Memoirs of Larz D'Ovakine - The Dragon & The Bear

  • The four Guard Captains rushed down the throne room. Drawing their swords they split into pairs down each side of the long table dividing the room.

    I stood my ground, back to the doors of the Palace. The sounds of the last battle of the Stormcloaks seeped inside muffled by the huge oak doors. Cries of pain and death, metal on metal and orders of 

    "Hold that line!!!"

    "We need more MEN!"

    "For the EMPIRE!"

    Merged into a cacophonous roar that reverberated round the Throne room.

    As the first two Captains made there way to me I readied myself. Their swords raised high in a sprinting attack they bellowed their Battle cries. Just as they closed the gap something clattered against the outside of the Palace doors loosening hinges and sending clouds of dust from around the huge door frame. This gave me a split second to react. The Captains distracted by the commotion faltered in their stride and I pounced spinning through the air with a giant side ways strike of my Great sword. I slew the first in half at the waist, the tip of my blade slashing out with less force gashing into the seconds leg.

    He howled in pain giving more speed to his fellow Captains still closing the gap from the other side of the table. He dropped to one knee and I returned my blade in a second side strike and lopped his head from his shoulders. Blood sprayed out like one of the Rift geysers from his severed neck. Slowly his body slumped to the ground as his colleagues watched his head roll across the Blue carpet staring out at them with wide eyes.

    I rushed forward with the their morale shook and unleashed a flurry of strikes on the Third Captain. Regaining his composure quickly he met my blows like for like. The rapidly increasing steps of the Fourth made me kick the legs out of Third sending him onto his back giving me the time to turn and bring my blade up to counter Fourth's charge attack. We stood locked for a moment before he broke the grapple and smashed his pummel into my jaw sending my reeling to the side. He closed the gap but I managed to counter him again knocking his arms up in the air sending his sword flying halfway down the hall where it stuck rigidly into the ornate banqueting table.

    Bringing my sword down I cleaved him across his chest sending blood spewing out turning the blue carpet plum. A sharp pain in my side brought my attention back to Third. His sword grating against my armour. He was still winded but had managed to get a decent swing as my back was turned. Catching his sword against my left side I sharply elbowed him in the face with my right. In shock he gripped the hilt of his sword harder and I pummeled him with my elbow two more times sending teeth free from his mouth. Wrenching his weapon back he staggered spitting more fragments of molar to the ground. Dazed I rushed him again only this time he had lost his speed and my volley of strikes caught him on his arms. Exhausted he dropped his sword, his arms no longer able to lift the weight. In a weak attempt to attack I knocked the sword from his hand and kicked the back of his legs sending him to his knees.

    Turning to face Ulfric I slowly pushed the tip of my blade into the back of Thirds neck. Keeping eye contact with Ulfric as his last Captain gurgled 

    "For Ulfric Stormclogurglr gurgle"

    Freeing my blade I stepped away from the Captain and let him slump to the floor. Ulfric stood seething at the opposite end of the long table. Grasping the hilt of his sword he leapt up and started running down the length of it shouting

    "It looks like I will have to deal with you myself!"

    Charging down the table he unsheathed his sword kicking all manner of table cutlery and glasses as he went. I positioned myself again with my back to the Palace doors. I wasn't going to let him get out and rally more help to his side. Nearing the end of his platform it looked as if he was about to let out his Battle Cry but instead I heard those familiar sounds

    "FUS RO DAH!!!!"

    In shock time seemed to slow as Ulfric's shout fired across the remaining space sending the contents of the table flying towards me. The draconic sound waves battered into me lifting me up in the air and sending me soaring at the doors. In their weakened state with the force of Ulfric's shout and my body I crashed through the ancient doors into daylight. I remember spinning through the air,seeing sky then ground then backs of the Stormcloaks fighting a sea of Imperials pushing for the Palace then sky and again ground. Slamming face down the wind was knocked out of me. 

    The sudden explosion of the Palace doors from the inside brought a lull in the battle and silence fell as Ulfric stormed out of the broken doors hanging on their hinges. Raising his sword and stabbing the sky he bellowed

    "FIGHT THEM BACK, KILL ALL WHO HOPE TO CRUSH OUR WAY OF LIFE! FIGHT MY BROTHERS! FOR SKYRIM!"

    With that the Stormcloaks ringed around the Palace courtyard pushed forward into the Sea of Imperial with renewed vigor. Ulfric looked around and spotted me righting myself and continued his charge as I got to my feet. 

