[SKYRIM]: The Name of Time - Miraak & Female Dragonborn Fanfiction - Chapter 9: Chapter 9

She was gifted. As far as Miraak now concerned, Ammra was no longer just a Dragonborn. The fact about what she was capable of was self-explanatory.
Miraak did not talk much after what she did. The experience to see the unseen as well as to hear the unheard was something extraordinary. It was as if he was brought back to the time when he used to soar in the sky with Alduin. It was a peaceful time. The experience also reminded him of the serene in Skuldafn Temple from which the dragons watched the mortals in silence.
Even if his head was busy recollecting the memory of thousands of years ago, Miraak managed to keep his focus on the present. Ammra trod lightly before him. The girl hadn't stopped smiling while softly humming a cheerful tone for a while. Her mood was too good to even remember the situation they were in. That was the most dysfunctional abduction he knew.
Both Dragonborns walked down the path across the forest. Irregular rows of cedar trees bordering both sides of the path. Suddenly a group of thieves ambushed them. Five men of tall build stood on their way.
"Hand me your valuables or I'll gut you like a fish!" one of them who seemed to be the leader threatened.
"Trust me, you don't want to make trouble with us," Ammra warned them. "Turn around before anything bad happened to you." They snorted.
"Hey kid, I wasn't talking to you." The same person replied. "That man. He has something."
This time Ammra snorted that set the thieves agitated. "Bad decision." She giggled. He growled and swing his dagger toward Ammra. Miraak witnessed how effortlessly she evaded. "I give you five seconds to turn your back and run. I'm in no mood for a fight."
The thieves who clearly underestimated her readying themselves to attack instead. Ammra let out an audible sigh while rolled her eyes. The five seconds she gave them to run turned to the amount of time she took to beat them all.
Ammra evaded their attack easily. With bare hands she hit several vital points on each of their body, making them paralyzed and lump on the ground. When the last thief stood among his fallen kin only then terror manifested in his eyes. Immediately he turned away and flee. Ammra picked up a piece of stone near her and easily hit the last thief in one shoot. He fell to the ground.
"Annoying." She mumbled.
Had they known they just tried to rob two Dragonborns, those thieves would have bowed in respect instead. Those thieves cannot be blamed either for underestimating her because Ammra did not appear threatening at all. Miraak glanced at those poor men and felt pity. He noticed they were still alive from their chests which still breathing evenly. This made him come to understand that she must have done the same thing to him while they were fighting in Apocrypha.
When Ammra walked past the leader, she kneeled and told him, "Ammra. That's my name. Send my regards to Brynjolf. I'll visit Riften if chance allows." The man only grunted in response for he was unable to speak. Ammra accidentally blocked his nerve system of speaking.
She stood and turned to Miraak. "The sun will set. I think we must encamp somewhere. I know a place near here." Then she continued leading as if nothing happened.
After around thirty minutes of walking through the forest, they arrived in an abandoned hunter's lodge that perked on the hill. A year prior, Ammra used the same place as a shelter when she first trying to discover Juliano's source of power. She was grateful to see the hidden chest remained untouched then gasped in relief to see enough supplies for the encampment.
As soon as she lit the fire with a single spell and prepared the dinner, Ammra sat close to the fire outside the lodge. Night fell in silence as the sky darkened. The air on the high ground became cold. However, such a degree of temperature was nothing for the Atmoran man. Miraak sat calmly, not talking at all. Ammra, however, had shifted position from time to time to make sure she was close enough to the fire without being roasted alive. After a while, the rustle and bustle she caused annoyed him.
"Can you just sit still, Dragonborn?!" he yelled.
"It's cold."
"Then get inside!" she shook her head. However, she ran inside and returned with her bedroll.
"I rarely encamp outside. So now I want to see the sky." She tucked herself under the blanket. Miraak did not bother to reply. After a moment of peaceful silence, he heard her gasped in awe. Ammra was looking up to the aurora that adorned the starry sky. Her eyes were wide open. "This makes me don't want to leave Skyrim." She mumbled. But when she noticed Miraak turned to her, she immediately saying, "Just kidding."
