The Speaker 7: And Taking Names

• Posted by Clement Bilhorn December 15, 2012 - 529 views

  Delphine can't tell me why I'm carrying a sword like the one she keeps in her secret basement, but she can tell me a lot of other things. Like how the dragons are evidently not coming back--they're coming back from the dead. Well, first of all, I hadn't noticed that they were ever gone. My life has been dragons ever since I left Windhelm, and who's to say they weren't around before then? I didn't get out much.

  But more importantly, this means the dragons and I can be related after all. I'd started having my doubts, but if they were really all killed off thousands of years ago, then they totally can be my ancestors. Also, they're undead, so we have that in common.

  But they've all tried to kill me so I'm not too broken up when Delphine says we're going to go to Kynesgrove to kill one. And lo and behold, there's one waiting outside for us.

  So, Delphine, you want to see me kill a dragon? Why wait?

  This dragon's weaker than most I've fought, so it goes down in minutes, before another village is slain by my inconsiderate relatives. I take in the soul and turn to Delphine. "How's that?" I say.

  "Delphine?"

  The lady's already gone off for Kynesgrove on her own. Well, I'm not going to stoop to her level and try to chase her down. I travel in style.

  

  It looks like Delphine took a shortcut or two; we've arrived at the same time. And just in time, it turns out--there's a dragon already at Kynesgrove, and it looks a bit familiar...

  And then the dragon starts talking. I get that dragons pretty much live by talking, but this is complex. Different.

  And so is the result.

  Well, there you go, Skyrim. Vampire dragons. Or draugr dragons. Whatever. 

  Either way, I'm having trouble picking a target.

  Before I can make up my mind between the two, they start talking again. At first, it's just gibberish to me, but then the black one talks to me. Something about me not being a true dragon, about me being arrogant to even consider it.

  Well, now they're just being mean. Could a non-dragon do this?

  

  My effort at familial reconciliation goes unheeded. As usual. The black one flies off, but not before I catch his name: Alduin. The other one, Sahloknir, follows orders and attacks. So now we know who's in charge here.

  Delphine finally stops standing around and gets in on the action. The big guy responds in kind.

  

  My respect, Delphine? You now have it.

  I send a few arrows into Sahloknir in short order and ground him. And as everyone knows, a grounded dragon is a dead dragon.

  

  Sahloknir snaps at me when I go for the killing blow. In dodging, I wind up on top of his head.

  

  He tries to shake me free, but I stab furiously, until he suddenly goes limp.

  So how's that for proof of me being Dragonborn?

  

  If Alduin won't give me the respect I deserve, maybe the people of Skyrim will. Delphine certainly seems a bit more helpful now--she tells me just who she is: a "Blade", a member of an ancient order of dragon-slayers. Whatever. It doesn't compare to the Dockworkers, also an order of dragon-slayers, just not as old. 
  

  Delphine tells me she's ready to answer any questions I have. "Okay," I say. "Do you have any black soul gems?"