    I could hear his men as they continued fighting raising morale with shouts of

    "Ulfric's fighting the Dragonborn!"

    "Keep back the Imperials!"

    "Let the true King of Skyrim end this prophecy!"

    I grasped my sword and stood ready to face Ulfric. Our swords sang as they met for the first time and Ulfric was smiling obviously rallied by the success of his initial attack in the Throne room. But I took advantage of his over confidence and with speed he didn't think I had I countered his strike and brought my fist across his face in a right hook. Shaking his head he roared and leapt back into the fray with me with a more fierce look of concern on my condition. Blow for blow we parry-ed each matching the others skill with the blade. Both tiring with the expenditure of adrenaline and strength. Ulfric suddenly swept low and kicked my feet out from under me jumping forward and pinning me to the ground with his sword across my throat.

    His troops cheered with that maneuver but I quickly squashed the boost of morale. Unleashing my shout for the first time into Ulfric's growling face. He seemed shocked as though he forgot that I too could use the voice. Pirouetting through the air he slammed into the opposite wall of the courtyard and fell a height to the ground with a bone crunching thud.  A sharp intake of breath from the soldiers who saw again brought a lull to fighting until Ulfric moved and forced himself onto one knee. Blood pouring from his bruised face. The battle again picked up pace.

    As Ulfric righted himself I looked out across the sea of battle and heard my name shouted from the right hand side near the Inn. I found the source and saw the Companion contingent lead by Kodlak, Farkas and Aela chopping a bloody swath through the Stormcloaks. I made eye contact with them as Aela shouted once more

    "LARZZZZ, WE ARE COMING TO YOU!"

    I nodded a confirmation and moved to take up my battle with Ulfric. He had been injured badly with my shout and no longer had that spring in his step and seemed lean to one side with a limp in his right leg. This time I lead the charge but Ulfric was canny and side stepped at the last moment, managing to draw and stick a dagger through a gap in my thigh. I staggered feeling the hot burning of the metal still protruding from my leg. But I had no time to recover Ulfric saw his chance and went for his last lunge. Fortifying what strength he had left he came at me swinging wildly. Ducking and dodging his swings our weapons again clashed only this time we both lost grip and the two swords bounced away from us. Clattering across the stones of the courtyard far enough to leave us both no choice.

    The fight broke down into a brawl both trading punches to face and body. Ulfric managed to tackle me to the floor and we scrabbled around until I noticed Ulfric was trying to reach the dagger still sticking out from my leg. In one movement I grasped its hilt and yanked it free and plunged it into his left shoulder. He howled in pain and I pushed him off rolling away I dragged myself to my feet. Ulfric writhed with pain trying to reach the blade and pulled it free. Pushing himself up he armed himself with it in his good arm.

    The Imperials were slowly thinning the Stormcloaks down but Ulfric's most stoic veterans still held a tight wall across the opening into the courtyard. Both sweating and with laboured breathing we circled each other. Ulfric made a move to close the gap opening his mouth to let his shout go. He only got one word free

    "FUs..."

    I unleashed my more extensive draconic vocabulary

    "YOL TOOR SHUL!"

    The flames pouring out and engulfing the injured Stormcloak leader. His clothing igniting and sending him howling to the ground in an attempt to quell the fire that burned at his flesh. The dagger fell from his hand. I limped over as he thrashed about. Picking it up I put a foot on his chest to hold him as he still burned. In one last moment of strength I plunged the blade into his chest and staggered back from his smoldering corpse.

    With that final move the resolve of the Stormcloaks seemed to falter and the Imperials broke the line. In a daze I stood and watched as I saw my Companions fight their way through the last ranks. In a blur I spotted an archer appear on the roof of the Inn across the other side of the space. Saw him pull the bowstring and let the arrow fly. I felt the thud in my chest and began to fall backwards onto the ground.

    The world seemed unfocused and I felt the arrow sticking from my chest. Remember seeing my friends faces, Kodlak, Farkas, Aela and Tullius looking down at me backed with the smoke laddened blue sky before everything faded into a brilliant white light...........  

      

Comments

1 Comment
  • Guy Corbett
    Guy Corbett   ·  November 3, 2013
    Not sure what to do with this I could leave it here but I do have ideas to carry on. Need some of the Larz faithfuls who know his tale to give me their opinions