The Skyrim fan fiction I should of wrote FIRST!
Well, I thought I should write a "prequel" to reveal how my Dragonborn OC's adventure was like during the dragon crisis and how she bonded with Vilkas from the Companions at the time. You can also follow this story on my tumblr URL as well: saiyurithedragonborn
I will post updates whenever I can on my free time. Anyways, enjoy~
Chapter 1: Interrupted Execution
I don't remember what happened. My eyes are shut closed, I must have been sleeping for a few hours. I feel that I'm sitting up, rocking motions coming from the horse carriage traveling on the road, I feel the presence of others around me. I'm not the only one here. Slowly I open my eyes, first sight is a blur, I see outlines of this male and another, the tress in the back moving as the carriage goes off somewhere unknown to me. Trying to move my hands, but they were tightly together in chains, this gave me a clue that this was a prisoner transport.
What really happened? What did I do wrong? I wish at this moment I can remember before I ended up here.
As my vision was clear, the male Nord in front of me looked at me.
"Hey, you're finally awake." He said to me.
"What happened? Why am I here?" I asked, even though I may not know this Nord, but he could probably know something.
"You were found trying to cross the border of Skyrim going into Cyrodiil. You were unconscious for a while, the Imperial Legion soldiers didn't know if you were a criminal or not, so they just took you in here. Don't you remember anything how you collapsed there?"
I shook my head. "I can't remember anything."
I looked around the carriage to see who else was here. Then I noticed another male Nord was much different from the other three. He had his mouth tied shut with a cloth, and wore fur armor. Wait a minute, he's familiar to me. I've heard many stories about him and his Stormcloak army for years.
"Is that Ulfric Stormcloak?" I asked.
The blond Nord nods. "Yes, our men were ambushed by Imperial soldiers during the night. I didn't expect it would end this way."
"Hey! Be quite back there!" The guard in front of the carriage shouted at us.
"What's his problem?" The Nord rolled his eyes.
The horses made it to a stop in front of wide tall gates that leads into a small town. The gates opened slowly by two of the town's guards. God's, I'm afraid. I was hoping they would let me go here. I've done nothing at all. I wish I could remember what happened.
"I could have stolen that horse, I would have been half way to Hammerfell by now." One prisoner ranted to himself.
The carriage moved through the town, small house around the trail. Some people came out of their houses to see the transported prisoners being taken to the beheading and prison. They glared at me seeing that I was the only female out of four of them that were with me. I knew none of these people here, but it was also hopeless in their eyes they didn't know me, and couldn't help me.
"Where are we?" I asked because I couldn't recognize the town we arrived in. I had never been this far into Skyrim before in my life.
"This is Helgen." The blond Nord answer.
I tried to look away, but I just kept staring at these people. One house, two children came out running to their mother outside, she held them back preventing them from going near the prisoner carriage, an over protective mother who didn't want her children to pay any attention to criminals who where going on their way to be executed. This male child, about 5 years old, stared at me, I had a feeling he wonders why I'm here. The same mother, she pulled his arm back and commanded him not to look at the woman which was me.
"No, why are we stopping?" The horse thief next to me hesitated in terror, he seemed more afraid than I was right now.
"What do you think? It's the end of the line." The Nord replied to him. He turned to me as he got up from the seat. "Let's go, wouldn't want to keep the guards waiting."
"No, they can't do this! I'm not a rebel!" The horse thief yells again.
We came to a stop near a tower. Next to the tower were other transported prisoners from the other cities. The place was swarming with guard at every corner where each prisoner's move can be seen by any of them. One wrong move in trying to escape will be deadly. Directly in front of the town was this man dressed in bloody clothes and wore a covering around his face. He went over to the grinding stone machine and began to sharpen an iron axe. He seemed like he was the executioner, and not a nice one.
"Come on, wouldn't want to keep them waiting." The Nord said to me.
One of the soldiers outside opens the gate of the carriage, and commands the five of us to step down one at a time. We were told to wait for our name on the list to be called out.
"Damn Imperial Legion loves their lists." I heard the Nord spatted.
