"Captain? What should I do? These two aren't on the list." Hadvar turned to the imperial captain standing next to him. She glowered at the remaining prisoners, stomping her foot impatiently.
"Forget the damn list. These two go to the block."
"By your orders, captain," Hadvar nodded his head and rolled the list up, gripping it in his hands. "I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do for you two."
"With me, prisoners!" The captain barked, taking her place next to the block.
"Well, it's been a nice run." Agae said, elbowing her step-brother in the side.
"Aye, it has." Padraic stood in between her and another Nord. The same one they camped with the night before.
"I'm sorry I got you two mixed up in this…" he hung his head. "I didn't expect the imperials to find us so quickly."
"It's not your fault." Padraic replied. "No one expected them to-,"
"QUIET!" The captain shouted. "You," she pointed at Padraic. "You get the honor of losing your head first, Breton."
He stepped up fearlessly, taking his place in front of the block. He stood for a moment, looking at his adopted sister as the captain shoved him down.
"My ancestors are smiling at me, captain." He said, the executioner taking position next to him. "Can you say the same?"
Suddenly the prisoners began to shout, and an animalistic roar blasted through the air.
"What in the hell?!" The captain growled, turning around. On top of the tower sat a dragon, it's extended wide. It was larger than the tower itself, and it took a deep breath and roared, a shockwave of energy blasting from its mouth, sending some soldiers flying.
"Padraic, get up!" Agae yelled, running to the Breton as she dragged him up off the ground. "Inside, let's go!" Together they ran as fast as they could inside, the stormcloak soldier from before ushering them inside.
"I thought dragons died out long ago!" He muttered, using a knife to cut the binds off the two prisoners. "Well, this is our only chance to escape, so let's do it, and quickly. There's an armory in the room next door, let's get equipped and go!" He and another soldier ran off, leaving the pair standing in the room together.
"A dragon… You know what that means, right?" Agae stared at her step-brother, her eyes wide and her face painted with all sorts of emotions.
"It means the Greybeards were right." He mumbled, rubbing his temples.
Agae opened her mouth to speak, when a bone-shattering roar caused the tower to vibrate, loose stones falling from the ceiling.
"We need to get out of here and go visit Arngeir, before this place comes toppling over our heads." Padraic said, ushering the Nord girl towards the armory.
"You think we can fight it?" She asked as they rummaged through the arsenal chests, hoping that the Stormcloaks left a few good weapons for the pair.
The Breton picked up a long bow and pulled on the string. The wood snapped, and splinters went flying. "These weapons couldn't even do anything against rabbits." He growled, dropping the broken bow and picking up a sword instead.
"Well, when you pull on it like that. Don't look." Agae took off her prison rags and threw them onto the floor in a ball, changing into a set of imperial armor. "There's another set of armor inside the chest to the right of you," she said, slipping on the bracers and boots.
"Ugh, I hate imperial armor. It's quite difficult to move in." Padraic pointed out as he did the same, throwing the rags over his shoulder. "There should be an exit to… do you hear that?" He turned slowly to Agae, his voice dropping dramatically.
"Hear what?" She looked at him for a moment, before understand what he meant. It had gone quiet. They both held their breath, not wanting to break the uncomfortable silence.
Slowly, they walked towards the door, Padraic holding a sword and dagger, and Agae gripping a greatsword. The Breton carefully pushed open the door, peering outside. The dragon lay dead on the ground, the tip of a sword sticking out the top of its head.
"Well, would you look at that… guess his dinner fought back." He cautiously walked out, Agae following him closely.
"We could use the scales for armor. Or we could sell them." Agae informed him, equipping her weapon when she deemed it safe.
"Did the dragon kill everyone?" Padraic kneeled by the beast, pulling out a dagger. "How do you even skin a dragon?"
"Maybe the same way you skin a bear?" Agae knelt down next to him, placing her hand on the dragon's neck to feel the leathery hard skin. She flinched, pulling her hand away. "Still hot."
"Wait, does it look like its glowing to you?" Padraic pulled her back from the dragon as the skin began to dissolve into glowing cinders.
As the thick leather scales melted, a golden light wafted up into the air as if it were a ribbon floating in the wind. The two siblings watched in awe as more light drained out in tiny slivers, dancing in the air.
"What is that?" Agae whispered.
