The large and foreboding castle stood atop the tallest mountain in a land called Skyrim, within the world of Tamriel.
High above the farms and towns; taller than the castled cities, a young prince sat upon his throne at the throat of the world.
This mountaintop was so vast and steep; no human could ever climb to the top, to see this castle for themselves. Most believe that it was the gods themselves that created such a mystic and beautiful castle. For no man could have built such a masterpiece.
Although the world had its share of humans and other creatures, none had the power, and the prowess of the dragons. These glorious beasts roamed the skies, their roars of ancient language filling the air, and the people's hearts with fear and anguish.
The Throat of the World was to be called their home, for they were the only creatures with the ability to reach the mysterious castle. Their scaly skin was tough against the freezing temperatures, and their lungs were suited for the high altitudes. With the humans in second place, these creatures ruled the world.
Yet, there was one being; one single human who held the most power, beyond the dragons. A redheaded prince, ruled over the Throat of the World. He was special. This single human soared the skies on the backs of these wondrous creatures, because he was their prince.
Prince Gaara.
Prince Gaara, has lived for thousands of years, alongside the dragons he has called his family. Although, he has seemed to never age, keeping a young tone about him, almost like a teenager. His sparkling blue eyes were surrounded by dashing dark rings, by the myth that it has accumulated over the years as the only signifier of his age and wisdom.
His skin is so blanched, but beautifully porcelain, not a single mark betrothed his body. He is considered the perfect being.
The dragons serve and protect him with their lives, as they live alongside the prince inside of the castle walls. Yet, not a single human has seen him. Only in myth, does the great prince exist.
People have told stories of a mysterious man riding atop one of the terrifying creatures known as the dragons. The prince has received the name by the humans as "Dragonborn" never knowing of his true origins, or if he even exists. Pictures and sculptures have been created in honor and curiosity of what he may look like, but like everything that is a mystery, the humans feared him. If this being could control dragons at will, then they could easily be destroyed with a flick of a wrist.
So that seems, but as the millennia past, the humans grew smarter and so has their strength in numbers. Their quaint curiosity of the estranged castle only grew into anger of not concurring it.
The prince knew that it was only a matter of time before the lowest of life forms would attempt to march into his home and take it from him, not before killing his entire flock of dragons. The human society was nothing more than a bunch of scoundrels and morons, in the prince's opinion. All they wanted was more. More land, more food, more money. Nothing could satisfy them, until they have taken more than they could get.
It was only a matter of time before the roar of battle cries would be charging at their front door.
~O~
Gaara stood from his throne, his long, red silky gown flowing gently in the wind, as he made his way to the balcony. "Is something troubling you, my prince?" A shrill and deep sound emitted from the depths of the throne room, in ancient tongue that can only be spoken by the dragons of Tamriel.
Tired, aqua eyes blinked, as he scanned over the vast landscape of his home. "Oh, Paarthurnax… I can feel their anger." The prince said, allowing the drift of the heavy winds drape over his majesty. "I fear that a great war is going to be among us…"
An elderly dragon, with old, chipped horns and scales, emerged from the darkness, and moved his head to the prince's side. "I know, my lord… I can feel it too." He grumbled lowly.
Even with the dragon's scaly flesh, he could still feel the soft caresses of his prince's hand patting his head, generously. This gorgeous human was no taller than the size of his own leg. He was small, and young, but his wisdom and power surpassed his mediocre height.
Every Dovah within the land of Tamriel knew of the prince. Some respected him, and obeyed him. Some of them didn't, and was angered at the fact that their powerful race could be controlled by a mere human. One of these dragons, who have thought the same, thousands of years ago, was none other than the prince's faithful servant, Paarthurnax.
Paarthurnax was a ruthless beast, who hated humans with every ounce of his being. When he heard the legend of the Dovahkiin taking his rein, he was outraged. Gathering up as many dragons as he could, he waged an unfair war against the single human.