I heard the young soldier called out Ulfric Stormcloak. He approached to the front of everyone. And then he was escorted to see the general of the Imperial Legion. He gave a small speech how he killed the High King of Skyrim and deserved a death sentence. I couldn't pay much attention to what's going on with him. There was so much on my mind right now that I was afraid what's going to happen to me. Will they let me go, or will they kill me? This is one huge misunderstanding. I've done nothing wrong. I shut my eyes again, make believe that this would go away, but it wasn't that easy. I can't even regain my memory how I ended up like this.
"Lokir of Rorikstead." The Imperial guard reads off the list.
The horse thief freaks out as his name was called. "No they can't do this to me!" He screams, and runs out of the line with his arms still tied up.
The female officer calls out the archers to signal a shoot. A storm of arrows flew and hit Lokir in his body multiple times. He barely made it out and they killed him so quickly. Gods, even escaping an execution was a death sentence.
"Anyone else feel like running?" The officer yelled at the prisoners.
My heart beats fast through my chest as the line in front of me gets closer to me. The solider was calling out more of the prisoners names, checking to see it they're on the list or not. Fewer people were ending up in the execution line. More of them were taken into the prison where they'll die slowly inside four walls of little space to move around in. Finally, it came my turn.
"What is your name?" He looked at me as if he never saw me before. I don't even recognize him either, not with that helmet on.
"Saiyuri…" I waited for the guard to look for it on the list. The female officer took a while to look for it. Her expression changed.
"She's not on the list." He turns to the female guard. "What should we do with this one?"
"Forget the list, she goes to the block."
The solider nods, and turns to me. "I'm sorry prisoner."
Damn. I had no reaction at all. My hopes were gone, so was my life. I moved to the other line, stood next to that Nord male I talked to earlier. He saw me and was surprised that I was here.
"You too?" He shook his head.
"No, that wasn't fair! I wasn't on their list!" I hissed. "I should have been freed!" There's no use to arguing over it. It's all over for me.
I looked down and just brushed off the story from my mind and focused on what was happening next. The executioner I saw before was done sharpening the axe, he swing around the axe to make sure it was ready. I realized he was too much of a challenge for me to take down if I had to, just to save my life and escape. But that could be suicide. The horse thief guy barely made it out of here alive and they killed him. There were many options running through my mind, I do not know which the best one was. I just want to get out of here.
One guard steps in front of the lined prisoners scanning each of use, randomly looking to see which one will be first. The guard walks up to the line, glaring into each person. Then when he got to between me and the male Nord, his attention went to him. He grabs him by the arm pulling him out of the line to the front. This person that I don't even know was the first to be executed. I looked to the side a bit and saw the town's people gathering around to watch. The guards had to maintain space between them so they were not so close to the prisoners and the execution.
The guard placed the Nord in front of a tall stone that had many deep scratches and blood stains all over, and in front of that stone was a wooden box. The Nord placed himself down on his needs and his chest leaning down on the stone, where only his head is hanging on the other side of the stone, and hovers over the wooden box. He closed his eyes tightly. He knew that it would be all over quick.
The executioner stands next to him holding up his axe in position. He slowly hovered the blade on the back of his neck for a ready point. The axe is raised up quickly and then drops down with a heavy blow, slicing though the skin, flesh, and bone. The severed head drops perfectly into the wooden box, the rest of the body drops to the side. I shut my eyes when I saw the massive amount of blood pouring out of the body and head.
The guard took the body and threw it to the side and the box with the head inside was removed, most of the box was soaked in crimson colored blood. I was terrified of the scene of the decapitation. My reactions made the female officer attention drawn to me.
"Next prisoner, the Imperial girl right there!" She pointed out to me.
I was taken by the arm, and thrown into the center, right next to the executioner. They placed me in front of the stone. I looked down and saw the blood of the previous person, and many blade marks that made the stone looked to beat up by all the executions. The executioner picked up the axe as he waited for me to get into position.
