The sun was nice and warm for a cold Skyrim afternoon. At least for the weary traders, the land might not be so foreign with it's endless cold. Khajit coming from a dessert. usually don't see snow in a lifetime. But these traders travel and cross the roads of Skyrim, the snow kissed mountain region home to the hardy Nords, and dangerous predators...

The three caravans meet up once every year to discuss pricing, possible business deals and other such things. This time however, would be their last. The Caravan leaders; Ma'dran, Ahkari and Ri'saad, all gathered in a three and spoke for hours. meanwhile the other traders would quietly chat about more casual things. and the several guards would meet up and challenge one another. It was a peaceful and friendly atmosphere. But all of that was about to change...

A faint roar was heard in the distance.

"What was that?" Ma'dran asked. "It's nothing, carry on!" Ri'saad told him. The three Khajit trade leaders continued to talk about profiting off the ongoing conflict, all of what was Ma'dran's idea, selling weapons to both sides helps them out greatly. Another interruption was presented when the road was suddenly eclipsed under a great shadow. "What?" Questioned Ahkari, she looked up and saw nothing, the shadow vanished. "Must have been quite the bird!" Ma'dran stated. "Something smells foul..." Ri'saad muttered, looking around.

The dark shadow suddenly looked once more. The Khajit looked down and saw it. Ahkari instantly turned to the others. "We have incoming!" She shouted. The guards and traders all look up towards the sky and see the most awful sight coming towards them, a huge black figure. It was not a bird as many would've assumed, but a dragon. The scourge of Skyrim. Yet this was no ordinary dragon either. This was Alduin himself. The world-eater destined to devour all life, or so the prophecy told. And the dragon lived up to the prophecy so far.

Khayla, one of the Guards, looked up only to sheepishly whimper and flinch as the huge shadow became a huge dragon coming down towards her at great speed. The last thing she saw before he hit the ground was his outstretched feet. Khayla was slammed against the ground so hard she felt her bones inside weaken and strain under the weight of the enormous dragon. She coughed and begged for help. The rest of the guards all draw their swords.

"I am Alduin, the world-eater. Surrender yourselves to become a great meal for me or you shall all be devoured in a much less friendly way!" He demanded. The Khajit had no fear however. And bravely that ran towards him and prepared to defend the traders they swore to protect.

Dro'marash ran ahead of the others in a brave display of courage. He prepared his sword for a mighty thrust against the dragon's face. Had he landed that hit, it would've done nought but scratch the dragon's scales. But he never even got to try...

Alduin simply pressed his lips together and exhaled hard at the Khajit. A trail of ignited fire came rushing towards the feline warrior and engulfed him completely. Kharjo and Ma'jhad were stunned. Their companion was just engulfed in flames. Then came the screams of pain from within the fire and smoke. They could just make out a figure within it, Dro'marash squirming and flailing around as the fire clung to his body, burning him alive and cooking the Khajit while he screamed. Kharjo was speechless, and for the first time in his life, felt fear.

Almost sarcastically, the great dragon opened his maw wide and came downwards with his mouth agape. He snapped his mouth shut around the Khajit warrior and lifted him out of the inferno. Kharjo watched as the exposed legs of his friend were still ablaze with a harsh fire. But the dragon didn't feel a thing, only the cries of pain from Dro'marash were any hint of the fire's strength. The dragon swallowed once and sucked the head and shoulders of his snack into his gullet. His legs vanished from outside the dragon's maw and as if he was chugging a drink, he swallowed three times in a quick succession. Dro'marash screamed in pain and terror as he was pushed down the slimy hot gullet of his devourer and the rest of the caravan could only watch as he was swallowed whole after a good live grilling.

Kharjo and ma'jhad take one look at each other and draw courage from their companion. In their minds they planned to avenge the swallowed warrior. Even if they together could not slay the dragon. They sure as hell tried. Both leaped up into the air and slashed their swords down towards the target. Alduin saw their pitiful attack and with a mighty swipe, cast the two soldiers aside and sent them smashing against the wall of a nearby mountain. Knocking the two of them unconscious and moving onto the last Khajit guard, who was still getting up off the floor.

