Chapter 80 The Blades' Ultimatum
One by one, the leaders of Skyrim departed from High Hrothgar, their footsteps echoing faintly against the ancient stone floor. The heavy wooden doors groaned as they opened, allowing icy mountain wind to rush inside, carrying with it the scent of snow and thin air. The tension that had filled the hall slowly faded, leaving behind a solemn silence broken only by the distant chanting of the Greybeards.
Jarl Balgruuf lingered behind. He turned away from the exit and walked toward Astrid and Alex, his fur-lined cloak swaying with each step. His expression, usually stern as a ruler burdened by war, softened slightly as he stopped in front of them.
"Hey," he said, lowering his voice, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I'll have the equipment prepared in three days. After that, we'll carry out the operation."
Alex crossed his arms, exhaling quietly. The weight of everything that had been decided still pressed on his chest, but he kept his voice steady.
"Alright. Three days isn't too long."
Balgruuf let out a short, restrained chuckle. The corner of his mouth lifted into a faint smile, and he gave a small nod.
"Well, we'll need to run a demonstration first make sure everyone knows how to use the equipment properly." He lifted a finger as if emphasizing the point. "So yeah. I'll meet you at Dragonsreach in three days. Don't be late."
Astrid straightened her posture instinctively, meeting Balgruuf's gaze with a firm nod.
"Alright. Three days," she replied, her voice calm but resolute.
Balgruuf turned on his heel, his heavy boots thudding against the stone floor. Irileth followed closely behind, casting one last sharp, assessing glance at Astrid and Alex before adjusting the grip on her sword. Together, they walked toward the exit, their figures gradually disappearing into the swirling white mist beyond the doors.
As the doors of High Hrothgar closed once more, the cold wind was sealed away, leaving behind a quiet, almost sacred stillness one that lingered heavily in the air, as if the mountain itself was bearing witness to the path that now lay ahead.
Not long after, the sound of cautious footsteps echoed across the stone floor behind them. Esbern and Delphine approached, both wearing expressions far more rigid than before. Delphine's jaw was set tightly, her brows drawn together in a sharp line, while Esbern walked with his hands clasped behind his back, his eyes lowered in deep thought.
Delphine stopped a short distance away and glanced around, as if making sure no one else was listening. She then leaned slightly forward, lowering her voice.
"Hey. Do you have a moment?" she said, her tone clipped and urgent. "This is important."
Astrid blinked in surprise. Delphine's voice usually blunt and commanding now carried an unusual heaviness, almost like a warning whispered in the dark. Astrid instinctively tilted her head, confusion flickering across her face.
Beside her, Alex let out a quiet breath through his nose. His shoulders stiffened, and his eyes narrowed slightly. Something about Delphine's posture and that tone already irritated him. He had a bad feeling about what was coming.
Delphine continued without waiting for an answer. Her gaze locked onto Astrid, sharp and unwavering.
"I heard the Greybeards have a leader," she said slowly. "A dragon named Paarthurnax. Is that correct?"
Astrid hesitated for half a second, then nodded. "Yes."
At that moment, Esbern raised his head. He adjusted his spectacles with trembling fingers, his expression grave as if he were reciting an old, forbidden record.
"Yes," he said, his voice low and heavy. "Unfortunately, that name is recorded among the dragons we were meant to eliminate in the past."
Astrid's eyes widened instantly. Her lips parted, and her breath caught in her throat as shock washed over her face.
Alex, however, did not react the same way.
His expression remained steady almost cold. His gaze darkened slightly, and his jaw tightened as if this was something he had already expected to hear.
"Why does he have to be killed?" Alex said coldly.
His voice cut through the still air like a blade. He lifted his head, eyes narrowed, and fixed Delphine with a hard stare. One hand slowly curled into a fist at his side as he continued,
"He's different from other dragons. He's kind. He helped Astrid fight Alduin personally."
Alex took a short step forward, his tone growing heavier with each word.
"Maybe he was cruel in the past, but he's changed. He chose a different path."
Delphine's eyes flared. She snapped back immediately, her voice sharp and heated.
"Then how is he supposed to take responsibility for what he did in the past, huh?" She raised her chin defiantly, her fists clenched. "Should we just turn a blind eye to all the blood he spilled?"
Esbern let out a slow, grim breath and nodded once. He folded his arms, his shoulders sagging under the weight of old convictions.
"The Blades must uphold our principles," he said solemnly. "Slaying dragons is our duty. Paarthurnax is an extremely powerful being. We have no way of knowing what would happen if he ever grows tired of this so-called peace."
Delphine stepped forward, boots scraping against stone. Her voice hardened, stripped of any hesitation.
"I don't care," she declared. "Anything related to dragons we hunt them down, and we kill them."
Alex's fingers trembled before curling tightly into fists. A sharp breath escaped him as anger surged up his spine. He took a step closer to Delphine, closing the distance until the tension between them was suffocating.
"So you want to kill him, huh?" Alex said in a low, dangerous tone.
