Alduin's Rise

[Xion136]

Teresse frowned. She fired a crossbow, not wanting to engage her Valkyrie form. Reloading, she led and fired, bolts piercing the rough hid of the legs. She wasnt having a good time hitting the eyes or the neck, so she resigned to just keeping it from the bow.

Pausing, she put thoughts of magic away. She didn't have anything useful...for now.

[OminousVoice]

The dragon could manoeuvre neither port nor starboard due to the flurry of magical blasts and crossbow bolts. The beast was circling about 100 feet ahead of the bow. It belched a few gouts of fire at the airship but its range was too short to do anything but heat the air.

 

The airship was moving in for the kill. Grella lined up her shot, carefully leading her target. She fired and the massive barbed ballista bolt hurtled toward the dragon. It was within a dozen feet of impact when the dragon suddenly dived. A few seconds later a thunderous screeching roar could be heard from beneath the airship. Flames peeked over the crafts sides accompanied by the smell of burning wood.

 

Tordin rushed to the side and peered over the edge. The dragon was sweeping up and down beneath the airships vulnerable underside. Without hesitation he grabbed the mooring rope and vaulted over the side. He clung to the rope tightly as he swung down the side of the ships hull. From here he could cover most of the ships underside. It was at this moment his acrophobia resurfaced. His head span as the dragon made another fire spewing pass beneath the vessel. He drew breath to shout but instead he vomited, the contents of his stomach landing on the dragons nose with a quiet splat. He had no time to compose himself as the dragon was turning around for another pass, doubtless angered by being puked on. The creature rushed past and with it a gust of wind that sent Tordin swinging wildly. With one hand Tordin gripped tightly on the rope and wrapped it around his leg. With the other he charged up a spell. His head was spinning and his vision blurred but the dragon's shape was unmistakeable. He unleashed another thunderous bolt of lighting at the beast. It missed but the dragon banked away. Just to be sure Tordin bellowed a mighty Thu'um.

 

"FUS RO DAH!"

 

The shockwave staggered the dragons flight allowing a few crossbow bolts and spells from atop the deck to find their mark. Injured, the dragon had no choice but to manoeuvre ahead of the bow again. Tordin clung to the rope hoping that Grella's next shot landed.

Edited February 3, 2014 by OminousVoice

[Keanumoreira]

Arrow after arrow and none had met its mark. Abdul was understandingly frustrated, and the flames rising from beneath the Jazeera only intensified his growing anxiety. He was obviously no help being so high up where he could be injured and possibly incapacitated. Carefully, he maneuvered himself down from the crow's nest, which was quickly losing the battle against fire. Flaming planks rained down all around him, at one point burning his hand and nearly causing him to plummet to the deck below.

 

Confidently, the Argonian made his way safely to the deck, gathering buckets and searching for any immediate source of water. The kitchen below deck provided plenty, and Abdul quickly went about extinguishing the conflagration. If he wasn't going to be helpful in battle, he could at least do something to pull his own weight. Although he wasn't too skilled in the arts of destruction, he nonetheless knew a few cold spells, and snuffed out any unruly pockets of fire. It was difficult work, but if they had any chance of reaching Riften, everyone would have to give their one-hundred percent.

Edited February 3, 2014 by Keanumoreira

[Macman253]

Raj roared with anger and bellowed obscenities at the dragon as he scorched his ship.

 

"By TallPapa's balls!" He roared as he spun the pilots wheel in frustration, this lizard was not going down without a fight.

 

He uncorked a bottle of dark liquid and stuck it to his lips and taking a deep drink before tossing it onto a fire to snuff it out. The alcohol steadied his nerves.

 

"Grella! Load up the 'eart-piercer!" He commanded as he lined up on the dragon ahead of them. Grella finished loading in the wickedly barbed bolt dubbed Heart-Piercer by the crew. The bolts finish was as black as the ships deck and had nearly half a dozen tally marks along it's shaft.

 

"Loaded and ready Captain!" She shouted back while she prepared to shoot.

 

Raj smirked as he saw the dragon climb up in front of their bow, his back exposed to the ballista.

 

"Fire!" He roared, Grella responded, the large bolt burst through the dragons hide and out of his chest. The beast gave off an ear piercing roar and went slack, plummeting to the ground and striking with a wet smack. Raj laughed and took them down slowly, bringing the Jazeera alongside the dragons crashsite. A thicket of trees not far from Shor's Stone.

 

Grella dropped the rope ladder over the side while Raj grabbed a large boarding axe, propped up next to his pilot's wheel, six marks along it's haft he kissed the blade softly and climbed to earth. The dragon lay in a slump on the earth, the thick bolt still protruding from it's stomach. It hissed at him wickedly.

 

"This fight isn't over yet!" He said to the others as the now flightless dragon readied itself for the upcoming battle. "Grella on the ballista! Load in the net!" He ordered, the nord woman responded without question.

[OminousVoice]

As the Jazeera landed, Tordin took the opportunity to slide down the mooring rope. As his feet touched the ground he took a moment to calm his nerves and thank the gods he was on solid earth once more.

 

An ominous growl snapped his attention back to task. The grounded dragon was just a few dozen yards away. He unsheathed his hammer and unslung the shield from his back. He spotted Raj descending from the Jazeera. Tordin moved closer to the injured beast, raising his shield and adjusting his grip on his hammer. The dragon was gravely injured to be sure, but it was still dangerous, if not more so now. It could still use its Thu'um to devastating effect.

