAAAAAAAAAAAR!*

As she was about to put them to work, one dragon roared in the sky, announcing the beginning of the real fight.

"DAMMIT! Focus on the undead! That flying fucker will get one of my flying fucks!"

Jullanar left the command of the 300 defenders in the plaza to the sergeants and threw a grappling hook at one of the houses before activating its enchantment and zooming up like an arrow.

After repeating that move a couple more times, she was on top of the Temple of Kyne watching the first Dragon descend over the main street in a straight flight.

"SHIELDS UP!"

She shouted and called the defenders to take cover as the Dragon opened its maw and spewed down hellfire on the men below.

Houses exploded!

People wailed!

Madness prevailed in the ranks of the men and in the eyes of Jullanar.

A score of ballista spears stuck hurled over to the Dragon from all the towers, and many lightning spells started striking it from the spheres fixed above some of the most elevated roofs. The Dragon was porcupined with spears, but its thick hide proved tougher than most dragons, a tank among tanks in terms of dragon prowess.

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Jullanar saw the Dragon approach her position, and without thinking, she slid down the roof and used the momentum she gained to jump over with her grappling hook before using the enchantment to change her trajectory upwards and be in the way of the ascending dragon.

Right at his wing, Jullanar clouded badly and cried from the pain, but even with her petite frame, she could tank a hit from a dragon even though she may have sacrificed a rib or two. With the chemicals of adrenaline and madness brewing in her system, she climbed over the wing and used her blade to stick to it and slice it diagonally.

"Ruth lir! Wah tum, dur hi!" (Damn worm! To the ground, curse you!)

The dragon's flight was disturbed greatly when its wing was cut that way, but Jullanar was already at the end of the wing and would fall if this continued. The Dragon slowed down, however, in order to maintain its balance, giving Jullanar the window to throw her grappling hook at one of the spears sticking from its back, evading being thrown off the wing.

Sensing the human that is now standing on his lower back, the Dragon couldn't get any angrier. It tried to swing left and right, up and down, flipped once and twice, all of that while she was holding onto the spears that were pinned on him.

"HAHAHA! You think you can wear me out with this pathetic bucking? Only my man can buck me around and make my world spin. That's why I get to be the cowgirl."

She laughed and moved across the back of the Dragon, from spear to spear with her grappling hook acting as her safety belt. As she reached his upper back, she stuck her hook around two crossing spears and wanted to find a weakness she could hit. However, the Dragon wasn't that easy of an opponent.

In a bizarre neck movement that can only fit the physique and long neck of a Dragon, the wyrm twisted his neck and attempted to bite her off his back. He was almost successful at grabbing her with his maw if not for the split of a second she let go in to be barely caught by her left leg.

"SHIT!"

"DIR!" (DIE!)

The Dragon immediately yanked its neck the other way and flung her up in the air where she became unable to control her movement. He raised his head up and attempted to swallow her in one go, but thanks to her grappling hook, her momentum shifted to his backward, and she immediately seized the chance.

"Come!"

Retracting the two spears from the back of the Dragon along with her hook, Jullanar was now in a free fall with two spears in her hand and one Dragon beneath her opening its mouth wide.

The options were limited, but she knew exactly what to do and where to aim.

One of the Dragon's few weaknesses is his snot.

She descended with the gravitational acceleration on her side before aiming each spear right in place and hooking them in.

*SKREEEEEECH!*

The agony of that move was like none other, and Jullanar took advantage of every opportunity she was given. She landed on the Dragon's head, and in an act of total badassery, she took off her upper vest and cloth, standing topless, and covered the dragon's eyes with them.

She had her clothes fixed with her foot, and to make sure the dragon saw nothing in front of him, she tied the rope of her grappling hook around the clothes covering his eyes.

Now she's on top of a Dragon, blindfolding his eyes, leading him by the nose, and driving him in a chaotic way.

"IT'S YOU AND ME, LIZARD! AND YOU HAVE BEEN A BAD BAAAAAAAAAAD BOY!"

With all the force and aura she could muster, Jullanar pulled the spears backward until they bent and the Dragon's head with them along with the rest of his body. The woman and dragon struggled against one another, but she was on top, and she was the one in control.

Despite how many times the Dragon struggled, he could only move his head to ease the pain that wreaked absolute havoc on all the sensitive nerve endings in his snot. Jullanar was vicious and ruthless as she even used her poisonous aura to make the pain worse for the Dragon that was no longer able to defy her.

"FASTER! FASTER, YOU SON OF A BITCH! FLAP FOR MOMMY!"

This scene of domination was witnessed by a handful as everyone on the ground was busy dealing with Dragons, and the Dragon Response Units were busy fighting off the other Dragons that came down to besiege the city.

Desperation hit the heart of the Dragon that Jullanar was on, and in an act of defiance, he accelerated faster and faster, foregoing balance, and choosing recklessness in the face of domination.