Ra'zhinda got himself up from the floor and grabbed a nearby sword and shield. He stumbled around, dazed from what was going on. The huge black world-eater turned and looked at the last surviving Khajit guard. Alduin looked down and frowned with almost a hint of pity at the cat. Ra'zhinda tried his best. He swung his mightiest swing and shouted loudly as he did so.

Alduin sighed and with a flick of his wing, knocked the sword spinning across the woods. Ra'zhinda looked up weakly as the jaws of the dragon parted and came down at him with such force it made the Khajit warrior whimper. In his attempt to cower the Khajit actually saved himself, as the mighty jaws of Alduin were wedged open on the shield. Ra'zhinda gasped and panted. He looked around himself at the huge jaws surrounding him, then up at the shield preventing the dragon from eating him alive.

Alduin was irritated of being denied a meal for a whole few seconds! Outrageous! He lifted his head back up and threw the shield away. Freeing his jaws once more. He looked down at the trembling Khajit. Ra'zhinda was shocked to still be alive. However the dragon didn't let him have that relief for long. The dragon grunted in anger and dived down again. Snapping his Jaws around the guards midsection and lifting him into the air.

"NO!" Screamed Khayla as she watched her allies body get lifted up like a rag doll. Alduin bit down hard. Ra'zhinda let out an agonising scream of pain before all the jaws cut into him at once. Splitting his body open and squirting blood everywhere. The Khajit's legs kicked around and twitched before falling limp, dangling out the dragon's maw as blood soaked the ground under them. Alduin flicked his head back and forth, with a sickening squelch, the legs were ripped from his maw in a torrent of blood, splatting on the ground as Alduin gulped hard, swallowing Ra'zhinda's top half while he was still alive. The Khajit warrior slipped into the dragons stomach as blood poured out of him and digestive enzymes poured in... he was dead in seconds.

The mighty dragon looked down to his feet, smiling as he watched the Khajit guard squirm and wriggle under his weight. "This is truly the great warriors of the Khajit I've heard so much about?" He laughed as he literally played with his food, rolling Khayla around between his feet and between his toes. He watched as she struggled to breathe and inhaled the foul stench of the dragon's feet. In one last act of defiance, Khayla slashed a stick against Alduin's ankle.

"Pathetic!" He roared and pressed down his weight onto the squirming Khajit woman under his foot. Khayla let out a gasp before her ribs were completely annihilated under the cold black feet of the dragon overlord. Blood exploded from her sides and face as he left a huge foot imprint inside of her chest. Alduin marched forwards. The guards were dead, or so he thought, time for the main course, the traders.

Without even pausing for a moment, Alduin lunged forwards for the nearest trader. His jaws wide open and catching Atahbah, a trading companion in his mighty jaws. He tossed her around a bit, the way a dog would play with a toy. Below the dark dragon the others could hear as her bones were broke and her limbs dislocate in sickening squelch and crunch noises. She didn't even have a chance to moan or scream or cry before the dragon tossed his head back and swallowed her limb, living body down his throat and into his stomach.

"Sorry about that snatch and snack!" He jeered "Got to satisfy the hunger pains before a begin my ever so wonderful playtime. So... who to dine upon next?" He pondered looking back and forth between all the remaining cats. Each and everyone of them terrified of becoming this monsters next meal.

Ma'randru-Jo was about to run away when he caught Alduin's eye. The dragon looked back at him almost offended and roared. "Do you know what I do to prey that try and flee their rightful predator?" He growled. Ma'randru stood, frozen in fear. Alduin smiled. "I tend to make them a bit more... crunchy!" He laughed. Ma'randru screamed as the dragon opened wide and roared. A huge wave of fire smashed into and consumed the innocent shopkeeper. The screams of pain as he burned alive were harrowing to hear. Alduin kept the stream rushing against him as the Khajit watch him slowly fall to the ground and curl up as he melted away in a torrent of flame.

When the dragon finally stopped, there was just a burnt fleshy corpse. Nothing remained to even signify that it was Ma'randru that had met his grizzly end under there. Burnt skin and fur was welded into his flesh leaving a horrible stench of cooked meat in the air, one the dragon adored.

