Welcome! Welcome! yung mango here! Here's my first fic on the site.
Camilla's jolted open, a distant thump slightly shaking her room and waking her up. She groaned in exasperation as she sat up and wondered if it was another one of her brother Lucan's strange wares. Another groan arose when another thump resounded in the house, this time originating from outside. The young Imperial climbed out of bed begrudgingly before dragging herself down the stairs to the shop. A normal person would've been at a loss for words at the scene before them. Luckily for Camilla, her past year was anything but. Her brother, Lucan, was chatting amicably with another Imperial in Legion armour. The two friends had no reason to look strange to anyone; it was the entourage of the Legionnaire that was outlandish. Standing behind man was a small following of grim looking adventurers. The diversity of the group was enough cause for one to stop and stare, and that was usually the reaction when they were seen walking down the streets. Two Nords stood off to the side, one a woman, the other a man. Both were clad in sturdy steel armor and heavily armed. Near the doorway, a Redguard in leathers menacingly sharpened a wickedly large axe. Another pair of warriors sat next to them, also in armor and similarly armed. One was an Orc, the other, a Khajiit. Behind them, and to the back of the shop stood Faendal, Camilla's old friend and one-time lover. A smile lit up his face when he saw her and he waved merrily when Camilla smiled back. Sitting close by was another pair, these two mages instead of the warriors most of the group consisted of. A Dark Elf who was conversing in hushed tones with another Imperial, both in flowing robes and hoods. The Imperial looked up and seeing Camilla on the stairway, winked at her, earning him a slap on the back of the head from Faendal. The whole shop was filled to the brim with conversation, and the constant clanking of armour ensured that they weren't the ones making the noise. The soldier talking to her brother turned to her at the sound of her arrival. His grizzled face brightening at the sight of her.
"Camilla! It's so good to see you again!" he exclaimed loudly. She couldn't resist the urge to laugh at his sudden change of mood and rushed to hug him.
"Marcus! I'm glad you're here." she answered. Camilla smiled warmly as they pulled apart. Lucan watched on in amusement as his sister and good friend greeted each other. It was no secret that the Dragonborn was the man who stood before him. It was also well-known that Riverwood was where he visited most to sell the loot he gained from his travels to Lucan. It was a deal formed during the first couple of meetings between Marcus and Lucan and it had grown into a strong friendship. The Dragonborn had taken to the Riverwood Trader almost immediately and the constant trade within the town because of the pair had increased the town's size and economy. Both of which Lucan was grateful for. Camilla sat down on one of the chairs by the fire as she caught up with the group of adventurers. They all spoke openly, a sense of family surrounding them.
"Oh, the things I could tell you about the last bandit fortress we cleared! So, there we were…" Marcus continued animatedly as he explained his latest exploit to Lucan. Camilla sat back and contentedly hummed while she listened. Her eyes shot open when she heard the thud again. Around her, the room stilled, assuring her that she wasn't the only one hearing it. A second thud, this one shaking the shop. What followed next chilled her to the bone. Muffled screaming could be heard from outside. The group clambered to their feet and rushed outside to the main road of Riverwood. They all froze at the sight as they gathered at the porch of the Trader. Alvor's forge and house was ablaze as he frantically tried to pull his daughter and wife out of the front door. The Orc and the Dark Elf mage immediately rushed across the street filled with people to assist. Camilla watched the panicked stampede occurring on the street before her, noticing how many of townspeople were lugging wagons filled with valuables and belongings. She wondered where the fire on Alvor's, and many other's, houses had come from. Her question was answered as she watched a flaming stone crashed into the roof of Alvor's house, silencing the yelling inside. The blacksmith's desperate cries cut through the noise of the evacuation. The Dark Elf and the Orc were in the process of pulling him back when he broke free and knelt before the collapsed door, the defeat obvious in his posture.
"Camilla! Camilla! We need to get you out of here now!" Marcus's voice shocked her out of her dazed stupor. She looked over at Lucan who was throwing several crates onto a wagon nearby, no doubt filled with some valuables in order to restart their business. A wane smile stretched across Camilla's face. That was her brother alright, always so business-minded. She could vaguely feel Marcus's hands around her waist as he hoisted her onto the back of the wagon. The Imperial giggled softly as she thought of how many times she had fantasized about her current position. She could hear Marcus yelling at Lucan over the screaming of fleeing townspeople.
