(A/n: since I'm having mood swings while writing, I decided to return to Jon's POV. First-person storytelling is back.)
The Dragon Cult is divided into four hordes; Onikkeindrog's horde known as Wise Dragons, Lotsovengein's horde known as Secret Dragons, Kungosvern's horde known as War Dragons, and Nahdollisk's horde known as Guardian Dragons.
We have faced and annihilated two Dragon Hordes so far. The Wise Dragons down south at the Rift and the Secret Dragons at Solitude.
This ti, I had to charge into the storm looking for my young brother and sister but all I found was bloodsucking mosquitos. One must always bring his mosquito catcher when traveling in remote areas. I call that catcher Gluttony.
"The sight of this many victims entangled in this ss of flesh and blood gives the chills every ti I see it." My lovely wife comnted as she pulled back the loose parts of her dress in order to keep it from being dirty.
"Not that I wanted it to cause a ss but Gluttony gets excited and fucks shit up whether the chance arises." I said while kicking around a vampire body part near Alina just to tease her.
"He really takes after you then." She replied in a sharp, quick manner.
That hurts!
"Let's keep advancing." Alina said as she gracefully moved through the blooded landscape without catching a stain.
So, let's recap what happened real quick.
After operating as Dragonborn and getting my identity revealed, which was my doing, my family gets in trouble for being… well, my family. That's when my baby siblings got kidnapped and the Dragon Cult started targeting my people because I kinda halted the war that was feeding Alduin with souls so that he couldn't keep getting stronger.
Glad to catch you up on things.
My na is Jon Dare, by the way, and I haven't been talking to myself so often lately. Who is to bla? I can't tell you but I'll give you a hint, his na starts with a D.
So let's get back to the at and potatoes of things, shall we?
Currently, we are crossing the borderland between the Pale and Hjaalmarch while tracking any traces of my siblings. And since these traces aren't physical, we resorted to Divining, which is totally legit and 100% accurate when used by my wife, spoiler alert, it probably has to do with her woman intuition that keeps getting in trouble lately.
But as we crossed yet another weird unnatural phenonon taking the shape of a blazing dried-up forest, we found ourselves in the presence of dear old pops, Jonrad Firemane, whose face frightens every ti I look at him.
"You scared there!" He said while pointing at , "Gotta make a sound before creeping on with that mug of yours."
Can you believe he is my father?
"Point taken. Nobody wants to think they got this good-looking and feel disappointed for nothing." I replied.
"It's more like you two are the spitting image of each other. One young and sexy and the other senior and cool." Alina felt the need to say those words again.
"Your wife thinks I am cool." Jonrad said.
"That's as far as you can go." I replied.
"Enough with the banter." Alina spoke, "Father-in-law, I see that you brought down a dragon."
Oh, yes… he did that. He was, in fact, sitting on the head of a Dragon as we were speaking and he seed to have ended up burning the place during the fight.
"I understand Thor and Idun are nearby?" I asked.
Alina took a look at the silver pendant she was using as a dium of divining and nodded.
"They should be nearby. We should look for an old ruin or a cave." She said.
"Good. I was losing track of those bastards." Jonrad said as jumped off the dragon.
"How did you get here anyway? You beat everyone else and took the shortest way possible?" I asked Jonrad as it seed finally appropriate to ask.
"I couldn't tell you in Saarthal but those bastards kept giving Telepathic signals not long after they escaped. They said to co alone or the kids will be hurt." Jonrad replied.
"So if we are here…" Alina asked, fearing the worst.
"They won't harm them." Jonrad and I spoke at the sa ti.
It seems we had an understanding.
"The kids are more valuable as hostages." I explained.
"That's horrible." Alina beca worried instantly, "We need to figure out a way to locate our enemy and slip past them undetected to recover the kids."
"Our enemy has dragons on its side, slipping past Dragons is no easy feat." Jonrad said.
I agree and from experience, it is better to draw a dragon out than charging into its den. Even in the ga, Dragons had a very high detection range and would take to the sky when danger approached.
"So, what's the plan?" Jonrad asked Alina.
"We confuse them, of course. Make them not able to think." Alina said.
"I like the sound of that, go on."
"Well, as we all know, people with impaired sight confuse you two together."