When he heard her humming softly under her breath, Miraak secretly gazed at her. There is something about what she was doing that drew his attention. Maybe because it was the first voice that he heard when opening his eyes in the mortal realm after eons inside Apocrypha. He couldn't tell. All he knew was he did not hate it.
The enchanting night sky making Ammra at the loss for words. Years in Skyrim but she never had it enough. The mild light blue color swirled above them with the dark background of the sky as well as the silhouette of the mountain range from afar.
He noticed her enjoying herself seeing such a sight while smiling widely like an innocent child. The same sky could be seen in Skuldafn. But Miraak knew the night sky in that place offered a more colorful light most of the time. He began to wonder how she would react if she saw it. The thought amused him for a moment until he brushed it away.
Both of them suddenly heard a faint roar from miles away followed by the silhouette of a dragon flying on around the mountain. "Please don't come here." Ammra enchanted the words rapidly over and over again. Even if they were very far from each other, the dragon was fast. Judging from the size of the silhouette, the creature could reach their place in a few minutes. But when they saw the dragon vanished in the darkness of the mountain, she let out a breath. "Good." She muttered.
Miraak noticed her drinking a sleeping potion then lay down. "Dragonborn, you know that you should not let me out of sight, don't you?" she turned to him and nodded.
Ammra saw his facial expression that demanded an explanation. "Don't' worry. I can still notice if try to kill me or run away. The potion just to keep me sane. The beast blood kept me from sleeping."
The sight in Windhelm inn flashed inside his head. He totally doubted what she said but Miraak did not utter a single word. It was never in the Dragon Priest's agenda to teach someone about kidnapping ever.
Ammra spoke again. "I know it's late. But I've been wanting to ask you. How do you like the mortal realm?"
"Many things have changed. But the sky remained the same." He shortly answered.
"Do you like it?"
He could not comprehend her question. Clearly, they like the mortal realm in a different way. The concept of liking something had greatly blurred for him. Finally, he turned to her and said, "No." when he saw her frowned, he added, "Unlike you who was underestimated, I believe those mortals should worship us. Being a Dragonborn is no ordinary title."
"I see. Your archaic way of thinking reminds me of how dragons see mortals."
He just smirked. "Don't you have the same way of thinking? We have that dragon inside us."
To be worshipped meant to be accepted. But that acceptance was not from a decent will. It was inspired by fear or even the expectation of something in return. No one really adored someone dearly without expectation. A heartful and genuine acceptance never existed. Thus, the worshipping itself was nasty for her. Fake. And she hated that. "I don't want it." She mumbled. The thought evoked the dark fire inside her but Ammra quickly suppressed it.
On the other hand, Miraak felt a sudden mild blow inside his chest after hearing what she said. For a brief second, he could sense an unexplainable rift between them but then disappear immediately. "Anyway." she talked again in a cheerful tone. "Talking about the dragon, do you believe they could purr?"
Thousands of years he had lived and yet this was the first time he heard that nonsense. It came from her mouth so he got used to it by now. Seeing his silence Ammra continued talking. "I can't even believe it at first. But they have a soft spot. Even Alduin could purr." This time he turned to her because of the ultimate nonsense. "Never mind," Ammra giggled.
"Domination is natural for a dragon. It is innate in their nature. They don't purr."
Ammra just smiled. "Is that same nature that drove you to serve Hermaeus Mora? So, you can get more power and then dominate the dragons?"
Again, the elder Dragonborn was carried away by her trivial topic only to end up seeing her sharp deduction. "Yes." He answered. He noticed she blinked while maintaining her non-judgemental. expression. Instead, she gave a sign that she was all ears for whatever he had to say.
Miraak was right. Things in the mortal realm indeed changed. But little did he knew that he himself underwent changing as well, especially his intention toward Tamriel.
He gazed at the magnificent night sky then saw the dragon they saw before now flying around with another dragon the disappeared. Miraak turned to Ammra who had fallen asleep peacefully. The gentle flush of warmth filled his body but then he felt the cold grip in his heart. Hermaeus Mora knew what he felt and thought and perhaps this cold touch was a reminder to not sway.
