True Dread

"Now, all of you have been equipped with enchanted bows and ebony arrows, it was neither easy nor inexpensive, so make every shot count. Do you understand me?" Irileth states as she looks over the men and women under her command.

Among them were the best people Whiterun's guard could give, along with the Companions who'd all dropped what they were doing as soon as word of the dragon made its rounds.

"We understand Irileth! We should get over there and save whoever survived!" a female guard exclaims, gesturing somewhat wildly towards the ruined structure.

"Consider them already dead. The dragon will be back, if not for the survivors, then for the city. We must do what's best for as many as possible." the Dunmer growls, ignoring the guard's pleas.

"Y-you want to use them as bait!?" the guard almost shrieks in response.

"If we must."

Skjor smacks the guard on the shoulder, "Worry less about others and more about yourself. The chances of any of us living through today are slim to none."

Aela nods, "If you truly wish to help, kill the beast faster so we can rescue the survivors."

"You good, Surtr?" Jackle asks the Nord who was nervously gripping the bow.

He wets his lips. "Considering that a mudcrab could shoot better than me, no..." he admits.

"Let's move! Keep your eyes to the sky, and stay near cover! Work together but look out for yourselves! We don't need heroes! We need soldiers!" Irileth commands as she begins advancing towards the tower at maximum alert in case the dragon decided to emerge from the clouds.

*ROOooooooooaaaarr*

...

"The wind's howli-" a guard with a scar across one of his eyes remarks.

*Smack!*

"Be quiet you fool! The only thing howling is the damned dragon above our heads!"

"No! GET BACK AND RUN! IT'S GOING TO COME BACK!" a heavily burned guard screams as he runs down the tower steps.

"CALM YOURSELF!" Irileth exclaims as she grabs his arm, stopping him from fleeing completely. "Did you see where it went!?"

The man shudders, "I-it..."

*ROOOOoooooaaaaaarrr!*

"Let me go! I'm going to run for it! EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF!" he shouts as he extracts his arm and starts running.

*ROOOOAAAAARRRR!*

"ABOVE US!" Aela shouts, pointing at the massive shadow that'd appeared from above the clouds.

"GET READY TO FIRE!"

The guard who was fleeing turns his head just as the dragon glides towards him, as if it had a vendetta against him and him alone. "NO PLEASE!"

*CHOMP!*

It snaps its mouth closed around the man, crushing him while spraying blood across the ground.

Everyone else fires their bows at it, some hitting while some don't. The arrows stick into its scales, some actually managing to draw blood, though, this only angers the beast who flies up and glowers down at them. "Hi fen teel daar, sivaas." it says before flying back above the clouds, leaving everyone's sight.

"DID THAT THING JUST SPEAK!?"

"FORGET THAT, IT JUST ATE REMAUR!"

"DID OUR ARROWS EVEN DO ANYTHING!?"

Shakeesh was looking at the situation with a dour expression, he was pretty sure they'd lost this already. Even with the bows and arrows they'd been given, the dragon had taken little to no damage...

He lets out a sigh and turns, spotting two figures quickly approaching them, "Stay back! You need to-... Saeko!?" he unintentionally exclaims, momentarily forgetting the shit situation they were all in.

"Shakeesh. I see you're doing well..." she greets, hand resting on the katana she'd had made for her. "Is the hunt over already?" she glances at the panicking members of the group, "Hm, seems not..."

"You've only come back to die, Saeko. That beast is unkillable!" Shakeesh regretfully informs her.

Saeko shakes her head, "Then I will kill the unkillable!" she grins, "I can feel my blood pumping already!"

"The same as always, Saeko..." he turns towards he companion, "And who are you?"

"Raiden Shinji, Sword-Singer-" he starts but is interrupted by a shout from nearby.

"INCOMING!"

*CRAASH!*

Everyone turns to look at what'd just happened, spotting a boulder half-buried in the floor with two men or maybe more under it.

"AHHH MY LEGS!"

"MY KNEE!..." the man looks to his side at the untouched quiver, "At least the arrows were saved!"

"YOU'RE DELIRIOUS MAN! THAT FUCKING THING JUST DROPPED A BOULDER ON US!"

"IT CAN DO THAT!?"

*CRAAAAAAASH!*

"APPARENTLY!"

Shakeesh ducks next to the ruined tower for cover, followed by Saeko and Raiden, "This is not fair... What can we do if the thing'll keep dropping stones on us from above the clouds!"

"Obviously, we need to bring it to our level... If we cannot harm its hide, then we must harm it's pride." Raiden hums as he stands, only to be beaten to the punch by someone else.

"COME OUT AND FIGHT YOU GIANT SCALED WORM! I DIDN'T REALISE YOU AND YOUR KIN WERE SO GUTLESS TO BE UNWILLING TO FIGHT MERE MORTALS!" Surtr roars from atop a boulder the dragon had dropped, his voice far louder than it usually should have been... His legs were trembling slightly, but he forced himself to stand upright and proudly, unwilling to give a single inch to the beast.

"HI DRUN HIN DAAN!"(You bring your doom!) the dragon furiously roars as it reveals itself, descending from the clouds with a shout on its tongue.

"YOL TOOR SHUL!"

*THUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMM!!!*

Fire sprays out like a napalm flamethrower, bathing a massive swathe of land in it as the beast glides past.

Surtr was barely able to duck into cover in time, but that wasn't the case for many others, who began screaming in agony as the flames stuck to their skin and flesh, melting and or scorching them crispy black.

"FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!" Irileth screams as she herself shoots her bow, ignoring the cries of her soldiers to bring down the beast that'd hurt them in the first place.