Padraic was speechless as it swirled up into the sky, sitting still for a moment, and then rushed towards a toppled building.
He ran towards the light, Agae following him closely, and peered around a damaged cobble wall where the light had escaped too.
A young imperial woman sat there, sheer terror painted onto her face as the golden light went into her. She looked up at the step-siblings, her brown eyes puffy and red.
She was a couple years younger than Padraic and Agae, maybe around the age of 17. Her long brown hair was tangled and wild. There were streaks of dirt on her cheeks where tears had fallen, and dry blood caked her knees.
"Who are you?" She asked, her voice cracking. "What was that?"
"Dovahkiin…" Agae whispered. She looked at Padraic, her silver eyes gleaming. "The greybeards were right."
"Excuse me?" The girl stood, pushing her bangs out of her face.
"Well, what-what do we do? Do we take her to the greybeards?" Agae glanced at the imperial, and then back to her brother, anxiously running her hands through her short cropped hair.
"What's your name?" Padraic asked the girl.
"Cassia…who are you two?" Cassia stood there awkwardly. Her fancy clothing was tattered; soot, ash, and dirt stained the colorful fabric.
"I'm Padraic; this is my sister, Agae. How old are you?"
"16…you two don't look like siblings…"Cassia glanced back and forth between the two.
"It's complicated. Did you live here?" Agae asked the girl, her voice lowering a few octaves in attempt to soothe the imperial.
"No, my parents and I were visiting. General Tulius is my uncle. We came to see him execute those disgusting Nord traitors," She looked at Agae. "I mean…excuse me." She apologized, flustered.
"It's fine." The Nord waved it off. "Where are your parents now?"
Cassia pointed to the crumbled house. "Underneath there…" Her voice broke again and she took a shuddery breath. "Where's Tulius? Where's my uncle?"
"He left, I believe. With the remaining imperial soldiers." Padraic looked around. "We'd better get moving. C'mon. Our stuff might be in one of the carts." He stepped away, Agae following.
Cassia hesitated, and Agae looked back at her. "You coming?"
"Y-yeah!" She ran after them, her hair bouncing behind her.
"Agae, check over there." Padraic pointed to the cart closest to the block, near the tower they took refuge in. Agae did so, and Cassia stared at the dragon's skeleton.
"What was it you called me? Dova-something?" She slid her hand over the beast's bones, which were still warm.
"Dovahkiin. It means dragonborn." Padraic grunted as he lifted the cart onto its side. A few chests rolled out, opening and spilling its contents onto the floor. "Agae! I found it!"
"Dragonborn? What does that mean? What was that…that light?"
Agae climbed next to Padraic as they rummaged through the chest for their stuff. "It was the dragon's soul. You absorbed it."
"I did what?!" She squeaked, her hands rushing to her face as her jaw dropped in surprise.
"Absorbed it. It's kind of hard to explain. The greybeards can explain it better." Agae cursed under her breath as she brushed dirt of her Nordic helmet, rubbing her finger along a dent in the metal.
"Who are they?" Cassia asked, flustered. She played with her hair a lot; constantly tossing her bangs out of her face. It must have been a nervous habit.
"They're old mentors of ours. They can teach you how to use the way of the voice." Agae slipped on her helmet and strapped her battle-axe, Wuuthrad, onto her back.
"The way of the what? What's going on? I don't understand!" She stomped her foot angrily.
Padraic turned to her and looked her dead in the eyes. "You're the dragonborn. Your destiny is to stop Adluin from consuming the world. You were destined to save this world from utter chaos and destruction."
"Long story short, you have to kill a dragon."
"I thought dragons were a myth?"
Agae and Padraic both stared at her.
Cassia groaned, balling her fists and pulling at her hair. "I don't want to kill dragons! I'm a girl! Girls don't fight!" She huffed, crossing her arms.
Agae raised an eyebrow, then whispered to Padraic, "You sure she's the dragonborn?"
He whispered back, "You saw it for yourself."
"Hmm…" Agae walked away and began to look through the pockets of the fallen soldiers.
"What are you doing?" Cassia asked, a bit repulsed.
"We need money if we're gonna be going to High Hrothgar, yeah? We'll need food. Padraic, help me look." She tossed a fat coin purse up in the air, sending it to her brother. "We're gonna need a LOT of gold…"