Jonas, the Dragon Soul, was pinned to the ground by a Troll. Simon took out the Five-Interlocking Rings, about to tie up the troublesome boy, when the Dragon Soul suddenly twisted, strained his neck, and roared: "Strun—Bah Qo!" [Dragon Shout: Storm Call]
In an instant, thick, rolling clouds inexplicably gathered in the clear, boundless sky. In just a few seconds, the wind was rising and clouds were surging, followed by lightning and thunder. The scorching lightning flashed on and off, like a scene of the apocalypse.
This Dragon Shout could call down heavenly lightning to indiscriminately attack all living beings except the caster, a stunt for destroying cities and armies.
Jonas had never learned these Dragon Shouts, nor the combat techniques he used earlier, as they were not suitable for a human form.
It turned out that the reason a Dragonborn could comprehend the Thu'um so quickly was because he already understood it.
Jonas was actually very strong; he just needed a key to unleash his power.
Lightning flickered at the edge of their vision, seemingly ready to strike down the next second.
Simon was not flustered; he simply quickly cuffed the Dragon Soul. Bretons naturally possessed excellent magical resistance, and coupled with the Dragon Soul's unique nature, the paralysis spell on the Five-Interlocking Rings surprisingly failed to knock the boy down. Simon had no choice but to take a clean linen cloth and bind his mouth.
"Wuld—Nah Kest!" [Dragon Shout: Clear Skies] The four masters did not just watch; they unleashed their Thu'um to dispel the thunderclouds, and a crisis was thus averted.
The Dragon Soul struggled unwillingly, his arrogant expression filled with rage, twisted into a frenzy.
Simon picked him up and tied him to a wooden stake.
Seeing the battle end, Dilo immediately ran over, his face pale with panic, his eyes unfocused. "Mr. Baishan, what exactly happened to Jona?"
"He's been possessed by his Dragon Soul."
"Why did this happen?"
The four masters gathered around, carefully observing Jonas's demeanor.
Arngeir sighed, "Dragonborn are not ordinary people. To some extent, this child is a true dragon. A human's nature cannot suppress a dragon's nature. He is confused. Without external help, it will be very difficult for him to awaken."
Simon shook his head, "No, it's not needed. He will be fine."
"This concerns a human life; we cannot be careless," Arngeir said sternly.
Master Borri softly murmured, "Dovahkiin." His voice was vast, making the mountain subtly tremble.
Dilo also quickly chimed in, "Yes, sir, four masters, please think of a way to save Jona..."
The Greybeards exchanged glances, seemingly reaching an unspoken understanding. "Baishan, you are human, like us. We respect your wisdom, but when it comes to dragons, you do not understand enough."
Simon shook his head, "I don't understand dragons, but I understand Jonas.
"If I say he will be fine, then he absolutely will."
...
Jonas still remembered that snowy winter.
Traveling from High Rock to The Reach in Skyrim, halfway there, the coachman's servant got separated from them while trying to distract a group of bandits.
His mother was a noblewoman with little survival skill, very talented in art but unfamiliar with worldly affairs. After arriving in Markarth, the capital of The Reach, they urgently needed money to start a business.
A slave trader took an interest in his mother because she was a very elegant woman. Slave trade was an irregular business, so its manifestations always went against human conscience.
The merchant's subordinates tricked them, saying they would lend his mother a sum of money, and she could repay it when she earned it, with no interest, but Jonas had to be put up as collateral first.
His mother believed them. Jonas, in a daze, left with the strangers.
Jonas wasn't clear about what happened next. He didn't know where his mother went; he only remembered that when they parted, his mother's expression was very strange. He didn't understand then.
Later, he understood. Her expression was like a gambler who had sold his morals.
Guilty yet resolute, bewildered yet full of hope.
Yes, it was a snowy winter.
The boy was shoved into a covered wagon, surrounded by cargo boxes. A total of eight children had to spend what felt like an endless journey in an area less than forty square feet.
It was very silent, as if it had finished scolding. When it spoke, Jonas found it noisy, but when it quieted down, he felt unaccustomed to it.
"What's wrong? You're so quiet today."
"..."
Jonas endured the bumping, cramped space, darkness, sour smell, and cold of the wagon, all while softly comforting it.
"Don't be unhappy, I'm always here. Sir has never been sad. I asked him if he would never be sad, do you know what he said? Oh, you must know. You must remember too. He said, I'm not that I won't be sad, it's just that pain shouldn't be borne by those around me. If there's anything sad, it's fine to endure it alone.
"Actually, I don't quite understand. Why, when I'm sad, I want to cry, and when I'm happy, I want to laugh? When my mood is neither good nor bad, I just want to space out and waste time without doing anything. Sir is always very steady, but I know he also has a childlike heart."
A female Orc child in the same wagon could no longer remain quiet; she screamed.
The cart immediately stopped. Shouts and curses came from outside. The children huddled together in fear. The adults roughly moved the cargo boxes, like digging away the soil on an anthill. The sounds and vibrations were very loud, making one feel as if sharp knives were poking their eardrums. They were terrified, trembling like little mice in the snow.
A tall, thin man dragged them out of the cart. Outside, the wind was strong and cold.
Each was given a slap.
The female Orc child who had screamed earlier received a heavy kick.
Their mouths were bound, their arms tied, and they were thrown back into the carriage.
It suddenly spoke.
"When I wanted to speak, I couldn't. When I could speak, there was no joy in fulfilling my wish."
"What do you mean?"
"Why does no one listen when I speak? Why am I not allowed to speak? I want to shout, to make my will reign supreme under the heavens. I want all wisdom to bow down. Do you understand? This feeling, this is the sweet fruit of the conqueror. Do you understand? You don't understand at all. You are weak. You are born to submit at the feet of the strong. You don't even know how to resist."
Jonas listened silently to its long speech. Although it was still mocking him, its tone was no longer so intense.
"Humans are not dragons. Humans live with many helplessness. This is the price of living. No one can be exempt, and I do not feel humiliated by it. Although life is like grass, everyone has their own spring. I believe that on that day, the flowers will be incredibly brilliant."
"Are flowers destined to wither still worth cherishing?"
Jonas thought for a long time and honestly replied, "I don't know. I only know that when I see flowers, I find them very beautiful, so I become happy. The meaning of flowers is probably sharing. They give me joy, otherwise, I wouldn't smile for no reason."
It suddenly became furiously angry. "If you want to die, then die! I don't want to die!"
After saying that, it fell silent again.
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