A thousand dragons, led by Paarthurnax and his brother Alduin, against the prince Dovahkiin. One would think that this human stood no chance, but by the end of this war, Gaara came out victorious.
A miracle spared them that day, not a single dragon was killed. Prince Gaara offered to spare their lives as long as they would serve him, and that was the day that Paarthurnax and Alduin surrendered. The great dragons of Tamriel surrendered for the first time, let alone to a petty, but powerful human.
As the eons came and went, the dovah have grown to love their prince, and do anything to protect him. Some of them were still fraught with the past, and wouldn't let the bitter hate leave their minds.
Gaara has been a loyal and faithful prince to the dragons, and because of that, he has gained faithful followers. Paarthurnax and Alduin are his most loyal dovah, and would gladly give their life for Gaara.
Although, in these troubled times of uneasiness and shaky stature from the humans, the prince believed that the human's anger could spawn a deadly reminder to the dragons that Gaara had led. Not that he couldn't ease his dovah, but if his own kind were to spiral out of control, it would be much worse if the humans were on the attack as well.
The two dragons that the prince knew he could trust were Paarthurnax and Alduin. They would never turn on their prince, but many of the other dovah could easily snap, and go on a rampage. Dealing with out of control dragons, and the Jul could get out of hand, and become the end of Skyrim. The apocalypse.
The redhead blinked slowly, and looked over the horizon, as a roar echoed across the land. Even through such a rigged sound as a mighty roar, Gaara knew who emitted the sound. Durnehviir, the dragon of the undead was the one who made such a sound. This was another of the prince's loyal followers. Gaara rescued him from the clutches of the Ideal Masters, killing Valerica and freeing Durnehviir by completing his contract.
"Durnehviir sounds displeased…" The prince said softly, taking his hand off of Paarthurnax's head and walking closer to the edge of his balcony. He hated it when his dragons were angered or upset; it made a deep and unsettling chill roam through his body, and made his heart sink knowing that his family was distraught.
"Why don't you try shouting for him, my lord? I am sure he could use your guidance." The elderly dragon stated with a rumble of his voice, as he also listened in on the ancient language that spewed across the open sky. Something was wrong, and I wasn't difficult to feel it in the air.
Aquatic eyes sparkled, and looked back at his loyal subject, still awaiting in the shadows. It would be a good idea to shout for his fellow dragon to come as needed. Although, Gaara never shouted unless he was in the midst of battle, or for an emergency, but Durnehviir was his friend, and he sounded troubled. "I will... I can only pray that he obeys and comes to my word."
With a step back, the prince closed his eyes and concentrated, for this was no ordinary shout. This was the powerful language of the ancient tongue that was used purposely for war. The noise can carry all across Tamriel, but only the dragons can hear its call. Some can be so powerful; it can destroy buildings, or rip a human completely apart, depending on the shout.
The rush of the power and strength, sometimes even had the prince in a daze for a moment, as it traveled up his throat and expelled into a powerful thu'um. "Dur- Neh Viir!" Those three words, "Curse Never Dying" Threw a powerful force from the prince, as it silently echoed over the mountaintops. He knew that his voice was heard. No dragon could have resisted the sound of the prince when he shouted.
With a stifling wait of a few minutes, a figure could be seen in the distance, flying diligently over to them. It was what Gaara had expected of one of his most loyal dragons. He came the instant the prince called, dropping whatever he was doing beforehand.
A dragon appeared in the distance, chips of his skin peeling off of his scaly bones. This was normal for the undead dragon of necromancy. The creature had the mastery of raising the undead from their graves, an entire army at his disposal. This gave him a look among himself that looked similar to those that he controlled. What wasn't normal was the human stench of arrows stabbed into his wings, and body.
The prince's eyes widened, when his dragon hovered down and landed on the balcony's edge with a huff in his exhausted body. "Forgive my tardiness, my lord… I came as fast as I heard your call for me, Qahnaarin." The ancient dragon spoke softly; as he lowered his head to the prince's shocked appearance.
