Hello, everyone! I'm a big fan of Skyrim, and the game inspired me so much, I decided I needed to write about it. If I am getting any Skyrim lore wrong, please let me know. This story is told from the perspective of Ivan Daynes, a rare half-breed of Argonian and Khajiit. Please be aware that I've taken some creative liberties, obviously. :)
-Chapter One-
Ivan heard the sound of hooves trotting on stone. He tried to move his arms, but his hands were bound together. Finally, he opened his eyes. The first thing he could see was the sky. When was the last time he had seen it so blue?
"Hey, Khajiit! Can you even hear me?!" Ivan turned his eyes to the Nord sitting across from in the cart. He looked distressed.
"What...?" Ivan uttered. "Where are we? What happened?"
"You don't remember?! We were ambushed by the Imperials!"
"Quiet, back there!" The driver of the cart barked. Ivan blinked. Suddenly, a wave of memories returned to him.
"Come, my son. Your mother is waiting for us at the camp." Mal'kir said, turning his head to look at Ivan. Ivan grinned at his father.
"Sorry, Dad. It's been so long since I've seen you, I guess I kinda picked up on the way Mom talks. Now you sound funny instead of her." he said. Mal'kir smiled.
"So, you have enjoyed your time in Skyrim, yes?"
"Yeah! Thanks for taking me with you when you went to talk to the High King! That was cool!" Ivan piped.
"His highness Torygg is a reasonable young man." Mal'kir said. "I am certain that Khajiit will be more welcome in Skyrim with his support."
"Look! There's mom!" Ivan pointed at an Argonian waiting at the edge of the camp. He ran to her.
"There's my two boys! How was Solitude?" she asked. Mal'kir approached her and kissed her.
"We had a good time, my dear Salia. Is everything ready to go? It is a long journey back to Elsweyr."
"Of course! But nobody's going anywhere until after we've eaten dinner. I've made stew!"
The small family sat down to eat together. Ivan couldn't be more pleased. Since his father was an ambassador on behalf of the Khajiit, Ivan mostly lived with his Argonian mother. The family moved back and forth in between Skyrim and Elsweyr since before Ivan could remember. This was one of the rare occasions on which Ivan ate dinner with both of his parents.
"Ivan, dear. Your father and I have been meaning to talk to you about something." Salia said. Ivan looked up from his stew.
"Is something the matter?" he asked. Salia and Mal'kir smiled.
"No, my son." Mal'kir said. "We know how much you like it here in Skyrim, and you are old enough now to make your own choices."
"What we're trying to say is, if you want to stay here in Skyrim and live your own life, this would be a prime opportunity!" Salia said. "Your father has talked to some of the people in Solitude. You could live there if you like." Ivan blinked.
"You'll go on to Elsweyr without me?" he asked.
"Only if that is what you wish." Mal'kir answered. Ivan considered this. It was true, out of the two places he'd lived, Ivan felt more at home in Skyrim. But he hated the thought of his parents leaving the country without him there. What if something happened to them?
"Of course we'll come back to visit often." Salia added. "Your father's gotta keep his job, obviously." This made Ivan feel better. He was about to answer them, when he saw his father reach for his sword.
Ivan turned to see a man running towards them. This man was taller than most, and had the fierce eyes of a bear. He was being chased by a soldier on a horse.
"Mal'kir, is it a bandit?" Salia asked in a whisper. Suddenly, the one being chased turned around and shouted at the horse rider. The shout was unlike anything Ivan had ever heard. It boomed through the air, loud as thunder, and the rider and the horse were both swept off their feet. Ivan couldn't believe his eyes. A new wave of fear rose within him as the man began his run towards them again. Suddenly, Ivan noticed other people running in the fray as well. A man came out of the shadows and stole the horse from the fallen soldier. Several more armed soldiers chased a small group of people, slaying them as they went.
"The Imperial soldiers must be clearing out a bandit camp!" Mal'kir said to his family. "We must leave, now!" Ivan snapped to attention. He turned around to his family to see soldiers on horses riding towards them from the other direction as well. Mal'kir stood and waved at them.
"Greetings, soldiers! I am an ambassador from-"
Ivan watched in horror as the soldier simply continued to ride towards them, raising his weapon. Ivan tried to call out to his father, but his throat had gone dry. He watched as the soldier sliced through his father with a sword. His mother cried out.
"Mal! No!" she fell to her knees beside the dead Khajiit. The soldier yelled angrily.
"The Stormcloaks are trying to cross the border out of Skyrim! Don't let anyone get away!" Ivan clambered towards his mother, but was suddenly tackled to the ground. The man from before that had shouted so loudly, had run straight into him. Ivan groaned, face-first in the snow, as the man cursed under his breath. Ivan heard his mother's voice over the din.
"Ivan, run!" Before Ivan could pick himself up off the ground, he found himself being dragged into a cluster of bushes. The man growled at him.
"Stupid cat! Stay here where you won't be seen! They'll kill anyone they see at this point!" Ivan obeyed, staying low to the ground. He scanned the area for his mother. Another man joined them in the bushes. The first man recognized him.
"Ralof! Thank Talos you made it this far!" he grunted.
"I told you I would follow you to the end, my Jarl." Ralof answered. His eyes fell on Ivan.
"Is this young Khajiit a new recruit?" he asked.
"No, this one tripped me and almost got both of us killed. I managed to hide us here, though. I don't think anyone saw us." Ivan looked out across the snow, looking for his mother. He hardly even heard the exchange between the two men. His heart leapt to his throat as he saw a soldier run towards his mother, sword raised. Before he could react, she was dead. Ivan leapt to his feet.
