Tale of the Dragonborn
Figured I would take a whack at a Skyrim fan fiction this time around. I have been obsessively playing Skyrim for the last month or so (As in playing it as long as I wasn't at work or doing anything else needed to do in order to survive). I absolutely love this game and will admit right away that Skyrim and the entire Elder Scrolls franchise belong to Bethesda Studios. This is Skyrim from my dragonborn's point of view. How will Alia Vitalis take her fate? Will she embrace her destiny or fight against it
Chapter 1
"You are destined for great things my beautiful Rose." I hear my mother's voice say as if from a great distance before I slowly open my eyes. Regaining my consciousness slowly the first thing I notice is the gentle rocking motion of a moving carriage. Blinking my eyes a few times to clear a strange blurriness from my sight the next thing I notice is the fact that somehow I've become a prisoner of the Imperial Legion and I come fully conscious.
"Hey you," a voice suddenly speaks and turning my gaze I see a blonde stormcloak sitting across from me, "You're finally awake," he says as I notice a sharp pain in the back of my head as if someone had hit me over the head with a sword hilt explaining my blurry vision. "You were trying to cross the border right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there."
"Damn you stormcloaks." The one I assume is the thief speaks up. "Skyrim was fine until you came along. The Empire was nice and lazy. If they hadn't been looking for you I could have stolen that horse and been halfway to Hammerfell."
I roll my eyes at that statement having caught a glimpse of the ragged clothing he is wearing and guessing he has probably never stolen a single thing successfully in his life. I should know, I've stolen my fair share of gold and other things in the twenty some years of my life. Granted my clothing isn't in much better condition but in my defense I'd been ambushed, attacked by bandits and left for dead with a sword to the stomach a few days before the Imperial ambush. If I hadn't been found by a sympathetic adventurer with knowledge of restoration magic I would have been food for the wolves and other predators days ago and wouldn't have been facing a definite execution by the hand of the Imperial's
"You there," The thief says focusing his attention on me. "You and me – we shouldn't be here. It's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants."
"We're all brothers and sisters in binds now thief." The Stormcloak says and I nod my agreement
"Shut up back there." The Imperial driving the carriage calls over his shoulder.
"What's wrong with him huh?" The thief asks drawing my attention to the man sitting beside me not just restrained but also gagged. I suppress a gasp and shift away from him to put more space between us as I recognize him as someone I had hoped to never see again.
"Watch your tongue," The Stormcloak says with anger in his voice, "You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King
"Ulfric? The Jarl of Windhelm? You're the leader of the rebellion." The thief says stupidly then starts to panic, having just realized what I had realized as soon as I had figured out I was a prisoner. That we were all heading to Sovngarde or Oblivion as the Divines decreed. "But if they've captured you … Oh Gods where are they taking us?!"
"I don't know where we are going, but Sovngarde awaits." The Stormcloak states.
"No this can't be happening, this isn't happening!" The thief says trying to deny the obvious truth.
"Hey, what village are you from thief?" The Stormcloak asks suddenly
"Why do you care?" The thief asks sullenly
"A Nord's last thoughts should be of home." The Stormcloak and I reply in unison.
"Rorikstead," The thief tells us, "I'm from Rorikstead."
"General Tullius, Sir." An Imperial Soldier calls out to someone, as we enter a walled town "The Headsman is waiting."
"Good, let's get this over with." The general says
"Shor, Mara, Dibella, Kynareth, Akatosh. Divines, please help me!" The thief starts yelling in a desperate bid to the Divines to save him.
"Look at him," The Stormcloak says looking off to the side, "General Tullius, the Military Governor; and it looks like the Thalmor are with him." Looking in the same direction I see a handful of Thalmor agents and suppressing a shudder I quickly look away. Either not noticing my reaction or choosing to ignore it the Stormcloak continues his rant. "Damn Elves; I bet they had something to do with this." After a pause he quickly changes the subject
"This is Helgen. I used to be sweet on a girl from here. I wonder if Vilod is still making that mead with juniper berries mixed in. Funny, when I was a boy, Imperial walls and towers made me feel so safe." He says and I nod in agreement.
"Who are they daddy?" I hear a boy ask, "Where are they going?"
"You need to go inside little cub." His father tells him.
"Why?" the boy asks innocently, "I want to watch the soldiers."