"Leave! Get out of here! Run to Whiterun and warn Balgruuf. Skyrim needs to know!" he said, the anxious undertones of his voice contrasting his calm expression. Lucan nodded at Marcus grimly. Camilla felt the wagon begin to move and realized what was going on a few moments too late.
"Lucan!" she yelled, frantically pointing at Marcus's rapidly receding figure, "We can't leave him! What're you doing?" Lucan's pained face told her that there would be no arguing.
"He knows what he has to do. The best thing that we can do is make sure that his sacrifice is not in vain and warn everyone of what is coming. Now keep your head down!" he yelled suddenly, as few chunks of wood from a nearby burning house fell into the wagon. Camilla's eyes widened furiously as she heard her brother.
"We are not leaving Marcus! Turn this wagon around right now so we can go back and get him," she said with a dangerous edge to her voice. "Besides, what're we running from? More Stormcloaks? We've dealt with them before. Marcus told us what to do and it definitely wasn't run for our lives!" Lucan turned to her, a mixture of emotions on his face.
"If it were anyone else, we would've stayed Camilla. But it's not. Didn't you see the soldiers? There's no way we could've done anything. Gods damned Thalmor." He said, pain evident in his tone. Thalmor? Is that who…? Camilla turned back towards Riverwood and saw the smoke rising from it. This time, she couldn't stop the tears from rolling down her face.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," Marcus swore under his breath as he ran through the streets of Riverwood. What were they doing here? Why now, of all times? His friends followed close behind as they sped towards the southern edge of town. Down the road, in the distance, golden clad figures could be seen marching doggedly towards the town.
"Faendal, I want you on that wall. Tell me how much time we have until they get here. Ghorbash, Ahtar, come with me. We're gonna find any survivors and pull them out. Brelyna and Marcurio, see what you can do about putting out those fires. Kharjo, protect them. Let's go!" he said. The adventurers were quick to follow the orders, his experience and leadership pushing them into action. Marcus and the two were in the process of lifting a wooden beam off of a Nord when Faendal's voice rang out from the wall.
"We have about ten minutes!" Marcus cursed once again. They dragged the Nord out and he promptly got up and ran in the opposite direction, earning a few frustrated glares from his saviors. Steam rose from the mill as Brelyna and Marcurio fought to keep the fire at bay. Several workers from inside burst out and rushed away. A house nearby collapsed from the burning weight, showering Marcus in sparks. A sudden feeling of fear lanced through his body. They were here. In Skyrim. Out of the places those damn elves could've chosen to attack. It had to be here. Why? He stowed away those thoughts for later as another cry for help resonated from underneath another collapsed house. After they pulled another person from the rubble, Faendal appeared at the wall, bow in hand. A few arrows in his quiver were missing. He leapt down and ran towards the centre of town. The steady march of the elves was audible of the roar of the fire. Marcus's eyes widened. They were already so close! Had time really gone that fast? By the time the rest of the company was gathered, a haughty voice floated through the rubble.
"Check the ruins for survivors. Execute them if they put up any fight. And find the damn Bosmer who shot me!" Faendal grinned sheepishly at the description. Marcus motioned for them to take cover behind the nearby inn. Normally, the clanking of their armoured warriors would have given them away but the noise of the blaze coupled with the yelling of the Thalmor blotted it out. They hunkered down, Ghorbash careful to put the young man on his shoulders down.
"We gotta get out of here, fast. Kharjo, you and Ahtar take point. Eliminate anyone who tries to stop us. Faendal watch our tail. Lydia'll cover you. The rest of us, keep an eye out." Marcus said urgently. Everyone nodded in assent. Together, they stood up and rushed down one of the side roads that led to the bridge. They were about to turn a corner when a Thalmor soldier appeared from around it. Golden eyes widened and his mouth opened in alarm when a Kharjo's shield bashed into his chest, effectively silencing him. The elf slumped to the ground, coughing up blood. The rest of them didn't stop to look as they passed him. They were almost at the bridge when a little girl cried out from inside a burning house. Marcus turned and saw several Thalmor soldiers jogging towards it. Marcus almost screamed in frustration. He turned longingly to the bridge, their only way out. The rest of the company stood still, watching with bated breath. The Imperial turned to them, anger written across his battle-worn face.