"Durnehviir…! You are injured...! What has happened?" Gaara immediately jolted over to the wounds that grazed the tough skin of Durnehviir. Arrow pierced through, as purple blood leaked out of the wounds that it created. "Durnehviir don't move, I'm going to heal you…" Without a word of acceptation, he immediately began to perform healing hand spells, to assist in his dragons injuries.
"My prince, please, I do not deserve your generosity. I am just fine." The undead dovah spoke. "The humans have invaded my territory in Labyrinthian." Just the thought of him being separated from his home, and allowing those wretched humans to take control, was already eating away at his very soul. "Please, Qahnarrin, if you do not need me, allow me to return to my home to fend off these intruders." He asked, sincerely, hoping to get back to fighting for what is his.
With a sigh of exhaustion, that injury used a bit of his magica to heal, but the injury was gone. "Of course, you are more than free to fend for your territory. I am sorry that I called you here, I just heard your cries and thought that something was amiss, and I was right." With a quick turn of his heel, Gaara faced the other elderly dragon "Paarthurnax, we ride for Labyrinthian at once! Call for Alduin, and any others that you can reach to fly for there as well. We will not leave a single dragon to fend off the humans alone."
"As you command, my lord." Paarthurnax said, lowering his head, as Gaara easily mounted upon the elderly dragon. Large, shredded, wings spread wide, as he taken flight in the cold skies; with Durnehviir flying in the lead. Like a constant siren, Paarthurnax roared out to the skies, the ancient language of the dragons echoing through the land for all of the neighboring dragons to hear, as they made their way to Labyrinthian.
Prince Gaara rode gorgeously on top of the battered and elderly dragon, his red robes flowing behind him like a tail in the traitorous cold. Within minutes, the two dovah were accompanied by six other dragons, including Alduin. "Prince, is there something the matter? Why the emergency?" The black spiked dragon asked, as he flew closer to his brother carrying royalty.
"Humans are invading Labyrinthian. We must stop them at once!" The redheaded prince quoted loudly, as his gaze focused on the horizon. He was not going to let these savages claim territory by one of his dragons. The legendary Dovahkiin wasn't going to let that happen.
A deep rumble came from the black dovah that flew alongside the red haired prince. "Ah, Dovahkiin, you have grown merciless in this time of betrayal. I will fight alongside you as long as you allow me to boil as many humans as I please."
His shoulders scrunched up at the sound of Alduin's tone. The blood thirst in his voice made him regret flying off in such a hurry to slay the Jul, but it had to be done. They had to let those beasts know who was the all-time ruler of Tamriel. "Yes, Alduin… I will allow this only once… Protect Labyrinthian and your fellow dovah." The command was given, and so it shall be.
The dark sky-ruler roared in laughter and energy, as he flew off in the front, alongside Durnehviir, as the rest of the dragons roared in a battle cry, fallowing Alduin's lead. Gaara didn't wish to kill the humans, he wanted to believe that they all weren't bad, but it was just so hard to see through their shroud of greed. This deed must be done.
~ O ~
As the clouds dimmed, Labyrinthian was dead on in their sights. The humans were already setting camp in territory that didn't belong to them, since the dragons leave, thinking they won the battle. Alduin and Durnehviir dove down, spewing their breath of ancient language of frost and fire.
The other dragons assisted eagerly, fallowing the trail led by the undead and black dovah leaders. A blood dragon stayed air bourn as it hovered above the ground to spew its fire breath at the humans, while a frost dragon landed on a large rock to attack with its frost breath.
Even an ancient and revered dragon came along to aid in defeating the army of humans. The revered landed with a shake of the earth under its feet, and fended off its attackers with its powerful wings, tail, and teeth; sending off a powerful drain vitality shout at its attackers to weaken them. The ancient dragon had its target in line, as it swooped down to snatch up those feeble humans as a delicious meal.
They seemed to have no chance at survival, but they put up quite a fight. Paarthurnax stayed high above the clouds, and circled the area, with Gaara keeping an eye on the battle. They fought back with archers, swordsmen, and the cavalry at their disposal.