"Inside the house now." His father says firmly
"Whoa," the soldier driving our carriage says to the horse as I hear the boy do as he is told.
"Get the prisoners out of the carts. Now!" A female Imperial orders
"Why are we stopping?" The thief, who I have decided is a total idiot asks us.
"Why do you think?" The Stormcloak asks him before giving the obvious answer. "End of the line." As the soldier driving the carriage disembarks the Stormcloak continues talking. "Let's go. Shouldn't keep the Gods waiting for us." As one the four of us stand up and climb down one at a time
"No wait! We're not rebels!" The thief shouts to the nearest soldiers
"Coward." I say as the Stormcloak reprimands him.
"Face your death with some courage, thief."
"We weren't with you!" The thief continues yelling despite our words. "This is a mistake. You've got to tell them!"
"Step towards the block when we call your name." The female from before calls out and just by looking at her armor I can tell she's a captain. "One at a time." She adds on as if we are all in a hurry to meet with the Divines. As she finally falls silent the soldier beside her steps forward with a sheet of parchment and a quill in his hands.
"Empire loves their damn lists." The stormcloak says from beside me with a dramatic sigh causing me to giggle slightly despite the fact that I am about to die.
"Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Windhelm." The list keeper says marking off the Jarl's name on his list.
"It has been an honor, Jarl Ulfric." The Stormcloak says as the Jarl walks towards the headsman block holding his head up proudly.
"Ralof of Riverwood." The list keeper calls and the Stormcloak follows the Jarl
"Lokir of Rorikstead."
"No! I'm not a rebel!" the thief flips out and I have a pretty good idea of what's going to happen next. "You can't do this!" and with that the coward takes off running hastening his death with two arrows to his back and denying himself entrance to Sovngarde for eternity.
"Anyone else feel like running?" the Captain asks looking pointedly at me, causing me to straighten up to my full height in a small act of defiance.
"Wait," the soldier says, double checking his damn list. "You there, step forward." He tells me and I do as I'm told stopping a few steps away from them and standing tall. "Who are you?"
"Alia Vitalis of Windhelm."
"You picked a bad time to come home to Skyrim Kinsman." He tells me, revealing he is also a Nord before turning to face his officer. "Captain, what should we do? She's not on the list."
"Forget the list. She goes to the block." The captain says without hesitation and I shoot an evil glare at her, smiling in satisfaction, as I notice her taking a barely discernable step back.
"By your orders, Captain." The soldier says before turning to face me with a hint of regret in his eyes. "I'm sorry, at least you'll die here, in you homeland. Follow the Captain prisoner."
"Bootlicker." I call to him before following the captain with my head held high as I join my true Kinsman.
"Ulfric Stormcloak," General Tullius says as I stop walking and beginning to taunt him. "Some here in Helgen call you a hero. But a hero doesn't use a power like the Voice to murder his king and usurp his throne."
Unable to speak due to the gag over his mouth, Ulfric lets out a muffled grunt in response as Tullius continues,
"You started this war, plunged Skyrim into chaos, and now the Empire is going to put you down and restore the peace." As he says that a noise unlike anything I've ever heard before, echoes through the sky and I get a sudden feeling of foreboding as my instinct kick in
"What was that?" The bootlicker asks no one in particular.
"It's nothing, carry on." The General says brushing it off
"Yes General Tullius." The captain says before turning to the Priestess of Arkay standing nearby. "Give them their last rites."
Tuning out the words I've heard too many times to count I notice Ulfric Looking at me trying to figure out who I am and I quickly look away just as a Stormcloak Soldier interrupts the Priestess.
"For the love of Talos, shut up, and let's get this over with." He says walking over to stand in front of the block.
"As you wish." The Priestess says and falls silent before walking off.
"Come on I haven't got all morning." The Stormcloak snaps and the captain forces him to his knees. "My ancestors are smiling at me, Imperials. Can you say the same?" he asks as the captain forces his head onto the block with her foot. Less than a minute later the headsman swings his axe and I flinch as he severs the Stormcloaks head from his body with a sickening Thud. The captain kicks the body off the block as shouting erupts all around me
"You Imperial bastards!" A female Stormcloak shouts
"Justice!" A man calls out
"Death to the Stormcloaks!" A female shouts
"As fearless in death as he was I life." Ralof says from my left.
"Next, the Nord in the rags." The captain says pointing at me as the noise from earlier come again, close enough for me to realize it's some kind of roar and my blood runs cold.