Zanabi had but a moment to realise she was next in the dragon's sights. She manages to let out a scream of terror as the talon ed hand attached to the wing of the dragon, grabbed her and lifted her up to his face. She expected one brutal snap of the jaws and her life to end. But instead the beast had something far worse in store for her. He smiled a wicked smiled and raised his other hand towards her. His talons suddenly grabbing a hold of Zanabi's left arm while his other talons held her middle tight. Then with one quick movement.

"RRRRIIIPPP!"

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

Zanabi screamed as her arm was tore clean off of her body. The dragon didn't even have to try. he looked at the arm and then at her. Chuckling to himself as he tossed it inside his maw and chewed it up into a meaty paste. "Mmmmm! You are very delicious! Your parents should be proud they raised a tasty daughter, maybe I'll gobble them up next!" He laughed. His talons moved over to her other arm and pulled hard. Zanabi's right arm was removed with little effort. She didn't have the strength to scream anymore, she just watched as the dragon tore her limb from limb and ate her.

After her right leg was ripped apart from her body she finally died within the dragons claws. Alduin sighed and complained she died too quickly to get to the main event. Then he tossed her inside like a candy and chewed that beautiful body and face into a mashed pulp and swallowed her like a spoonful of mashed potato.

After the horrific display made by the devourer. The Khajit leaders were seemingly the only ones left. After watching their travel companions be scorched, swallowed and ripped apart. They had seemingly lost hope. Ma'dran carefully made his way to the back of the group, trying to keep his friends between him and the dragon. After all, he had no intention of becoming food for the beast.

Ri'saad and Ahkari were now being watched carefully by the dragon, as if he was deciding who to devour first. Ri'saad stepped forwards and begged the dragon. "Please, spare us mighty one. You have proven stronger than Khajit! And after such meals your belly is nice and full yes?" He asked, nervously. despite his best efforts fear was blatantly shown. Ri'saad looked down towards the dragon's gut. He thought of Atahbah, how he mercilessly swallowed her whole Ri'saad knew that inside that horrid gut, his friend would still be alive, and in terrible anguish.

Ma'dran was done with this begging, he saw an opening. The Dragon's wings parted slightly, creating a gap he could run through. He took his chance. The Khajit stumbled and rushed past the wing and began to run down the stone pathway... at least that was the plan. In Ma'dran's mind he had ran quick and far. In reality, Alduin simply caught him in his wing's talons almost instantly.

Ma'dran squirmed and tried to pull the dragon off of him. Mortified, Ri'saad and Ahkari watched as the dragon inspected their friend. They very well expected the dragon to devour him whole like those before him. But Alduin had much harsher plans for tedious prey that tries to escape it's fate.

"Raw meat always tastes good, does it not?" The dragon's voice mockingly chuckled. "Cooked meat satisfies the teeth, gives a good chewing!" He laughed before playfully chomping in Ma'dran's direction. "But slow roasts are the best of both worlds! Lucky for you, you defiance will make you the tastiest meal of your kind, at great agony for yourself!" The black scaled menace boomed with laughter and took two sudden steps forwards.

Each step, one with each foot, came down hard upon the two Khajit watching below. Ri'saad screamed as the large foul dragon foot came down hard upon his back, pressing him against the ground, keeping him in place. Ahkari turned around only to be pushed to the ground by a face-full of dragon toes. She gagged and sputtered under Alduin's feet, but couldn't break free.

Alduin was now close to a large, strong tree. He dangled Ma'dran in front of it dramatically, showing the Khajit the cooking appliance to be used to roast him. The dragon leaned his other talon in and grabbed the cat by the tail, pulling it up and around before pulling it tight.

Ma'dran screamed in a horrible pain as his tail was literally knotted around a thick branch and he was being dangled from a tree by his tail. Alduin breathed in and shot a large beam of fire under Ma'dran, catching the sticks and leaves below and creating a tall bonfire that was inches away from catching the Khajit alight. To be honest, it would've been more merciful if Ma'dran caught on fire, a quicker death then what he was forced to endure.