There was a sudden deep screeching sound coming from the distance, sound like it was coming from the skies above, and there it was again. For about three times the noise was heard. Everyone around was looking up and around each other, finding out where it was coming from and what it was. Whispering conversations spread among everyone questioning about the mysterious sound was, no one had a clue. I've heard it as well, thought I don't know what it was either. It was something like I've never heard before. I couldn't tell if it were creature or natural sound.
"What was that sound?" Someone asked.
"Never mind what that was, just continue!"
My heart was beating rapidly that I couldn't even breathe or say anything. I need to escape this somehow. They waited for me to get in place. I bend down on my knees, and lied down on the stone, the blood had stained on to my face and cloths a bit. As my view is staring down, I can see the wooden box perfectly. I turned my head to the right for a moment where I can see the sky clear grey, out in the distance I see another tower of the guard house. Then I see the executioner begins to ready the axe in to position. I wanted him to make the move, then I'll try to make my own so I can get out of here, hopefully everyone else gets out as well.
That strange sound happened again, but it was much louder like it was getting closer. It must be a creature, a huge one, but what was it? I saw some of the soldiers running towards where they heard the sound, they were certainly curious to see what it was. The winds slightly picked up, and then a slight quake shook the ground. Something large was coming, and it must have wings.
Then I finally saw it with my own eyes. It landed on the guard house tower out in the distance. This creature had to be at least one hundred feet tall. It let out that same angry loud roar again. Its skin structure was spiky all over, more likely it had to be scales like a lizard, its skin was dark grayish color, its expression looked so terrifying and the narrow down devilish yellow eyes, the tail was about the size of his own body, and the wings where enormously long when they branched out almost like bat wings. No, it couldn't be. A dragon?
Everyone stopped to hear the loud roar, this time they all saw it with their eyes. The executioner's attention joins in with everyone else. His mind was paralyzed to the dragon that was being seen from the distance. The execution was being interfered with the presence of this creature.
"By the eighth, what is that thing!" Someone from behind yelled out.
"It's a dragon!" A terrified woman called out.
The town folks shout in fear trembling away back heading to their houses for safety. The Imperial soldiers ran closer to the tower where the enormous dragon glaring down at everyone, noticing the guards are lining up with their only long range weapons which were bow and arrows. They ready their bows, but before they could even make the first shots to the creature, the roar sound again was louder than before, nearly bursting out our ears, it was terrifying. The dragon takes off from the top tower, spreading its wings wide, aiming down as its mouth opens and breathes out a massive range of fire. The fire lighted up the appearance of the small village like a candle, destroying almost everything in its path.
As the first fire attack almost nearly reached me, which could have killed me, I ran with the other prisoners trying to get to a safe area inside somewhere. No one paid no attention to the prisoners or the execution anymore, their focused was now to evacuate the people living here and fighting off the dragon, if that could be achieve. Now the prisoners, soldiers and town people were mixed up in a huge crowd. The Imperial Legion general called out to his men to keep the town people to a safe location, and to fight the dragon. Everyone was confused. As for Ulfric Stormcloak, I didn't see him at all, and he didn't even get his head chopped off. I'm not even sure if he's dead or alive.
I saw one guard in front of me ran towards a tavern, he opened up the door and yelled at anyone that was around to get inside quickly. I had to run inside, there was no other choice for me or anyone. I know at least I may have my chance to survive today. That dragon, I cannot believe this was happening.
The guard closed the door shut after he felt a few people have got in already. Then a huge fire ball almost comes raging inside to the door. He closed it fast before anyone and himself was burned badly by the fire. Locking the door making sure it was secure for now.
"I can't believe it!" The guard shouted in terror. "That was a dragon!"
"Dragons haven't been seen in hundreds of years!" An unknown male Nord added to the guard's comment.
I leaned against the wall trying to catch my breath and focus on what's going on, knowing that I have to get out of here, but without getting myself killed out there. The screams of people crowding over the dragon's angry rage were loud from the outside. The men and women out there might be not enough to take it down.
I happened to be standing right next to the same young soldier that asked my name. He looked at me with an emotionless expression.
"You're lucky you didn't lose your head today." He said to me.
"Maybe another day." I replied.