He raised his hand and jabbed a finger firmly against Delphine's shoulder, his eyes burning.
"You said you serve the Dragonborn, didn't you?" His voice shook not with fear, but with restrained fury. "Or was that just empty words?"
The hall fell silent.
Delphine stiffened, her mouth opening slightly before closing again. Esbern's gaze dropped to the floor, his jaw tightening. Neither of them spoke.
The silence itself became the answer.
Alex continued, his voice low and bitter, as if every word was dragged up from something rotten deep inside his chest.
"So what's your real goal, huh?" he said, spreading his arms slightly, palms open in a mocking display. "Turning the Dragonborn into your puppet?"
He let out a short, humorless laugh. His lips twisted into a crooked smile as he flicked his hand dismissively, eyes filled with open disdain.
"Oh, I can see it now," Alex sneered. "The Blades finally get themselves another Dragonborn. Time for you to rise to power again, heh."
He took a small step back, shaking his head slowly, the anger in his eyes giving way to something far more tired disappointment.
"I actually believed you'd become more open-minded," he said quietly. "I really did."
His gaze lowered for a moment before lifting again, sharp and cold.
"Maybe because this isn't just a game to me… but yeah. I guess I expected too much."
Delphine and Esbern exchanged uneasy looks. Their brows furrowed, clearly thrown off by his words.
"A… game?" Esbern asked, blinking in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"
Alex didn't let him finish. He cut in sharply, his voice rising as he pointed toward the distant halls of High Hrothgar.
"The Greybeards and Paarthurnax have been guiding Astrid the Dragonborn," he said. "They trained her. Protected her. Helped her shoulder the burden of saving this world."
His finger clenched into a fist.
"And you stand there and casually tell us to kill Paarthurnax? Tell me what's the difference between you and the dragons themselves?"
Delphine's jaw tightened. She snapped back stubbornly, almost defensively.
"You've killed dragons too."
Alex immediately cut her off, his voice sharp as steel.
"And yet Paarthurnax didn't kill us," he shot back. "Even after we slaughtered his kind."
His eyes burned as he leaned forward slightly.
"Look at him. He spared us. Even when he had every chance to kill us, he chose to save us."
He paused, his voice lowering.
"Especially me."
Delphine's restraint finally shattered.
"You don't understand what it means to lose something like I did!" she shouted, her voice echoing off the stone walls. "So don't you dare !"
"And you weren't with us," Alex cut in again, his tone cold and absolute, "during everything we went through, Delphine."
Silence fell between them.
They locked eyes Alex's filled with resolve and burning anger, Delphine's shaking with frustration and old grief. In that moment, both of them understood the same truth.
They were no longer sailing in the same boat.
Delphine finally broke eye contact. She inhaled deeply, then exhaled a long, weary sigh.
"The Blades' support ends here," she said flatly. "Until you kill Paarthurnax, we will not accept you again."
Alex didn't respond right away.
Then, slowly, a bitter, sarcastic smile crept across his face one that carried no humor at all.
Astrid remained standing where she was, her gaze fixed on the retreating figures of Delphine and Esbern. Their footsteps gradually faded into the vast halls of High Hrothgar, swallowed by the ancient stone and the distant echo of the Greybeards' low chants. The cold mountain air seeped in through the cracks in the walls, brushing against her skin, yet the heaviness in her chest felt far colder.
Her shoulders slumped slightly.
Slowly, Astrid turned to Alex. Her eyes, usually steady and determined, now wavered with uncertainty.
"Did we make the right decision?" she asked softly, her voice barely louder than the whispering wind outside.
Alex froze.
Only then did it truly sink in that the final decision had never been his to make. It was Astrid's burden. The Dragonborn's burden. The anger that had been burning in his chest moments ago slowly drained away, replaced by a sharp sting of guilt. He exhaled deeply, unclenching his fists, his shoulders relaxing as he lowered his head.
"I'm sorry, Astrid," he said, his voice quieter, rough around the edges. He met her gaze with an apologetic expression.
"You should've been the one to decide. I let my emotions take over."
For a moment, Astrid simply looked at him. Then, gently, the tension in her expression eased. A small, warm smile formed on her lips as she stepped closer.
"Hey, hey," she said softly, lifting a hand to his arm. "We're in this together."
She tilted her head slightly, her eyes shining with quiet resolve.
"If you're angry, then I'm angry too, you know."
A soft chuckle escaped her lips, light but sincere.
"Besides," she continued, her voice gentle, "I can't just forget everything the Greybeards and Paarthurnax have done for us. Not after all this time." She smiled again, warmer now. "So it's okay. Really… my love."
Before Alex could respond, Astrid stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, pressing alex against her chest. The cold of the mountain seemed to fade as she pulled him into a firm, comforting embrace.
Alex hesitated for a heartbeat then slowly returned the hug, holding her just as tightly.
Within the ancient walls of High Hrothgar, beneath the endless sky of Skyrim, the weight of their choice remained but so did the warmth they shared.
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