Title: Baptism by Fire
Disclaimer: Bethesda owns Skyrim et al. The three OC's are mine. I have changed my OC's names for privacy.
Rating: T for descriptions of violence and death.
Summary: Self insert: My sister and I wake up in Skyrim. My boyfriend will be joining us later, and no, I'm definitely not the Dragonborn.
The first thing I became aware of upon waking was the cold. The biting chill of early morning had seeped into my bones and I was shaking. To say this was unusual would be an understatement; I never slept outside, I hated camping with a vengeance, but I was obviously no longer in bed. I was sitting, being jostled as whatever I was sat on bounced around. Sounds penetrated the sleep fog of my mind; the clip clopping of horses, the creaking of wood, and the heavy breathing of other individuals. Nausea reared its head and I swallowed hard, hoping that I wouldn't throw up from motion sickness, and panic finally had me opening my eyes.
I was in an old style horse drawn cart. I stared at the authentic looking rough wood in wonder, which soon turned to horror as I realised I didn't know the man driving it, and he was wearing armour. Real armour. Where the hell was I? What had happened to me? What heat was left in my veins froze as the only possible reason for my predicament came to me; I'd been kidnapped.
I looked around wildly hoping to see that I could escape, but my heart sank. I couldn't possibly still be in my home town, there had been no snow warnings and the area we were travelling thorough was blanketed with snow. My hands were bound tightly in front of me by rope which had chaffed my wrists, making them quite sore. I noticed the men opposite me and gasped, confused and terrified as I finally recognised the scene. It was just like the opening of Skyrim. Impossible.
"Finally awake I see. About time." Said a voice next to me and I whirled to my right, my eyes as wide as saucers. It was my sister, only it wasn't; it was a Wood Elf. I stared into the familiar dark brown eyes, the match of my own. Her facial features were more angular and... well, elvish, but it was definitely her.
"Alexis?" I asked hesitantly, a wave of relief washing over me; I wasn't alone in... whatever this was, after all. She grinned, albeit nervously, and nodded.
"Yep. Obviously." She replied, her voice strained. "I've been awake a little while, already got the welcome speech from the others." She whispered, as well as someone could while still being heard over the noise of the horse and cart. She leaned towards me a little more, allowing her loose butterscotch blonde hair to obscure her face so Ralof and the others couldn't read her lips. "They were wondering what two Bosmer like us were doing sneaking over the border into Skyrim." She said, applying significance to certain words in case I hadn't yet realised what was going on.
"What did you tell them?" I asked, wanting to get the story straight.
"That we're here on business." She replied, her posture tense. "I just hope events play out like in the game, you know?"
"Oh, yeah." I nodded, shivering. I glanced down, not surprised to see the prisoner rags we were dressed in. Little wonder I was so cold. I shuffled closer to Alexis, hoping to steal some of her heat, but she was just as cold as me. Fantastic.
Why couldn't we have appeared in Cyrodil during Oblivion instead? I wondered wistfully. It was so much warmer, greener and nicer there. I love that game. It had a gentler introduction to the world and combat mechanics too. Skyrim was just so... harsh. I thought about what laid in front of us and sighed, wishing I was still safely in bed at home. What were we even doing here? How did this happen? What if we're stuck here? I couldn't imagine what I would do if I never saw my boyfriend again, or my mum. What if we died here?
The cart rounded a bend in the road and a settlement came into view. Helgen. What if we were beheaded? Oh God, what if only one of us was? I couldn't concentrate when Ralof spoke; I started pulling at the ropes that bound my wrists but it was useless, I couldn't wriggle free of them. Beside me I saw Alexis also attempting to break free of her bonds, with no success. It looked like there was no escape. I wasn't really surprised though, if the muscled Nords opposite us couldn't break free, how did we expect to?
The carts rolled casually through Helgen, the sedate pace belying the reason we were here. The nausea came back full force and I could barely breathe as the carts came to a stop next to the headsman's block. Oh God, Gods, Divines, whatever - please don't let them do this! We obediently rose to our feet and stepped off the cart when we were told to, Lokir's fear just serving to heighten my own. When Ralof told him to face his death with courage I almost laughed hysterically. How exactly were we supposed to face this unjust murder without crying or screaming? It wasn't fair.