Alduin was having a grand time; landing on one of the horsemen, locking the animal and rider under his single clawed foot. A roar was heard, and powerful teeth clamped down onto the human, and torso of the horse, pulling up to rip them in two, swallowing his bloodied meal with a satisfied roar.
Durnehviir flew a bit higher, and let out a disastrous shout into the skies. The ground quaked and cracked, as skeletal draugr made its way to the surface world from Oblivion. An army of fifty different types of draugr took arms and charged towards the humans. Skeletons, mistmen, and Wrathmen riding upon undead horses with blue flames for tails and manes, took the humans by swarm.
The battle was fierce, as the dragon's fought mercilessly against the humans. Burning them to a crisp, or freezing them until they were no more than a solid block of ice. Draugr, commanded at the dovah's will, fought as some of them were sent back to the depths of Oblivion from too much damage or being on the surface world for too long. Shouts of drain vitality echoed through the air as souls and energy were driven and lost.
It seemed that the dragons were winning, but the prince blinked as he heard something coming from the shadows below. "Halt Paarthurnax! Do you hear that…?!" the prince cried out, making the large reptile pause from flying and hover in place.
"What is it, young master? Do you sense danger?" The elder dovah asked, looking down and listening beyond the deafening tone of the battle below. The prince had a sensational standard of hearing, and could detect danger beyond any human, or dragon could ever do.
"I sense an ambush…! We must fly down to help them! They will be slaughtered!" Gaara cried, as he looked below to spot a few archers and the rest of the humans in hiding and wait, within the forest. He had to do something; his dragons would be killed if they were ambushed like this.
"My prince, forgive my disobedience, but I will not risk your danger" Paarthurnax pleaded with his apology, his very soul aching from going against his master's orders. He has never disobeyed his prince, but he just couldn't bear the thought of losing his precious leader. The humans were still clueless about their prince, and he wanted it to stay that way. If they found out about his true existence, it could spell death for the dovah.
"Paarthurnax… You… disobeyed? Please, do not make me use a shout on you…" Gaara threatened, for the first time to his loyal servant. He didn't want to expose his thu'um to his precious dragon, but if he must, then he will. He just cannot sit by and watch as his dragons fall, one by one.
The warning was clear in his ears, but he still must refuse the orders he received. But before he could speak, the piercing sound of a crackled roar broke through the air. Looking down, he noticed the blood dragon was pierced through the skull by a well-placed arrow from the shadows.
Aquatic eyes widened with horror, as one of his comrades collapsed from the intense battle. The weaker blood dragon took his final breath, as his eyes closed forever. Its body began to disintegrate immediately, and a blast of energy rose up to the skies towards the prince. Gaara gasped, as his body absorbed the soul of the lost dovah that gave its life for the protection of their clan. Nothing was left of the dead dragon, other than a bloodied skeleton.
His heart hammered in his chest from the charge of the soul that was absorbed in his body. Only a handful of times did the prince ever received the soul of a dovah. The reason being that dragons were immortal, unless physically killed. Some of them fought over territory, and ended up killing the other, that is usually when the prince would receive the soul. This time, it was in the heat of battle against the humans. The blood dragon's soul still bled with the fury of battle, and nearly made the prince faint on the spot. "Gol- Hah- Dov!"
The prince shouted, Paarthurnax roared out to the skies, as he sputtered in place. The large reptile couldn't help but to do as the shout commanded, but he fought against it. The prince forced him to dive down towards the humans in a kamikaze style. With a strong flap of his wings, he managed to stop himself, and speak against his mindless haze "P-Please my prince, listen to reason…!"
The redhead was furious, not only at the damage that these humans have caused, but that his own blood would go against his orders. "Why do you not obey, Paarthurnax?! I command you, as the Dovahkiin, to take me down there and fight, at once!" The shout would have put the dragons mind to complete focus on whatever the dovahkiin wished for, but he should have known that his own servant would fight against it for his safety.