"Well? What're you waiting for? Let's get that kid!" They nodded in assent, fierce grins spreading throughout them. Just as the Thalmor soldiers were about to open the door to the burning house, a green battering ram smashed into two of them, putting them out of the fight. Ghorbash's roar echoed through the town, no doubt attracting more enemies. Ahtar was quick to follow, swinging his axe in a wide arc, simultaneously cutting through two more. Several other Thalmor arrived at the battle and were immediately forced into a defensive formation as the combined barrage of magic and arrows eliminated half their force. Brelyna turned to Marcus and nodded, giving him the all clear.
"Go! We'll take care of them," he heard her say as he burst through the door and into the blaze.
Almost instantaneously, smoke washed across his face, choking his breathing. He swore violently, covering his mouth and nose with his hands. The girl's voice sounded out again, causing him to wildly swing his eyes around the house. Where the hell was she?
"If I were a scared little girl in a fire, where would I be hiding?" he asked out loud. The answer was glaringly obvious. He ran to the only bed still intact and checked underneath. A small girl was curled up on her side, clutching something to her chest. Marcus could hear her whimpers over the roar of the fire.
"Kid! We need to get outta here! Come into my arms," he said encouragingly. His friendly tone was immediately erased when the girl promptly slashed him across his cheek with the knife she had been keeping to her chest.
"Ow, what the fuck? Alright, that's it, you're coming with me," he yelled as he grabbed her waist forcefully and slung her over his shoulder. The young child only made things harder as she writhed and howled, unable to do anything else as she had already broken her knife on the back of Marcus's armour. Smoke filled his senses as he stumbled to the door. Tears swam across his vision and his throat scratched incessantly. Marcus collapsed against the door in a heap, knocking it down in the process. The irritation eased a little as the smoke from inside billowed into the surroundings. Still in a daze, he stood and walked slowly in the direction of his friends' muffled voices. An arrow bounced off his chest, shocking him out of his addled state. He groaned in frustration as he realized that he was right in the middle of a firefight. Wait a minute… Wasn't that one of Faendal's arrows? He turned angrily towards his friends, a murderous look on his face.
"Gods damn it, Faendal! How?" Marcus roared as he pointed to the arrow that had almost killed him. The elf in question instantly turned tail, hopped on one of the horses waiting near the bridge, and left. Remembering that that was the plan in the first place, Marcus decided to kill him later. He sprinted over to another one of the horses leapt on, not bothering to go through his mental checklist before riding one. The rest of his friends followed, firing bolts of lightning and arrows behind them wildly. The Thalmor behind them gave up trying to hit them after they had crossed the bridge, the sound of their hooves fading into the distance. It was soon replaced again with the crackling of the fire around the Elven soldiers. As Marcus quickly glanced at the abandoned town, he could see the Thalmor soldiers leaving and mobilizing back to where they came from. He sincerely hoped that they were the only ones. A small voice in his head told him that they weren't. It said there were more. It said that it was only the beginning.
Aaaaaaand that's it for the first chapter! I'm actually super excited for this story because it's based off an idea I've had for a super long time and just haven't gotten around to putting it to paper. I have planned the general plot of it and I do intend on it being long. The only problem is that I'm not used to typing so much and coupled with going to one of the top high schools in America, it's going to be hard for me to write so much. I also have no idea how some authors write chapters that are like 7k words long which is a goal that I want to reach. How do you even…? Any way you guys could offer advice on this problem would really help because I really want this to be as long and as enjoyable for you as possible. This is not my first fic (the first ones were all disasters), but I'm still getting used to writing out the chapters and working on flow and stuff like that. Also, I'd really appreciate it if you guys would give me some tips on formatting and the like. For example, double spacing, line breaks, and how uploading on this site works. On the same note, I'd be extremely grateful if you would take some time to give some constructive criticism because right now, I have absolutely no experience in writing stories. None. Nada. mango out.