The imperial man – Hadvar, was it? – began to call names and I had to swallow the bile that had made its way up my throat. Surely they wouldn't actually decide to kill us, we were innocent. That had just been a ploy to introduce the player to the civil war that dominated the game, right? Then Lokir was called and tried to make a run for it. I shuffled closer to Alexis as the actions I had watched several times on my computer played out. It was much different in real life.
He didn't die instantly. The game animation had made it seem so clean, but as the arrow tore its way viciously through his body he stumbled, but tried to carry on going. He clutched the arrow that was sticking out of his chest in shock and cried out in agony as blood ran down his hands and soaked his clothes. He managed three steps after the arrow had hit him, and most of them only due to momentum, before he fell to the ground and didn't get back up. It was an awful thing to witness. My stomach finally rebelled and I threw up, tears streaming down my cheeks. It was not just the cold that had me shaking now.
"Anyone else feel like running?" asked the Imperial Captain. Yes, I thought desperately, yes I really do. My feet felt like they were rooted to the ground though, so I couldn't have made myself run if I'd had the chance.
"You there, Bosmer's. Who are you?" Hadvar asked, eyeing us inquisitively. Alexis hesitantly moved forward and I found myself instantly following her like her own personal living shadow, unwilling to be parted from her for even a second.
"I am Alexis, this is Levana my younger sister. We're just visiting Skyrim. We were unaware there was a war going on and-"
"Enough!" the Imperial Captain cut her off and gestured to the crowd of Stormcloaks. "To the block prisoners." She ordered, glaring at us suspiciously, and me disgustedly. Hadvar's eyebrows rose in surprise and he turned to his Captain.
"Captain, are you sure? They aren't on the list." He questioned.
"To the block." She repeated sternly and Hadvar nodded.
"By your order, Captain." He turned to us, guilt clear in his expression as he looked both of us in the eye in turn. "I'm sorry. I'll make sure your remains are sent to Valenwood." He promised. We aren't from Valenwood! I wanted to shout, but I knew it would do no good to try and explain where we were really from. A small whimper of fear escaped me as we joined the crowd before the headsman.
I paid no attention to General Tullius when he spoke to the gagged Ulfric, not caring much about the civil war. Truth be told, I had focussed on the side quests and knew next to nothing about what would happen if I chose a side. I hadn't even played through the main quest to meet the Blade woman, though I had watched my boyfriend do that. Well, some of it.
"Carry on!" Tullius ordered, and my wandering attention snapped back to the Imperial Captain.
"Yes, General Tullius." She said courteously and then gestured to the priestess standing behind her. "Give them their last rites."
My head was spinning as the priestess spoke about souls and divines. I couldn't really believe that I was waiting to have my head chopped off. It was so surreal but my fight or flight instincts were in over drive and they screamed flight! I have never pretended to be brave; I have always firmly believed myself to be a coward and in this moment I knew it to be true. There was no way in hell I was walking towards that block. My legs wouldn't take me there anyway so they'd have to drag me or shoot me. What a pathetic death.
"For the love of Talos, shut up and let's get this over with." The Stormcloak man said impatiently and I watched him calmly walk forward to the headsman. Such a brave man, did he even get a name in the game? I hadn't noticed; it was a game so I hadn't really cared. "Come on, I haven't got all morning!" he groused, staring the Imperials down as he was pushed to his knees and bent over the block. He glared up at the headsman, unafraid, and gave one last parting jab. "My ancestors are smiling at me, Imperials. Can you say the same?"
In that moment before the axe came down, all of the Stormcloaks seemed to stand a little straighter, a little prouder. None looked away as their brother in arms was decapitated before them, but all let out a heated breath when it was done. I dry heaved as there was nothing left in my stomach to bring up, as I tried to banish the image of arterial spray from my mind.
"You Imperial bastards!" a woman furiously shouted, a mixture of outrage and grief clear in her tone.
"As fearless in death, as he was in life." Ralof commented respectfully.