Before they knew it, a stray arrow flew upward and stabbed at the prince's chest. The sudden attack shocked him, and caused him to fall back and off of the dragon he was riding. "Prince Gaara!" Paarthurnax cried out loudly, in a roar that echoed through the ears of the dragons below. The others looked up with a look of absolute shock as they saw their prince, their ruler, falling from his grace, and Paarthurnax quickly on his trail.
That arrow landed through his heart, his breath fading the closer he got to the ground. Looking up, he saw the teary eyes of his loyal dragon desperately chasing him as he fell from the skies. It seemed too late for him, as his body finally landed. Tussled and twisted around roughly from the harsh landing on the tree branches as he painstakingly made his way down to the ground.
Paarthurnax landed with a thud on the ground, crushing a few trees. "My lord! My lord! Answer my calls! I beg of you!" The Bend Will shout was immediately dispelled as soon as the prince dismounted from his back, so he had full control of his body. He saw his precious leader disappear through the brush of the vast forest regions, and he must find him.
Seeing their almighty leader fall to the attack of the humans, two of the dragons quickly took to the skies, seemingly afraid to continue fighting. One of their comrades has died, and now their leader is injured. Alduin roared in a cowardice fashion to the ones who fled the battle, especially in a time of need when their leader is injured. "Cowards! I will hunt you down and slaughter you for fleeing a battle!"
Flying over to the distraught elder dovah, Alduin slandered his brother. "What did you do?! Did you flip over and drop him or something?" The spiky black dragon said as he hovered in the air, searching below. The rest of the scaly army attempted to continue the battle, but they were far outmatched, with one dragon dead, and two of them searching for their fallen leader.
Suddenly, a voice was heard among the sound of battle cries. "Faas- Ru- Maar!" The very sound brought a sudden feeling of terror and horror among its listeners. Both the humans and the dragons shivered in fear as the shout ripped through their souls and told them to flee at once. Every human fled in one direction, as the ancient and revered dragon took to the skies in terror.
Paarthurnax, Durnehviir, and Alduin all shook in their scales, and took flight. Their minds working on overdrive to do as the voice commanded and flee the scene at once, forgetting everything else other than to run away. Even forgetting about their lost and injured prince.
"Yes my dovah… flee… run from this unwinnable battle…" The prince thought, as he looked up, seeing his two loyal subjects do directly as ordered and flee from the battle. He had to get them away, and this was the only way he could think of getting his fellow dovah to safety. His breath was shallow, as he tried his hardest to breathe deeply, but the arrow stabbed straight through his left lung, making it near impossible to breathe. It took everything within him to make that last shout, so he had to make it count.
Not only that, he could feel the horrid effects of some sort of poison reeking through the small blades that were pierced within him. The stench of humans was all over this weapon, and it made him sick. He thought that if he could just get up, then maybe he could find a way to a lake. Then he could possibly find a fellow animal, perhaps a wolf, bear, or perhaps a saber tooth tiger to assist him. They couldn't do much, but he could control them with a shout, so he could temporarily ride them to the nearest dovah lair. From there he knew that his fellow dragon would assist him and take him to the throat of the world.
He couldn't go unconscious, but his vision was fading with each staggering, bloody, breath that he managed to take. What if he didn't make it? If he were to die, his dovah would be devastated. It would spell the end of the Dragons, and maybe people as well. Before he could even think further into it, those aquatic eyes closed slowly, the last thing he saw, was the bright blue sky, clouded with the tops of trees.
~ O ~
A black bowl cut soldier, riding on horseback, was walking the trails from outside his home territory, Solitude. "I can't believe this, Lotus… My teammates are out fighting dragons, and what do I get?! Guard duty…" Rock Lee complained loudly to the bored, white, horse he was riding. "I want to go out and fight a dragon! I bet if I could find one, I would put its huge head on a stake! Yeah, that would prove my worth to the Blue Palace! Then I would have my title transferred to Thane! Aw, wouldn't that be amazing!" The horse merely snorted, ignoring its owners rambling.
