The dawn broke with an eerie stillness that seemed to wrap itself around the mountain. The storm that had threatened the night before had not yet come, but the air was thick with the promise of it. James awoke to the sound of his companions stirring around the dying embers of the fire. His mind was still reeling from the voice he had heard in his sleep, deep and commanding, as if it had come from the very bones of the mountain itself.
"The time has come, Dragonborn."
The words echoed in his head as he sat up and stretched, the weight of the trial pressing on him. Today was the day. There was no more room for doubt or hesitation. The mountain was waiting for him, and he would have to prove his worth.