"We can't stay locked in here. That dragon won't stop until everything and everyone is in ashes." His attention went to me. "I can help you, if you want to be free."
"What do you have in mind?" I asked.
"We'll have to go inside the barracks. Down in the prison is an old underground path, which will lead us into the mountains. It's the only option, but at least we'll be safe underground."
That didn't sound too bad. "That will work."
"We'll have to get out to the back door, come on." The soldier ran passed the others as I follow behind, as the other people chosen to stay behind and not face their terror from outside.
Getting past the fires and corpses from outside will be the first challenge, but I want to survive this. Criminal or innocence did not matter to this soldier at this moment, getting out a live was the goal. The soldier opened the door slowly, peaking his sight through checking to see how it was. It was deadly out there. It was only in a matter of minutes this town will burn down to death. The dragon was still out there, and a few guards remain desperately fighting it off, it was no use trying to help them. If we did, we'll suffer the same fate.
"Stay close behind me! The barracks is just right over there!" He point out to me. I see the short tower up on that small hill. It looked like it was about two hundred feet away.
We moved from the tavern's back door, to outside again in the bloody dead zone which it was already. I made sure I stood close to the guard while we ran around from left to right trying to avoid from being in the dragon's sight. The main thing was not to be sighted by it, if we were, it's all over.
Many corpses from every angle of the road was tainted, the air mixed with blood and fire, it was a hellish combination. The skies were grey and clear no more, orange and smoke filled the air, making it hard for everyone to breathe and continue their defense. It was hopeless to help and fight as I saw the Imperial soldiers struggling to keep their bows steady to get a perfect aim, but the dragon constantly hovering over the town breathing more and more fire out.
It was some kind of destruction I had never seen before in my life. I wanted to look up to the sky, but I couldn't. I felt that it would draw the dragon's attention to me. It was hard to run fast, these cuffs were slowing my pace down. Hopefully I'll get these things off because I've had the slightest feeling that I may run into trouble soon where I would need to defend myself.
"Ralof, you bastard, get out of my way!" The soldier yells at the blonde Nord that I met on the carriage. I saw that he was free from his binds and he had a weapon in his hand already bloodied up from kills. Gods, right now it looks like both men want to kill each other.
"We're escaping, Hadvar. You can't stop us!"
"Fine! I hope that dragon will take all of you to Sovengard!"
He let Ralof go, and that was the last time I saw him. We finally made it to the barracks, the soldier and I hurried inside before the dragon had noticed us when it landed right in front of the tower. The dragon made a loud scream again and breathes out fire. Damn, it was the closes I have been to the creature.
"Finally made it." he sighed.
He checked on me to see if I was in one piece, I was, thank the gods. I bend down a bit breathing heavily trying to catch my breath. I was close to passing out outside because of the smoke fumes and the adrenaline rushing through my body. He noticed that the cuffs were still around my wrists and were irritating me.
"I'll get those off of you." He takes the batch of keys out and looks for the key that matches to unlock handcuffs. They were gone. It was a relief that my hands were free again.
"Thanks." I said.
"I'm Hadvar by the way," he finally mentions his proper name. "You need armor and weapons, look around and search this place quickly. I'm sure there's something for you to use."
I went over to the storage chest that was in front of the first bed I saw, and then I checked inside the other chests to find some useful gear and weapons. An iron long sword, it didn't look too bad, it was good enough to use for now. No time to be picky. There was some light armor lying around that was used by the Imperial soldiers. I guess I can use those. They fit just fine on me as I quickly strapped on the armor while Hadvar was waiting on me. I can tell by the concern on his face that we'll be heading into trouble down in the prison.
"I think I've got what I need." I swung the sword. It has been awhile since I've been in a fight. My enemies usually underestimate my strength. After all, my father taught me well since childhood. I thank him for it.
"We have to be careful." He warned me. "There may be trouble up ahead. I have a feeling the inmates over powered the guards already. It's going to get nasty."