The heat rose and Ma'dran's great pain became a much harsher agony than he could've dreamed off. First it was just warmth, then the continued heat against his body became hot, then it started to burn. The Khajit began to growl and whine as it stung and burned him. Then the heat really picked up and Ma'dran began to scream as his fur singed and the smell of a roasting cat began to fill the air.

The whole time, Alduin watched his struggles with an evil smile, licking his lips and sniffing that delicious smell of cooking Khajit. Ma'dran screamed and screamed and screamed, seemingly without end as he slowly roasted alive. Ri'saad watched with horror. He was literally watching the fur on Ma'dran single and melt together, the pain in his face and eyes revealing the horror, and the smell of cooking flesh a sickening stench for a fellow cat. Soon he could even see the flesh of his long time friend begin to roast and cook to a dark brown, bubbles on the surface as his skin boiled and fur cooked.

"Soon, you will be next!" Alduin's horrific voice boomed. above the last two traders as they continued to helplessly watch their friends anguish.

...

Kharjo's vision was still dazed, he had a strong ringing in his ears. His hands gripped the ground as he pushed himself up onto his knees. His head was spinning. He steadied his breath, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. Smells begin to come to him. He could smell a foul burning. Like cooking meat. His vision began to come back to him but the moment sound returned, he was stunned once again. This time by the blood curdling screams of agony coming from Ma'dran. Kharjo looked at him and saw why the trader screamed. Hung by his tail, being slowly roasted alive over a flame. That's no way for anything to die, let alone a Khajit

"Kharjo! Get up friend. Khajit must defend our people! Get your sword!" Instructed a Khajit voice. It was Ma'jhad, he was still alive. The guard helped Kharjo to his feet and pointed at a large rock in the road. Kharjo understood and the pair of them rushed towards it, swords in hand. They rushed across the grass, leaping upon the slanted rock and sprinting as fast as they could until they reached the ledge...

The two warriors roared as they leaped and landed on the dragon's back. They pointed their blades down and pieced the scales of Alduin, making him recoil and roar. Despite their best efforts to harm the beast. No mortal man can slay the world-eater. The two Khajit held on for dear life as the dragon shook himself about, trying to knock one of the guards off of his back. The dragon reared his head, snapping his jaws towards the two feline attackers. Kharjo caught a glimpse of the gullet of the monster as the muzzle snapped just inches away from his head. Ma'jhad was losing his grip however and finally... He slipped...

Ma'jhad was thrown from his sword and slid down the shoulder of the dragon. He frantically tried to grab something and caught onto a scale, dangling off the dragon's wing. Alduin turned to face the Khajit and before Kharjo could warn him... Ma'jhad screamed in pain.

He was plucked from the wing by his leg. The feline wriggling about helplessly as his leg was caught in the dragon's Jaws. Alduin smiled and crushed his right leg bones with a single chomp. Ma'jhad screamed but his pain was not over yet. Despite the power of the bite, Alduin didn't want to tear the leg off. He swung his head round and was spinning the Khajit around like a flail. Ma'jhad's screams turned to gasps in the air as he was being rag-dolled too fast to speak. Eventually Alduin swung his head down towards the ground...

Ahkari was stuck under the foul feet of the dragon the whole time. To her side Ri'saad was still trying to pull himself out from under his dragon foot, whimpering as he tired to no avail. Ahkari head the dragon swinging her guard around and when she looked up, Ma'jhad was on the way down at a incomprehensible speed, being brought to the hard stone ground like-

"CRUNCH!"

Blood splatted across the stone pathway, sprayed all over the faces of the two caravan leaders and even onto Alduin's face. Ma'jhad lay on the stones, face-down, in a puddle of blood bigger than his body. His front side was a complete pulp, he was killed on impact after being slammed so hard his insides burst from him like a balloon. All that was left was a mangled carcass missing it's right leg. Alduin leaned his head back and swallowed Ma'jhad's leg whole. Kharjo watched, terrified. The dragon had finally broken his spirit, the Khajit was scared. Alduin met Kharjo's gaze and smiled, seeing an opportunity.

The dragon flicked his upper body forwards. Kharjo had been stunned by the gore fest he had witnessed and had no grip on his sword. He was subsequently thrown from the back of the dragon and came crashing down onto the path in front of the world-eater. Once again his world was spinning, his entire body in pain, his mind struggling to find an emotion for everything going on. All he could muster the strength to do, was roll over an watch the dragon.

