Chapter 78 When the Council Learned to Fear
All the leaders sat upon their heavy wooden chairs, arranged around the long stone table worn smooth by countless councils before this one. The dim torchlight flickered along the walls, casting shifting shadows across stern faces and polished armor. One by one, their eyes settled on Alex.
Some of them studied him with faint recognition quiet nods, narrowed eyes, measured breaths while others looked at him with open curiosity and suspicion. Among the latter were Ulfric Stormcloak and his men, their gazes sharp, assessing him like a blade being tested for flaws.
Ulfric leaned back slightly in his chair, one gauntleted hand resting on the armrest. His piercing blue eyes never left Alex as he spoke.
"Astrid," he said in a low, firm voice, "who is this man? This is the first time I've seen him."
Astrid stood calmly beside Alex, her posture steady and unyielding. She did not hesitate. Her voice was clear, carrying a quiet confidence that filled the hall.
"This is Alex," she said. "He is the man who has accompanied me throughout my journey and he is also my lover."
A brief silence followed.
Ulfric lifted one eyebrow slowly, the corner of his mouth twitching with interest.
"Hm. A lover, huh?"
His gaze drifted past them, landing on Elenwen's unconscious body sprawled nearby. Her still form, a stark reminder of recent events, drew a faint scoff from his lips. After a moment, Ulfric's eyes returned to Astrid, his expression now tinged with approval.
"Dragonborn," he said, his voice carrying a hint of amusement, "it seems you chose your lover well."
Galmar's laughter broke the tension like a crashing wave. He slapped his thigh with a loud smack, his broad grin stretching wide.
"Aye!" Galmar boomed. "He's truly a real Nord bringing down a Thalmor so easily! Hahahaha!"
Ulfric let out a deep, hearty chuckle, his shoulders rising and falling with the sound.
"Indeed, Galmar," he agreed, his smile lingering as his gaze once again swept over Alex.
General Tullius's jaw tightened slightly as Ulfric and Galmar's laughter echoed through the hall. His arms folded across his chest, metal gauntlets scraping faintly against his armor. Beside him, Elisif's brows knit together, her lips pressing into a thin line as clear irritation flashed across her face.
She exhaled sharply, turning her head away in visible displeasure before speaking.
"Ugh… you really have no manners at all," Elisif said, her voice edged with annoyance, her fingers gripping the armrest of her chair as though restraining herself from saying more.
Alex, unfazed by the tension, shifted his weight and slowly swept his gaze across the room. His eyes moved from one leader to another measuring, observing like someone taking stock of a battlefield rather than a council chamber. After a brief pause, he spoke in an even, almost casual tone.
"So," Alex said, "it seems you're holding a meeting."
His eyes settled briefly on Tullius, then Elisif, before drifting toward Ulfric.
"If I had to guess, this is about a temporary ceasefire, isn't it?"
Astrid gave a small nod in response, the movement deliberate. She folded her arms lightly across her chest and replied with quiet certainty.
"That's right," she said. "Jarl Balgruuf requested that we hold this meeting if we want to capture a dragon at his hold."
Alex turned his head toward Astrid, a faint smile forming on his lips. His tone was relaxed almost careless as if he were talking about an ordinary hunt rather than a legendary beast.
"Actually," he said, "even without Dragonreach, the two of us could capture a dragon alive on our own, you know."
For a heartbeat, silence swallowed the hall.
Then the room erupted.
A burst of laughter rolled across the stone chamber, echoing off the walls. Some leaders leaned back in their chairs, others covered their mouths, while a few openly shook their heads in disbelief.
Ulfric threw his head back and laughed heartily, the sound deep and booming. He slapped the armrest of his chair, eyes gleaming with both amusement and challenge.
"Boy," he said between laughs, "I'll grant you this you've got the guts to knock Elenwen unconscious."
His laughter faded into a sharp grin.
"But even courage has its limits. Capturing a dragon by yourself? That would make you a madman. It's impossible."
Jarl Balgruuf let out a low chuckle, stroking his beard thoughtfully as he shook his head.
"Aye, that's true," Balgruuf said. "Without the tools at my hold, you wouldn't be able to trap any dragon."
He straightened slightly, pride creeping into his voice.