I knew it. Hadvar ran up to this long hallway leading down to another room, I followed behind him. I reacted quickly when the first person takes a strike at me with her sword. I moved out of the way before I was hit from the blade, I've taken care of her by piercing the sword through the stomach and kicking her off, the body landed on the ground. The other two prisoners, Hadvar had already taken care of them. He stood back up on his feet after he was fallen down with one of them. He finally removes the helmet revealing his face. This man was indeed young with a slim face, short brown hair, and he's an Imperial, like I am.
"That wasn't so bad." Hadvar exhaled.
"You think there are more of them?" I asked.
"Hopefully not. We'll have to keep going, the underground path is just this way."
"That Nord prisoner that you let go, how do you know him?" I asked Hadvar, only because it looked like he was familiar with him and were positive at one point in their life.
"Ralof and I grew up in the same town together. We used to be good friends, before the civil war." He paused. "I think you can guess the rest of the story."
He didn't have to tell me the entire thing. I figured it out in my mind. So Ralof joined the Stormcloaks, and Hadvar joined the Imperial Legion, probably what caused their friendship to diminish.
As for the sides of the war, I'm on none of them. But I have no choice but to protect myself and get out of here. I follow right behind Hadvar as he told me to. The place was a mess with blood and dead bodies of inmates inside the cells. It must have been a nasty fight down here in the prison between the Stormcloaks and the Imperial Legion. All the cells were completely empty, no one left alive or behind.
"Gods, it's such a massacre down here." I said.
"It's only going to get worst." Hadvar added on. I'm not sure if I should agree with him or not. Or maybe he means by worst, is that there's a dragon amongst us.
As we reached the end of the long hallway leading down to another room, this was a different room. It had to be the torture room for the prisoners. Up against the wall where hanging cells, about four of them, two of them had a dead corpse inside which looked like they were freshly killed.
We ended up in a slightly closed in space of a small cave. I don't know what could be down here, but we better keep our guard up, any living creature could be living down here. Hadvar slowed his pace down a bit, crouching down low walking slow on his feet as I did the same. Something had to be up a head. We hide ourselves behind this large rock that covered our view of the small open space which we had to pass through. He felt there was something there sleeping. He gave me a signal to stay quite as a large brown bear was sleeping on the ground just a few feet ahead of us.
"It's sleeping. But we have to get through." Hadvar said.
"I wouldn't take the chance, not without killing it first." I whispered.
He presents a bow and a few arrows to me. "You think you can take it down?"
"I'll do it." I took the bow and arrows from him. I drew my sword away first before I had the bow ready in position, but first I had to get more close to the target. Since the bear was sleeping, it made it a lot easier. Hope it doesn't wake up before I could even kill it.
I approached slowly making no sudden loud sounds with the steps, my arms reaching front and back as I had the arrow in its place. The bear woke up. I released the readied arrow and hit it in the side. I drew out another arrow, and once more until it was dead. I looked over my back to Hadvar and signal him. He got up ran quickly in front of me, so he can lead on.
"I think we're almost out, I see an exit just up ahead."
I sighed to myself, thank the gods.
We made it to the end of the long passage way, leading to the outside. It was clear afternoon already, yet the fumes of smoke and blood from a mile away was still strong. Throughout the distance incomes the dragon again, flying away from the destroyed town. Hadvar and I hesitated and stayed down low. We waited for the dragon to pass out of our sight, and watched as it few heading north, to somewhere else.
"Helgen is finished." Hadvar sighed. "I hope some people made it out alive. We should send out a warning. Other holds in Skyrim will be a possible target for that dragon."
I had to agree with him. "People out there are not properly equipped to fight dragons in this era."
"Then we'll figure out a way. Might be impossible during the war between the Stormcloaks and the Legion is still going on."
I looked back to Hadvar. "Thanks for getting me out of there."
He smiled at me. "Don't mention it."
"So where are we going now?"
"We're going to Riverwood. My uncle is a smith there. He'll help us."
I continued to follow Hadvar. I wondered if this were a dream or not. No, it was real. We live around dragons now. There seems to be no place safe in Skyrim. My only hope right now is to trust this man that helped me escaped. Yet, I still cannot get the sight of the dragon out of my mind. I still cannot remember how this all started.