"Mother!" he yelled. "Mom! Dad! No!" He was suddenly yanked off his feet and a hand covered his mouth.
"Silence, Khajiit! You'll be the death of all of us!" The man hissed. Ivan struggled against the strong arms of the man holding him down. All he could think about was getting to his parents. Perhaps they were both still alive, if just barely. He needed to get to them. He stopped struggling when he realized a circle of swords pointed to him and the two men with him. The soldiers had them surrounded.
"Ulfric Stormcloak. You're under arrest for the murder of High King Torygg."
The last thing Ivan saw was the hilt of a soldier's sword as it struck him over the head.
Ivan flinched. So it wasn't a dream. His parents had been slain by the very soldiers his father worked alongside.
"Oh, Gods! Where are they taking us?!" The man sitting across from Ivan began to shake.
"Where are you from, horse-thief?" another passenger asked. "A Nord's last thoughts should be of home." Ivan recognized this one as Ralof. He considered this advice. Ivan wondered briefly if he should be thinking of Elsweyr or Skyrim. He realized sullenly that the reason he had felt at home in Skyrim was because of his parents. Now they were gone.
"I'm from Rorikstead." The horse thief finally answered. Ivan suddenly realized he was sitting beside the large man that had run into him before. He instinctively moved away from him slightly. The man had a gag tied around his mouth, which made Ivan feel slightly better. At least then he wouldn't be able to make that terrifying shout. The horse thief turned to Ivan.
"You and me, Khajiit. We don't belong here. It's these Stormcloaks the Imperials are after!" he said bitterly. Ralof frowned.
"Watch your tongue! This is Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak! The true High King of Skyrim!"
"I don't much care who any of you are." Ivan finally said. "My parents were killed because of your interfering with the law. I watched both of them die." Ivan turned his eyes to Ulfric. "And that's something I will never forgive you for."
Ivan's speech silenced the others in the cart with him. He saw the slightest bit of guilt in Ulfric's eyes.
"Not that it matters much." the horse thief said sadly. "They're taking us all to die, in any case. We're going to be executed along with these Stormcloaks."
As the horse thief said this, Ivan felt the carriage come to a halt. He hadn't even noticed they had entered a city. A soldier beckoned to them.
"All right. Everyone off. Line up and tell us your names."
Ivan followed the other prisoners willingly. His whole world had been slain before his eyes. What was there for him now? At least it would all be over soon, and he could reunite with his parents.
"You won't execute me! I'm not a rebel!" The horse thief took off in a run, and Ivan flinched as he watched him be shot down by an arrow.
"Anyone else feel like running?!" a female soldier bellowed.
Ivan looked around the city of Helgen as the first prisoner was executed. He felt strange. He wasn't sure if it was the fact that his life would soon be over, but something within him stirred.
"You there! Come forward!" the female soldier commanded. Ivan suddenly realized she was speaking to him. He obeyed. As he stepped towards the chopping block to be executed, he heard a faint roar.
"What was that?!" a soldier questioned, looking at the sky.
"Pay it no mind! Executioner, proceed!" the female soldier ordered. Ivan knelt down and rested his head on the chopping block. He looked up at the executioner and thought of his parents. It was then that he saw... it.
A dragon as black as night landed on a nearby building and let out a terrible roar. Ivan slid off the chopping block, and curled up on the ground in defense. Firey rocks fell from the sky, and the city became chaos.
"Khajiit! Get up! Come over here!" Ivan heard Ralof shout. Ivan struggled to his feet. He stole a glance back at the dragon and wished he hadn't. It was the most terrifying sight he had ever seen. Ivan followed Ralof into a nearby building. Once inside, Ivan groaned inwardly when he saw Ulfric Stormcloak. There was just no getting away from him.
"My Jarl!" Ralof exclaimed. "Did you see that?! It was... a dragon!"
"I saw, Ralof. But what I care most about right now is staying alive. We need to escape, somehow." Ulfric answered. He turned to Ivan.
"I see you made it here in one piece. Good. You and Ralof look for another way out. I'll keep any Imperials away." he instructed. Ivan couldn't believe his ears.
"Why the blast should I listen to you?!" he demanded. "If it weren't for you, my parents would still be alive, and I wouldn't be here!" Ivan felt justified in his outburst, but his anger quickly fizzled into fear as Ulfric stepped towards him and pinned him to the wall with one arm. Ivan could do nothing, as his hands were still bound.
"Was I the one who slew your parents?!" he growled. "Was I the one who sent you to the chopping block? No! We are both victims, Khajiit! Your enemy is not me, it is these Imperials you should be angry at!"
Ivan blinked. His perspective had changed. Ulfric, however frightening he was, was not his true enemy.
"Those blasted Imperials!" Ivan snarled. Ulfric released him.
"Do you want to live long enough to send those Imperial dogs to Oblivion?" he asked.
"I'll settle for simply surviving for now!" Ivan said. "If I make it that far, I'll see about the Imperials!"
"A wise answer. Come, let's get out of this horrid place."
So that wraps up the first chapter! Sorry if it feels a little rushed. I figure anyone who reads this has probably played through the intro already at least once. I wanna hurry up and get to the good stuff! Also, about the half-breeds. I know that Skyrim logic says that two different Skyrim races can have children, and that the children will always inherit the mother's race by default. I'm simply adding that sometimes (albeit rarely) the child can look like the father instead or even inherit traits of both parents. Anyways, enjoy!