"Next, the wood elf." The Imperial Captain ordered, pointing to me. I froze. I expected my legs to turn to jelly from my fear, but instead they were painfully tense and ramrod straight. I wasn't going anywhere under my own power.
"I don't think so." Alexis hissed beside me, and I dearly wished I was as brave as her. Then I could have at least spat at them when they dragged me to my death. As it was I doubted I'd be able to do much more than stare fearfully at the block and cry, both of which I was already doing.
A distant roar echoed around the village, making everyone look around for the source and my heart leapt. Alduin! Alduin was coming after all. He would inadvertently save me from my untimely death and we could get out of this horrible village and find a way back home. Alexis gently bumped shoulders with me, we knew now we would get out of here; if Alduin stuck to the script.
"There it is again. Did you hear that?" Hadvar asked, though it seemed like a rhetorical question. The Imperial Captain dismissed the sound and pulled out her sword, pointing it menacingly at me as if it would make me come closer to her.
"I said next prisoner!" she repeated, almost growling the words. My eyes became riveted to her sword. I can do this, I told myself in an effort to calm down, I just need a little courage. I attempted to force myself to take a step forward but my legs refused to move so I ended up just swaying slightly on the spot.
"To the block prisoner, nice and easy." Hadvar said and I let out a slightly hysterical bark of laughter, which once it had gotten past my tight throat actually sounded more like a sob. It got my legs moving though and I shuffled mechanically towards the block, whilst attempting to stay as far away from the Captains blade as I could. Once I was close enough she put her sword away and grabbed me by the shoulder, forcing me to my knees beside the body of the brave Stormcloak soldier.
I whimpered again and fresh tears started as she put her knee on my back, forcing me across the block that was slick from the brave man's blood. I grunted disgustedly when I came into contact with the blood, it was still warm. It squelched under me and I looked up so I didn't have to see the man's sightless eyes staring at me. Another roar echoed around the village, this time much louder and I saw Alduin fly majestically over the nearby hills and towards the village. He was incredible. Never had I seen something as beautiful as those black scales glittering darkly in the sunlight.
"What in Oblivion is that?" Tullius shouted and I stared up at the tower where I knew Alduin would land, elated. As soon as the great black Dragon appeared over the tower, angled down to land on it I broke out in a relieved smile. The executioner raised his axe without pause however, which wiped the smile from my face quite quickly.
"Sentries, what do you see?" The Imperial Captain asked and then Alduin landed, a great gust of wind blowing most of the soldiers off their feet, but not the headsman. I froze in horror as the axe swung downwards, still heading towards my neck. Suddenly there was a horrible pain on my scalp and my head was yanked backwards off of the block as the axe landed where I had just been. Alduin shouted, knocking everyone still standing to the ground and dazing me.
I almost blacked out, but someone was shouting at me. Alexis, my dearest sister, had just saved my life by nearly ripping out my long, dark brown hair and was now trying to get me to move.
"Get the hell up! Now!" she cried desperately, slapping my face a few times with both hands, as they were still bound together, for good measure. I realised she was crying too and as her strikes began to get a little more panicked and violent I finally forced myself to my feet. Ralof was just behind us, shouting for us to follow him. Alexis pushed me ahead of her in the direction of the tower that the Stormcloaks had hidden in.
I didn't need help running. My instincts had been crying out for it for a while now and I was loathed to stop when I entered the tower and apparently so was Alexis, who slammed into the back of me when we entered, sending the both of us sprawling on the stone floor. A scraped knee, which under normal circumstances would have incurred a gasp of pain, was barely registered and we immediately stood, already on edge at standing still.
"Jarl Ulfric! What is that thing? Could the legends be true?" Ralof asked in awe and fear at what had just happened.
"Legends don't burn down villages." Ulfric replied calmly, and I suddenly wished I had bothered to play through the main quest. Was he forewarned about the Dragon? Or was he just that good at not showing fear? There was another roar from the dragon and sounds of destruction from just outside the tower. "We need to move! Now!" Ulfric shouted over the noise and Ralof nodded, gesturing to Alexis and me as he took off up the stairs.
"Up the tower, let's go!"