The memory of what the Daedric prince said the night before blurred when he spent the day with Ammra. But as the night fell and she slept, Miraak faced the influence of the Daedric alone. His words came to mind and rang. Miraak who initially planned to not sleep finally fell on his grip. He could feel his body slowly lay down and his consciousness was taken away.
Instantly he found himself again watching a child, practicing Thu'um with Alduin and Paarthurnax. What he saw was vividly depicted for he could sense the cold air.
"Miraak, you learned the word fast. Pruzah, Dovahkiin." Alduin said while nudging his head lower to the child's level.
They continue talking but their voices blurred as the adult Miraak sensed a presence behind him. "Your path has long destroyed." Hermaeous Mora whispered. "There's no point in seeing the past...especially it is you who choose to destroy them." He laughed
Miraak saw how the child was bound by tentacle on his both arms and legs as if he was a doll with string. The child transformed to his adult form and began attacking Alduin and Paarthurnax who happened to not looking.
The real Miraak fell on his knees and the surface beneath him collapsed. He was thrown back to Apocrypha where a cluster of black tentacles strangled him. Instantly he felt the burning sensation inside his head. "Take my power with you..." Hermaeus Mora's voice rang.
Before things could get any worse, he felt an arrow made of light pierced through his chest then instantly covered him with a sphere of transparent light. The tentacles that strangled him turned to ash. He could faintly hear someone was talking to Hermaues Mora.
"I'm afraid I still have to take him with me, Mora," the voice said then he lost the grip of his consciousness, falling into a deep slumber.
Meanwhile, a few hours after Miraak fell asleep, Ammra awoke. Her beast blood pumped the adrenalin and urged her to run around for hunting. But she did not comply. Ammra let the sound of nature indulge her ears. The wind blew softly and crickets rang from many directions. Not long after, he sensed him stirring. His body tensed and his breath became short and fast.
Ammra knew she had to face the Deadric prince again. She immediately sat next to Miraak with one palm on his hart, forehead pressing on his. She began channeling her power. While casting the ward to take Miraak back from his grip, Ammra was brought to the realm he created inside Miraak head and saw him was being tortured again.
She conjured the magical bow and arrow out of her dragon power to rescue him. The moment Miraak was safe, Hermaues Mora manifested himself behind her and was about to whip Ammra. But the cluster stopped. Ammra smirked. "What is it, Mora? Surprised to know your power cannot reach me? Or because you know that your mind control does not affect me?" she teased.
"Impressive." He admitted while growing bigger.
"This is not your realm. Don't bother threatening me." Ammra crossed her arms.
"I don't. I came to his head because I know I can talk to you." She narrowed her eyes. "My offer is still available. He still intended to take over Solstheim and Tamriel."
Ammra sensed her ward was almost complete. "I know." She gave out that carefree grin. "I'm afraid I still have to take him with me, Mora. You can keep your offer. I'm not interested" then she activated her ward. Soon her consciousness returned to the physical world.
At the same time, Miraak opened his eyes and gasped for air. Ammra pulled away and saw his eyes were black. He was panic. This time she caressed his head. "Miraak, it is fine now... I'm here..." gingerly she combed his hair down with her fingers. "It's fine now. Calm down."
As he slowly regained his senses, Miraak saw her and what she was doing. What Hermaeus Mora did tap all of his strength and left him totally burnt out. However, his pride kept him from settling in such a weak-looking state. When he was about to stop her Ammra persisted.
"Sleep for now and recover." While she said so, her palm gently pressed his heart position, giving him the calming spell while at the same time channeling her Magica. Miraak could not resist the touch she did. It was calming. It was gentle and relieving.
She continued caressing his head until she was sure Hermaeus Mora's influence completely faded. While Ammra was busy putting him back to sleep, Miraak swore she would pay for whatever she did. He would revenge...
As humiliated as he felt, what she did also put him into the stability that he needed. Then what kind of revenge he would do? He hated but wanted her at the same time. How could he make her pay? While the elder Dragonborn's mind drifted away slowly he fell asleep under her care.