"There it is again." The bootlicker says, "Did you hear that?"
"I said, next prisoner!" The captain says firmly
"To the block prisoner. Nice and easy." Bootlicker says and with a deep breath I leave my fate to the Gods. As my head is laid on the block, I'm trying not to gag feeling and smelling the coppery smell of fresh blood, the headsman starts to raise his axe as I see a huge black shape fly over the mountains and let out a gasp.
"What in Oblivion is that!?" Tullius asks noticing it as well as the creature flies above the tower
"Sentries!" the Imperial Captain calls, "What do you see?"
The answer is cut off as the creature lands on the tower with enough force the vibration knocks the headsman off his feet and looks directly at me with eyes that remind me of fire and hold me in place.
"Dragon!" The female Stormcloak yells and I hear weapons pulled from sheaths as the dragon stares at me a little longer before opening his maw.
"Dovahkiin." I hear before the dragon hits me with some strange energy, knocking me over as my vision blurs and the sky darkens. Still stunned I hear Tullius shouting orders to his people.
"Hey kinsman, get up." I hear Ralof shout at me, "Come on, the Gods won't give us another chance!" He says and I focus on him as I slowly climb to my feet. "This way!" He tells me and turns to run into a nearby tower. I follow after him quickly avoiding the fire and debris falling from the sky slamming the heavy door behind me as my vision finally clears.
"Jarl Ulfric. What is that thing?" Ralof asks and I realize we are in the tower with our fellow prisoners. "Could the legends be true?"
"Legends don't burn down villages." Ulfric tells him and we stand in silence as the tower shakes from the dragon attack.
"We need to move, NOW!" Ulfric shouts
"Up through the tower!" Ralof yells to me, "Let's go!" and I run up the stairs stopping before the first as my instincts shout for me to stop. Seconds later the dragon knocks a hole in the tower where I would have been standing and shouts
"YOL TOOR SHUL!" I hear as seconds later fire escapes his mouth frying the Stormcloak caught under the rubble from the wall collapsing and flies off. Standing by the hole I wait for Ralof as he follows up behind me. Looking at the blocked off exit he glances out of the hole
"See that inn on the other side?" he asks me and I nod, "Jump through the roof!"
"What?!" I exclaim
"Jump through the roof and keep going." He repeats, "Go! We'll follow when we can! Just keep putting one foot in front of the other."
"I jump through the roof like he tells me and somehow despite the fact my hands are still bound I land on my feet only twisting my ankle slightly. After a short pause to assess the damage and realizing I can still walk I take off running again dropping to the ground floor and hitting the street where I see the bootlicker and another man talking to a little boy trying to draw him away from the middle of the street. Seeing the dragon land in the middle of the street a few yards from the boy I run to him and shove him quickly in the direction of the bootlicker as the dragon yells again
"YOL TOOR SHUL!" it shouts and I roll in the direction of the boy barely avoiding getting fried by the flames.
"Still alive prisoner?" Bootlicker asks me as I roll to my feet. "Stay close to me if you want to stay that way. Gunnar take care of the boy. I need to find General Tullius and join the defense."
"Gods guide you Hadvar." The man replies as the bootlicker now known as Hadvar and I take off across Helgen
"Stay close to the wall!" Hadvar yells to me over his shoulder as he turns into an alley behind a house. My instincts are telling me the same thing so I do so without an objection, narrowly avoiding getting impaled by a claw as the dragon lands on the wall directly above us
"YOL TOOR SHUL!" it says once more breathing fire and taking to the air
"Quickly! Follow me!" Hadvar calls and we start running again. After a quick conversation between Tullius and Hadvar the bootlicker, Hadvar calls to me again. "It's you and me prisoner!" he calls and we run for the main keep
"Ralof!" he suddenly yells, "You damn traitor! Out of my way!"
"We're escaping Hadvar!" Ralof says standing in front of him, "You're not stopping us this time!"
"Fine!" Hadvar shouts, "I hope that dragon takes you all to Sovngarde!" With that both men implore me to follow them. I ignore them both and run for the nearest entrance.
So that was chapter one. Let me know what you think. Leave me a review or PM me for any tips to improve my writing.
Why does Alia wish she had never seen Ulfric again? What is he to her? Keep reading the story and you may eventually find out. Or not. (evil grin)