Alduin looked at the defeated warrior in front of him with glee. That's when the dragon realised that, the warrior in front of him was the one he had seen in his visions. The one that would help him consume the world. But there was no fun in explaining the cats fate to him. Maybe some guidance, but first he still has two meals to finish!

Ahkari looked up at her guard. She had known Kharjo for ages now, this was the first time she saw him defeated. "Run you fool!" She shouted. Then she realised her mistake as the mighty black dragon looked down at her, his deep red eyes showing nothing but hunger. Alduin lifted his foot from her back, staring at her the whole time. Ahkari gasped as air could fill her lungs again. Then the brief moment of calm was shattered with another stomp of the dragon's foot.

"CRUNCH!"

Alduin had stomped his foot down and sighed in satisfaction. A loud crunch followed by yet another squelch sounded to the last two Khajit alive. "NO!" Kharjo moaned, out of breath and still defeated. Alduin chuckled, he took one last look at the Khajit female, He had stomped directly onto her head, obliterating it completely, her body still twitching and squirming. "Huh, brain on my toes, such a delightful feeling!" Alduin moaned as he laughed once more.

Finally he turned his head to Ri'saad, kicking him forwards and bearing over him once more. The poor trader could only let out a simple. "NO PLEASE!" Before the jaws snapped shut over his chest and belly. He was lifted up, legs kicking about, arms flailing. Serving only to entertain his devourer. Kharjo just watched, defeated. Ri'saad's muffled screams of terror seeped out of the maw of the dragon. Alduin tipped his head back, extending his neck to the sky and lazily swallowing Ri'saad whole.

"GULK! GLURK! GULP!"

Bit by bit the Khajit was consumed. Legs slipping deeper inside the maw, arms vanishing from view as he was dragged down by the gullet of the devourer and gravity. Kharjo watched as another bulge travelled down the throat of the dragon. This one in a perfect outline of a trapped, squirming Khajit. With one last taunting lick, Alduin swallowed the feet of Ri'saad and let Kharjo watch as the bulge vanished into his stomach.

The dragon was now considerably fatter than before. he looked down at teasingly licked his scaly stomach. The cries of the digesting meals being sweet music to his ears. He could only enjoy guessing how long before that tasty exotic cat would submit and die by digesting alive. The slow painful process worthy of his species. Only dragons are the worthy beings of this world... And one other...

Alduin turns his attention to Kharjo once more, giving him a mocking laugh as he watches the warrior stand up. Kharjo turns and looks at the slow roasting corpse of Ma'dran. His fur scorched and flesh turning a nice cooked brown. He still dangled from his tail, an expression of pain to remain of his face forever as he was cooked alive.

The warrior looked the dragon in the eye and awaited it to make a move. But to his surprise the world-eater signalled him to leave. Kharjo didn't understand. He assumed it was a trick and didn't move. The dragon moving closer slowly. Kharjo prepared himself for the worse. And then came those words...

"Leave... NOW!"

Alduin told him. Kharjo breathed quickly. "Wha... what?" He stammered. Alduin shook his head. "I am sparing you cat! Do not insult my intelligence or you will face the same fate as your tasty friend on the tree there!" The dragon threatened. "I have a feeling you will find yourself useful to my great purpose soon enough!" The dragon chuckled. Kharjo didn't like the sound of that at all. "What...What do you mean?" He asked. "Where will I go?" He was desperate to know what to do. This dragon should've killed him. Why was he let free?

Alduin leaned towards him. "I hear your brother is in Winterhold yes? Perhaps you should find him and maybe I won't have to swallow him whole!" The beast taunted. Not wanting the fates he had witnessed to occur to anyone else. Kharjo swallowed hard and grabbed what gear he could and left swiftly. The monster wanted him to find his brother. But what for? Kharjo looked back. Alduin had already lost interest in him. The dragon was now tearing the cook meat off of Ma'dran's cooked corpse. Kharjo watched as the savage monster tore flesh from bone and chewed his fellow Khajit up.

What was the dragon's plan?

Only Time would tell...

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