 

Tordin heard Raj's call for a net. He figured he'd give Grella time to load it and the dragon something to concentrate on. He slammed his hammer against his shield, emitting an almighty clang. Little arcs of lightning leapt from the point of impact. The dragon's head swiftly swung round to the source of the sound.

 

"Luft zey, dovah!" ("Face me, dragon!") Tordin barked.

 

"Duziir joor!" ("Insolent mortal!") The dragon hissed in response.

[FennecFyre]

(Note to self: In the event of another lull, impromptu random event xD)

 

Obeying Raj's shout, Sivari snatched up a crossbow, regarding it for a brief moment (she had used a bow before, but never a crossbow) before fumbling a dart into place and winding it up. She lined up the dart with the dragon, then pulled the trigger. The projectile flew wide, causing her to hiss in frustration and load another dart. By now, the others had succeeded in coralling it near the front of the bow. It roared in fury, throat glowing. Sivari barely had time to brace herself before a ball of fire ripped from the dragon's jaws. It just barely missed the ship, and Sivari screwed her eyes shut against the heat. She looked up at the balloon, feeling a cold ball of fear lodge in her gut. If the balloon was hit, they'd go down, no question about it.

 

She tried to put the thought out of her mind and fired again, this time nicking it's tail as it flew under the ship. There was another roar, and she caught the scent of burning wood. Flat-eared and breathing hard, Sivari swore an oath to the gods that if she survived this, she was going back to her caravan and never leaving leaving again. She'd leave the adventuring to the adventurers.

 

Just when she was certain they'd all die in a fiery inferno, she saw the ballista bolt pierce through the dragon's back, sending it plummeting down to the ground. It hit the hard dirt in a cloud of dust and flailing wings, and she winced slightly despite the fact that the dragon had previously been intent on killing them. The ship slowly descended, bringing them near the grounded animal. Gouts of crimson blood slowly pooled under it's chest, but it wasn't dead yet. She followed Tordin down the mooring rope, keeping the crossbow pointed at the dragon's head. WIncing at the clang of Tordin's hammer on his shield, she watched the dragon warily. If this is just one of the rank-and-filers, she thought with dread, then what is Alduin himself going to be like? After it hissed at Tordin, it snaked it's head forward, attempting to snap at him but falling short. The fearsome head hit the ground again as a trickle of blood ran from it's mouth. It was dying, but it seemed to determined to take at least one of them with it.

[Xion136]

Teresse was right behind them all, her sword drawn. All black and almost rapier-like, she advanced beside Sivari, eyes trained on the beast.

"I vote we shoot it's eyes and let it bleed to death. There is no need to get closer." She said. "It won't live for much longer."

Erring on the side of caution, the Valkyrie waited for the verdict, pretty sure people would go and try and kill it and most probably get themselves hurt, or even killed.

[Keanumoreira]

Abdul emerged from the kitchen with bucket in hand when he noticed that the ship was no longer in motion and that members of the crew had gathered around the injured and dying dragon. As he descended, the impact of the ballista's bolt came into view. Although it had nearly killed them, the Argonian felt an unusual pity for this terrible creature, who he knew was in alliance with Alduin.

 

He slowly made his way past the others until he was mere inches from its snout, close enough to take a better look, but too far for it to lash out at him. The dragon began to growl, cursing all things foul in a language foreign to his kind. Abdul knelt respectfully, first on one knee and then the other, observing the blood that pooled around him. He remained there in silence for a moment, unsure of what to think.

 

Finally, he turned to the others, looking at their scowls and others, with fear in their faces. "Does he have to die? Isn't there another way? Isn't there something else we can do?"

[twentynine29]

Edwin watched as the dragon was shot out of the sky by one of the ship's harpoons. He ran to the edge and peered down at the dragon lying mortally wounded on the ground below. Following the others he climbed down the rope to the ground.The lower he got, the more he began to spot more dire wounds on him. Yet, the beast was still alive, just barely able to move. The dragon twitched profusely on the ground, still fighting for just a few extra seconds to live. For a moment, he just stood there and stared as the dragon desperately tried to get one last shot at them. He wasn't so sure what to do with it. He didn't like an idea giving it a painful death, but he couldn't just leave him there either. He looked to his partners and gave his say.

 

"If we're going to kill him, we should at least give him a quick death."

[FennecFyre]

Sivari turned her head marginally as Teresse, Abdul, and Edwin drew up next to her, though one eye was kept on the dragon. She found herself agreeing with Teresse. It was not the Khajiit way to charge headlong into combat and hang the consquences. There were several words in Ta'agra for "hero", among them being one that translated roughly to "dead". So when Abdul spoke, vouching that they let the beast live, a brow was raised. "Are you feeling well?" she asked the Argonian. "You were present just a few moments ago, surely? You remember how it tried kill us, correct?" She was aware that the dragon's eyes had shifted from Tordin to Abdul, and she could almost swear she saw the plotting going on behind those pupils. Edwin spoke, and she nodded at him. "We should kill it now and be done with it." She hefted the crossbow again, winding up a dart and aiming it between the dragon's eyes.

 

Instead of snarling, a guttural chuckle shook it's limp form. "Yesss, you couldn't couldn't you?" it said in a surprisingly refined accent, though one marked with a serpentine hissing inflection. "But if you do, then I won't be able to tell you the sssecret."

Sivari scowled, but lowered the bow. "What secret, beast?"

It hummed, head bobbing slightly. It seemed the bloodloss was getting to it's head. "Mum'sss the word, at least for now. Ssspare my life, and I will speak, but no sssooner. Favor for favor, fair, hm?"

Sivari looked over her shoulder at the others for advice, ears laid back in frustration.