"YOL TOOR SHUL!"

As all his attempts were unsuccessful, he still wanted to dish out as much damage as possible.

"MORE! DO IT MORE! WAHAHAHA!"

Jullanar, however, was still in control, and as she aimed things right, whatever the dragon was doing was fitting whatever she was doing, and in the end, she was where she wanted.

Five, four...

Jullanar immediately let go of the spears, causing the Dragon's head to suddenly listen to him.

Three, two...

She immediately retracted the rope before jumping off the mad fire-breathing dragon.

One...

The impact happened!

Jullanar drove the fire-breathing Dragon against the Dare Tower, the indestructible construct, whose very walls were enchanted with a binary enchantment that absorbs and reflects any sort of impact. The Dragon's fire collided with the cold stones of the tower, and as the Dragon's vision returned, he could see nothing but stone and could feel nothing but being shattered against the devastating Tower of Music.

One Dragon down, six more to go.

Jullanar was now in a freefall and could only use her grappling hook to swing herself against one of the tower's balconies then launch herself away into the air.

Feeling the coldness of the air, the warmth of the setting sun, and the freedom of defying gravity, Jullanar peacefully closed her eyes as the wind caressed her skin from her face to her bare chest. She even flipped artistically and slowly in midair, and as she faced the ground and succumbed to gravity, she was now ready to land and find something to cover herself with.

But just at this moment, darkness descended over her.

She looked to the west and saw a dragon blocking her entire vision and coming at her with senseless speed.

There was no time to react when the Dragon opened his dark maw wide, showing his deadly fangs that sat in raws, his slimy black tongue, and his gaping throat that was ready to swallow her whole.

Options?

Jullanar couldn't think of any.

She made a mistake; she shouldn't have acted this rashly or swung to the sky like that.

The nearest building to her grappling hook range was miserably far away, and even if she reacted and threw the hook, there wouldn't be enough time.

How about fighting?

She can't see herself doing it. She could ambush the other Dragon, but this one was facing her on his own volition, and in the sky, there was no king but the dragon.

If only someone was close by to save her. Jon is preferable, maybe Alina, or even Alina's pet gryphon.

This thought lingered in her mind as the dark maw of the Dragon was already closing on her, swallowing her whole.

Without any resistance, Jullanar was swallowed.

She resisted and pushed with her legs against the upper mouth of the Dragon, but as his tongue twisted around her, trying to push her towards the digestive canal, there was no longer a thing she could do...

Actually, she has something that might help.

Her ring, the ring that she received from Jon had an escaping spell enchanted on it.

Once she holds it tight and activates its rune, she will be teleported away.

Without thinking she did just that.

Magicka enveloped her body, and she could feel the spatial spell pulling her outside the Dragon.

The Dragon struggled and felt the unnatural flow of Magicka from within. If he could do anything, he would choose to spit her out as he had no time.

The Escape Spell on Jullanar's ring was fast, made of the best material, and enchanted by the best enchanter. Not only can it break dimensions, but this ring was fashioned after the time Jon was trapped in the depth of Apocrypha, and so to be the best item possible, it would teleport its user with their body intact and even lay a certain level of protection over the soul so that no Daedric Prince can influence it along the way.

Still, Jon has never accounted that living beings would use such a ring to escape from the insides of another living being.

The level of destruction this would cause to the soul of the living being on the outside would be immense, and even if it was a Dragon, a ring like this was made to defy the influence of Daedric Princes whose souls are the pinnacle among the et'Ada.

With such power, Julianar tore through the Dragon and his soul to escape being swallowed whole. Even though the ring is a single-use item and would get destroyed, even though it is painful for her to see something her dear husband gave to her get shattered, survival is a priority.

The Dragon couldn't endure the damage inflicted by the ring's magic and fell from the sky as its soul was almost destroyed. As for Jullanar, she was happy to finally feel the sensation of a hard ground under her.

Her body hurt, and her senses were all jumbled, but this was a cheap price to pay for escaping death. In her heart, she vowed never to take to the skies this recklessly even again.

Still, once she opened her eyes, she saw that she wasn't in the portal hub under the Dare Tower, as the ring was supposed to take her. She was in a familiar place, seeing familiar faces.

Those were the defenders of Winterhold, the soldiers she just led to battle, and the friends in arms she had trained with for a long time.

Their faces were a welcome sight to see, but the looks in their eyes were something else. They were like beasts, raging for battle, demanding the blood price from the necks of the enemies.

"Guys..."

Jullanar raised her head, but the magnitude of "raised" was a bit off her usual charts. She towered over the men; some of them were twice her size. Even Njord, who is three times her size, looked up at her from an angel she never thought she would see him from... ever. Njord is the tallest Firemane, even taller than Jon.

"Hey, Mister Uncle, how am I this tall?"

Jullanar's question confused the ever-living shit out of everyone in the plaza.

Why is this Dragon talking like someone they know?