How to Pickpocket a Pickpocket

Chapter 10

Delphine believed that dragons were coming back to life and the next one will resurrect near the town of Kynesgrove. Artis needed to slay it and absorb its soul. Once she's proven and convinced Delphine that she's Dragonborn, she should better start explaining what she wants with her and why, because this road was getting awfully long, and she was moving both slow and fast at the same time.

On the way to Kynesgrove, Delphine told Artis that she suspected the Thalmor behind the dragons' resurrections. Why not? Everyone suspected the Thalmor behind everything! But Artis highly doubted their mages' magic was strong enough to bring a whole dragon back to life. Besides, raising zombie spells only lasted half a minute or so. That she learned after resurrecting a draugr she killed on her previous quest. The new spells proved to be rather useful in a short time.

Delphine has always been paranoid, nothing less was expected from her. Artis chuckled every time Delphine would slow down for a brief moment, giving Lydia the tiniest bit of hope that they were taking a break, only to speed up again and sprinting on. Lydia has never seemed more irritated and frustrated since the first day Artis met her. She swore that she's seen Lydia stalking Delphine from behind, sword ready to stab through her back, only for the housecarl to shut her eyes tightly to restrain herself and back away reluctantly. She wouldn't have minded Lydia killing the blonde on the road, but too many questions would be asked, and they did not have enough witnesses to back them up.

"Stop!" Her thoughts were jolted back to reality when a farm woman came running at them, her face red and her body trembling. "Don't go any further! A dragon is attacking Kynesgrove!" her eyes begged them to leave.

Delphine opened her mouth to speak, but Artis beat her to it, "Where?"

"Up the hill, at the burial grounds." The woman whimpered in fear, "Run while you still can!" with that she scurried off to safety in Windhelm, the nearest city at that moment.

Lydia wanted to stop her Thane, wanting to ask her if she was sure about this, but Artis had already run up the hill, sword drawn with a flaming spell in the other hand. The two women ran after her, not one of them wanting her to face the dragon alone. Well, Delphine only wanted to see her slay it, but who cared? Lydia only feared for her Thane's life, since she took an oath to protect her.

Upon reaching the top of the hill, Artis was just in time to duck behind a rock to see a pitch-black dragon hovering above a dragon grave – the very same dragon that attacked Helgen! Alduin, the name sounded in Artis' head. Delphine and Lydia followed on her heels but didn't see the dragon yet. Artis had to pull them down harshly, signaling them to be quiet. When they saw the dragon, both their eyes widened, and they grabbed their weapons for protection.

"Sahloknir, ziil gro dovah ulse!" Alduin's voice was nothing but a scream to the two followers, but Artis could understand him loud and clear, her dragon soul translating the words automatically, "Sahloknir, I bind your dragon spirit for eternity!"

"Slen Tiid Vo! (Flesh Time Undo)" Alduin shouted and a wave of power engulfed the dragon grave.

A dragon skeleton crawled out of the tomb like something out of a nightmare. Alduin's shout made its flesh grow back, blood vessels grew all across it and finally reddish-brown scales followed.

"Alduin, thuri! Boaan tiid vokriiha suleyksejun kruziik? (Alduin, my lord! Has the time come to revive our ancient realm?)" The resurrected dragon, Sahloknir, growled.

"Geh, Sahloknir, kaali mir. (Yes, Sahloknir, my champion.)" Suddenly he turned towards the three hiding women, despite not seeing them when they arrived. Artis rose to her feet and stood in front of Lydia and Delphine, blocking the dragon from getting to them, "Ful, losei Dovahkiin? Zu'u koraav nid nol dov do hi. (So, you are Dragonborn? I see none of the dragon kind in you.)" He flapped his wings to meet Artis in a death glare, "You do not even know our tongue, do you? Such arrogance, to dare take for yourself the name of Dovah."

"I understand your tongue!" Artis threatened, "I've killed one of you before! His name was Mirmulnir and his soul in now one with mine, as yours will be as well!"

The black dragon only seemed to find her amusing, turning back to the resurrected dragon, "Sahloknir, krii daar joorre. (Sahloknir, kill there mortals.)."

Knowing what he said, Artis had just enough time to tackle the two other women to the ground before a scorching breath of fire could hit them. She watched in frustration as Alduin flew off, leaving her to fight this minor dragon. Sahloknir spread his wings and flapped them mightily, lifting off the ground with each flap. Artis exchanged her sword for her bow, drew an arrow and released. The arrow latched itself in Sahloknir's wing, creating a tiny hole in it. She drew another arrow and aimed for the same spot, releasing and causing the hole to tear even more. Lydia and Delphine caught on to her plan and aimed for the wings as well. Sahloknir roared in anger as his ability to fly was taken from him. He sent a breath of fire at them but missed. Another arrow to his wing caused him to crash in the dirt and the earth to shake.

The three women took the chance and charged at him, however, Delphine ordered Lydia to only attack the dragon's tail, leaving the kill to Artis. She wanted full proof. Artis knew that and intended to give the Blade a show she'll never forget. She charged at Sahloknir, dodging a breath of fire and using the gap to slide underneath his head. She grabbed onto one of the dragon's horns and hoisted herself onto its head. With adrenaline-filled strength and balance she had to hold on for dear life, while slicing away with her sword. Artis managed to cut the tip of the sword through the dragon's eye, causing it to roar out in pain and stop shaking its head for a mere second. In that mere second, Artis lifted her sword above her head, leapt into the air and plunged it deep into the dragon's scull.

Sahloknir didn't even give a final death roar, only stiffened like an insect and dropped limply to the ground. Artis hopped off the head before it could start burning and moved to stand in front of it, turning to Delphine as it caught on flames, "You want proof that I'm the Dragonborn? Here's your proof."

As if on cue, a bright light emerged from Sahloknir's remains and absorbed itself into Artis' body, leaving her with the strange satisfaction of being one dragon soul richer. Turning to face her followers, she found a rather amusing sight. Neither Lydia nor Delphine has ever seen someone defeat a dragon like she just did, nor seeing someone absorb its soul. Their faces were shocked, their eyes wide and their mouths agape. Delphine was the first to snap out of it.

"I- I believe I owe you an explanation."

Artis nodded, "A fucking big one, yes."