"Indeed, indeed." "Well said."
"We will use that to our advantage and approach them from two places at once as if father-in-law is surrendering himself to them."
"Oh! Smart! Then what?"
"Usually you two would start to improvise but if I were them, I'd be ready to disarm you first and take away your advantages. Since we have no proper reconnaissance over the area, I am hesitant to move without knowing what we are up against but what I want you to do is to circle around the location they gave you and approach it from the other direction first. After that, Jon will approach from the front as you and at the sa ti, confusion strikes them from both directions."
"A double penetration plan, I like." I concluded.
"Sohow I am not okay with the naming." Alina replied.
"Either way, since not only Jonrad will be entering their den, they won't be prepared for us two."
"Not only that. What we are after is an opportunity to thin out their forces. Wulfur and Bjorna are nearby so I will join them and coordinate an infiltration attack. With that, we can support you from the rear as you strike the depth of the enemy's stronghold."
"Sounds like a plan." Jonrad said.
"Alright. Let's get into position first."
***
At the depth of the Labyrinthian, the cries of a child echoed in the deepest room of the dungeon. The Dragon Cultists gathered and split themselves into multiple units for the coming operation.
"Listen up, Kendov wants to be vigilant. This ti, we are up against Jon Dare's father. The old man is known to be dangerous but we should expect that he won't honor his word and would co with others." A lieutenant cultist spoke to his underlings.
"Can't we just take those two kids and hang them on shields? Even if they had balls of steel, they wouldn't think of doing anything stupid." A henchman cultist said.
"How many tis do I have to say it? We are up against Mages. It took months of planning to get us that far and those kids are crucial to get them where Kendov wants them." The lieutenant said, "Now focus. Once the old man is brought from the outside, we will make him pass through multiple rooms, each room will have a team ready to ambush him. Once he hears the cries of the kids, he will move in the direction of their voices. Aim for the mont where he drops his guard then try to incapacitate him. We'll leave the rest for the elite unit that will stay one step behind him."
"Sir, what about Kendov?" A henchman asked.
"Lord Kendov will coordinate with the great Dragon Lords for the second phase of the plan. Now, get ready and hold positions."
As the lieutenant spread his henchn, the wait began and after so point, the gate to the Labyrinthian was opened.
Tens of cultists donned in armor walked in while surrounding a large red-haired man who was bound in chains. Half of them held him by the end of every chain and the other half aid their spears against him. Unlike regular spears, the heads of these ones were made of bones… Dragon Bones.
"Isn't it heretical to your cult to use the bones of your masters as weapons?" The giant man in chains asked while looking at their spearheads.
"Hmph! Rather than heresy, it is a great honor to be bestowed such weapons. They are a symbol of strength and they are collected from the Dragons that opposed our lord Alduin."
Receiving Jonrad behind the gates of the Labyrinthian was a man donned in great robes and wearing Dragon scale and bone armor. His head was bald and he had no eyebrows and not a single hair on his face in general. He seed like he was the ringleader around here.
"Long ti no see, Commander Jonrad. I'll escort you to your children"
The man said and cleared the way for Jonrad to walk inside. As the two walked into the Labyrinthian, Jonrad spoke.
"Do I know you?"
"Many years ago, your exploits were legendary among Nords during the Great War. I followed you to a few skirmishes myself so I know you at the very least. The fact that you fathered a Dragonborn is no surprise to those who know about you." The Leader replied.
"So… after a life in war, you joined those who want to start another?" Jonrad asked the Leader.
"Don't get wrong, Commander Jonrad. What is important for the Dragon Cult is strength and nothing else. For that, we respect you but we know that this world is dood if it was left to the devices of man and r."
"Oh yeah?"
"How can you not know this? You've seen it all, the senseless slaughter all the reason is that mortals like you and were getting a bit power-hungry and wanted what the others had. Under Dragon rule, however, we'll have god-kings who are ant to live forever, whose law is as simple as Might Makes Right, and whose origin is nothing less than divine. The Empire for all its years has paraded the symbol of the Dragon as an icon of power and right to rule, even the Emperors were ant to be Dragonborn. But now that there are the real dragons, the true representatives of this symbolism, what do you think we mortals should do?"
"I don't know, man. I am here for the kids, not so lofty speech about gods and n."