"Dragonreach has history. It once captured a legendary dragon. Whiterun may not have been under my rule back then, but the device has already proven its worth."
Elisif covered her mouth as she laughed, though there was little warmth in it. Her eyes swept over Alex from head to toe, her smile sharp and dismissive.
"Hahaha," she said mockingly. "That's right, boy. With a body that small, how do you expect to capture something that enormous? Hahaha."
General Tullius joined in with a short, controlled laugh, adjusting his stance as his expression turned smug.
"Unless," he added dryly, "you happen to be the strongest mage alive which you clearly are not. Hahaha."
The laughter lingered in the air, thick with ridicule and disbelief, completely unaware that Alex had yet to show them just how wrong they were.
Esbern did not laugh. His sharp eyes narrowed behind his spectacles, studying Alex in silence, his fingers tightening around the edge of his staff. Delphine remained still as well, her arms crossed and her posture rigid, gaze unwavering. The Greybeards, cloaked in heavy robes, stood like stone statues silent, solemn, and unmoved. They had all seen Alex fight. They knew better than to underestimate him.
The laughter in the hall lingered for a moment longer.
Then Alex moved.
He took a slow step forward, the faint scrape of his boot against the stone floor echoing unnaturally loud in the chamber. His expression remained calm too calm. There was no anger in his eyes, no arrogance only quiet resolve.
Without raising his voice… or even lifting his hands
The air changed.
An invisible force surged through the hall. Wooden chairs creaked violently. Cloaks fluttered upward as if caught in a sudden, unseen gale. One by one, the leaders gasped as their bodies were torn free from gravity.
In an instant, everyone was lifted into the air.
Shock spread across their faces wide eyes, open mouths, frantic grasping at nothing as their feet dangled helplessly above the stone floor.
"W–What's happening?!" someone shouted in panic.
Elisif's breath hitched as her body rose higher, her hands clutching desperately at her dress as it billowed around her. Her face flushed with fury and humiliation as she struggled against the unseen force.
"Put me down at once!" she screamed, her voice trembling with anger. "This is an insult! General Tullius do something!"
General Tullius flailed for balance, his armor clanking loudly as he reached for his sword only to realize his feet were nowhere near the ground. Sweat beaded on his brow.
Ulfric's laughter vanished instantly. His eyes widened as his boots lifted clear of the floor. He clenched his fists, veins bulging in his arms as if sheer will alone might drag him back down.
"Galmar!" Ulfric roared. "What in Oblivion is going on?! Why are we floating do something!"
Galmar struggled beside him, teeth gritted, muscles straining uselessly against the crushing grip of the unseen power.
Every leader and their subordinates were suspended in midair helpless, exposed
Except for Alex.
Except for Astrid.
Except for the Greybeards, Esbern, and Delphine, who remained firmly grounded, watching in grim silence as the balance of power shifted before their eyes.
Alex finally smiled.
It was calm. Controlled. Almost gentle.
He folded his arms loosely and looked up at the floating leaders as though observing curious insects trapped in amber.
"Well, General Tullius," Alex said evenly, his voice carrying effortlessly through the chamber, "the fact is I can make all of you float like this."
With a subtle tilt of his head, several of them drifted higher, prompting panicked gasps.
"I could also fling you at high speed," he continued, "straight through stone walls, if I wished."
The torches along the walls flickered violently, responding to the pressure in the air.
"I can maintain this for a long time," Alex said, eyes cold now, "and I can affect many things at once living or not entirely at my will."
A brief pause.
"So yes," he concluded calmly, "you could say my ability is just as valid if not more than the device at Dragonreach."
With a simple downward gesture of his fingers, the invisible force loosened.
Slowly carefully the leaders were lowered back into their chairs. Wood creaked as seats took their weight once more. Boots touched stone. Armor rattled.
Silence fell.
No laughter remained.
Only heavy breathing… and fear.
They sat frozen, hearts pounding, the reality sinking in at last. They had just witnessed a power that did not rely on prophecy, lineage, or ancient machines.
A new power.
One that stood beyond even the Dragonborn.
From that moment on, every leader in the hall understood one thing clearly
They would choose their words carefully in front of Alex.
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