Everyone followed him up the spiralling stairs. Alexis was just ahead of me and I made sure to never be more than two steps behind her. I wasn't exactly very fit; I was a couch potato and spent most of my time playing the computer or writing at my computer, but I was immensely grateful right now that I wasn't fat either. I barely noticed the burn in my calf muscles as adrenaline pushed me onwards. Then the wall exploded in, half burying the Nord that was attempting to clear a path. Alduin's muzzle entered the tower through the gap he had just created and he opened his maw. The Nord's scream of pain was drowned out as Alduin shouted and a jet of searing flame roasted the poor man alive.
I hadn't even realised I had turned to flee until I was nearly choked on my blood soaked shirt as it bunched up around my neck from where Alexis was clutching the back of it. I stumbled on the stairs and fell back on my butt, glaring up at Alexis as I did so. She dragged me to my feet just as Ralof finished surveying the damage to the tower, Alduin having obviously left a little while ago.
"See that Inn on the other side? Jump through the roof and keep going!" Ralof ordered, glancing at the sky apprehensively. Alexis and I exchanged fearful glances; it was a long way. "Go! We'll follow when we can." He assured us. Alexis grabbed me and pushed me towards the gap first. A sensible precaution, because I'm not so sure I would have followed if there was no one there to push me.
I held my breath and leapt across the gap, falling through the burning timbers and landing badly. I took the impact in my feet but didn't roll, causing my legs to be forced into my chest, knocking the breath from my lungs. I slumped to the side, straining to gasp air but nothing happened. Alexis landed beside me, also landing badly, but she fell to the side before she could be winded and I almost rolled my eyes despite my terror. It was just the bad luck that followed me through life that was making this harder than it should be.
Alexis crawled over to me and rubbed my back, helping me to breathe, which thankfully didn't take long. The last thing we needed was to miss Hadvar. I scrambled to my feet and followed my sister out of the burning house, glad that we didn't spend much time in there. My eyes were painful enough from tears, never mind smoke. Hadvars' voice carried easily across the open space outside the inn and Alexis and I ran straight towards him.
"Still alive, prisoners? Keep close to me if you want to stay that way!" he shouted at us as we neared him. He was leading a young boy and an old man to shelter behind the remains of a building. He gave orders to the old man to take care of the boy and then the three of us quickly set off across the street. Alduin's shadow crossed over us as we ran and a thrill of pure terror lanced down my spine, giving me an extra boost of speed. Hadvar led us down a few steps behind another burning building.
"Stay close to the wall!" he shouted behind him and we pressed ourselves as close to the stone as we could. Alexis and I were prepared when Alduin landed just above us. I stared at the imposing figure of the great black dragon, unable to take my eyes from it as it once again released a jet of flame. As soon as it spread its wings to take off I crouched forward, ready to run. A great draft of wind hit us as he took off and Hadvar spoke again. "Quickly! Follow me."
We dashed behind him, trying to avoid the patches of fire and dead bodies. I tried not to notice the wounds that had killed them, or to slip in the blood that pooled around them. General Tullius and the other Imperial soldiers fought the dragon, firing arrows into the air desperately in an attempt to bring it down. We weaved between the defenders, and when I decided to look up, to see how the battle was faring (and how close Alduin was to us) I saw most of the arrows were missing him. Alduin was an agile flyer.
"Ralof! You damned traitor! Out of my way!" Hadvar shouted, and we skidded to a stop in the middle of the yard outside the Keep. This part annoyed me; surely survival was more important than which side they were on?
"We're escaping Hadvar. You're not stopping us this time." Ralof replied, sounding very much like the more level headed of the two.
"Fine. I hope that dragon takes you all to Sovengarde!" Hadvar spat venomously and set off running. I already knew Alexis and I would follow Ralof, but now I wondered what Hadvar would do. He just seemed to disappear after this decision. He shouted behind him for us to follow, but he was ignored. I'd rather follow a fellow prisoner than the one that sent us to the block, no matter how guilty he might have felt about it.
"Into the Keep, come on!" Ralof urged us, and we immediately sped after him, passing through the wooden doors. Ralof closed them behind us.