"I have never taken you for a man who disregards his opponent, Commander." The Cultist Leader said.
"Do I need to regard you in any way, shape, or form?"
"Not unless you want to see your children alive… one last ti."
"I like how you use threats."
"Now you are not disregarding , I assu?"
"What the hell, man! I'll bite."
"Thank you." The Cultist Leader said, "My na is Kendov and I am the man who will end your life."
"Kendov? Warrior?"
"You know your Dovahzul."
"My eldest is the most handso Dragonborn there is."
"Truly? Your so-called handso son will be your undoing, Commander Jonrad."
"That so?"
"Of course. Do you realize the amount of suffering that son of yours has put other people through? You know… when you had the prophecy before him being born, I would have rushed to your aid along with many of our brothers in arms. Alas, a troubleso son like that should have died long ago."
"Hmmm."
"You still don't rember , huh? Well, I looked completely different back then before you burned to a crisp."
"If you think this is supposed to narrow it down, think again, friend."
"I know, I know. Jonrad Firemane, the Last Dragonknight."
As the two passed a few checkpoints deeper into the Labyrinthian, the main outer gate was opened once again and a score of n walked in, half of them holding a red-haired giant man by the ends of many chains and the other half holding him at bay with dragonbone spears.
The cultists within the entrance hall all turned to the familiar scene and thought they were tripping for a second there.
"Halt! What are you doing?" The Cultist lieutenant stopped the incoming group and raised his spear against them, "What is the aning of this?"
"I'm the one that should be asking this!" The captain of the other group ca forward and faced his peer, "Weren't you supposed to be hiding? And shouldn't Kendov be the one receiving us?"
"What gate did you co from?"
"South."
"The guys from the northern gate just entered just a couple of minutes ago with the capture target and Kendov led them in."
"But that's the capture target."
"It can't be. You guys must have arrested soone else by mistake."
"Wait! Wasn't the Dragonborn and his father almost lookalike? Can this be…"
As the two captains turned to the one held by chains. They realized sothing had just gone wrong.
"KILL HIM! NOW!"
As they gave the order, a fla flickered from between the man's hand and a wave of fire exploded and enveloped every person in the room aside from its caster, rendering them all to ash.
"Almost look alike? At least that one wasn't all blind."
Jonrad stood over the ashes of his forr captors and looked at the chains that hindered him from casting magic.
"That daughter-in-law of mine is a genius, huh!" genius." Jonrad exclaid and looked at the large gate of the Labyrinthian, "Shall I open now?"
{Yes, father-in-law, please open the gate when you're ready.}
"Here we go…"
Jonrad, who was still chained, walked over to the gate, stood by its side since he was still shackled, leaned to the side, and suddenly hit the gate with his body.
The entire gate shocked and the dust started to hail from the cracks around the ceiling. Another two hits and the gate's locking chanism broke.
Originally, the Labyrinthian was the main capital of the Dragon Cult in ancient tis but since its abandonnt, Archmage Shalidor used it as a testing ground to select the Archmage of Winterhold. The Dragon Cult has recently reclaid the site but it seems the changes done by Archmage Shalidor were irreversible even with the power of Dragons.
Either way, as the lock broke, Wulfur pushed the gate open, and behind him were Alina and Bjorna. Jonrad offered his hands up and Wulfur broke the chain with his axe before handing Jonrad his sword.
"You liked my trick, father-in-law." Alina asked.
"Keep a small spell channeled before they put the magic sealing chains on you then the spell won't be canceled until you finish its casting? That's a terrifying thing you just taught ." Jonrad said.
"I'm glad that you're all alright but I feel like those cultist bastards will find out about our plan soon." Wulfur said.
"I sent a hawk to Jullanar, she should be covering the exit once we are done here." Bjorna said.
"It seems that everything is in place." Alina said and then activated the next phase of the plan, "We'll move lightly, find the remaining cultists, and get rid of them all before setting siege to the place where they hold the children. I have been through the Labyrinthian once so I know how deep this place is going to be."
"We're counting on you."
With Jon posing as Jonrad at the lead to trick Kendov and his n, Jonrad and the others stord the main entrance in a race of ti to rescue the two children and thwart the Dragon Cult's plans.
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