Every morning, Lee would put on his suite of Imperial armor, which he had dyed it to his favorite color, green, and mount his trusty steed, Lotus and ride out to Solitude to get his duties for the day. He owns a comfy little homestead by the outer reaches of Solitude, in which he calls the Windstead Manor. It was a large home, but the only problem was that he was lonely, for he has lived in that huge house by his self. He always had his horse, Lotus, but he has always wanted the company of a mate to live in the manor with him.
To get married, and maybe have a loving family. If they couldn't make children of their own, they could always adopt, and Lee loved the idea of adopting one of the children from Riften. He has been down there before and noticed the poor kids begging to be adopted, and how some of them never have even seen their parents. Lee, was also an orphan. Although, he was never adopted into a family. As soon as he turned of age, he left Riften, and traveled across Skyrim to the big city of Solitude. He got a job as a guard, and he has loved it ever since.
Making his way to his work, it was early in the morning at around four as he left the house and ventured out into the cold mountains. He had his entire set-up of weapons ready for his duty as a knight. His most favorite to use was the bow and arrow, and he was essentially skilled at horseback archery. He and Lotus were a great team against their enemies, on cavalry. A distance shot, but quick as lighting.
By the time the sun has peeked its way above the horizon, Lee could see the stony walls of the castle that he wishes to call home someday. Riding up, he saw his two comrades, Naruto and Neji standing at the doorway on either side. "Hey, Lee. Early as always?" Neji said with a tired yawn.
"Neji! How are you on this fine morning? What is my schedule for today, guys?" Lee asked in a cheery tone, much too different than the tired soldiers that he was talking to.
"Sorry, Lee, but you have clean-up duty down in Labyrinthian today. Jarls orders." Naruto said, nonchalantly. He knew that there was a vicious battle between man and dragon at that place and for some odd reason the entire army ran for their lives in complete fear, the dragons too. What were they both scared of?
Neji pointed over at the body wagon all prepared for him. "Hook Lotus up to it, and get a move on. The Jarl wants it done by this evening. Bury them all in a mass burial, and create a small shrine over the mound." Neji said with a straight face. He knew that dozens died yesterday, but there were no signs of the dragons returning to that place.
Lee blinked and frowned. He hated to retrieve the dead from battle. It would always make him feel worthless, like he couldn't have saved them because he wasn't there. "Alright, I will get right on it." Lee said as he dismounted, and led his horse to the waiting wagon.
With a click of a harness, Lotus was ready to go. He was used to pulling wagons, and was a very strong horse. He could easily withstand the high altitudes and freezing temperatures of the mountains where they plan to go. Lee mounted onto the wagon, and tapped his horse with the reins, making his horse walk at a moderate pace.
~ O ~
It took a few hours to reach their destination of Labyrinthian, since it was so far away from Solitude. It wasn't even noon yet. Lee sighed, as he managed over the hilltop to witness the bodies that littered the place.
What shocked him the most was seeing a dead dragon, a skeleton. It was weird to see something disintegrate so quickly, he knew that bodies don't decompose that fast, especially in such a cold climate like this.
Climbing off the wagon, Lee made his way to the fascinating skeletal structure. He touched the huge bones and felt the density of them. It would make amazing armor with this kind of material to use. He was sure that the dragon won't mind if he grabs some of those bones for himself.
With about three bones and scales, Lee heaved them over to the wagon, and dropped them in. "Geeze, these sure are heavy. Well, Lotus, we have work to do." The horse merely blinked watching its owner pick up the dead bodies with a grunt and put them into the back of the wagon.
Towards the end of the day, Lee had managed to clean up most of the bloody mess of bodies. He wiped his fist against his forehead cleaning the sweat off of it. It was cold, but he was exhausted from lifting his fallen comrades. He stood up and looked around to see if there were any others that he missed, until he saw a black wolf in the distance.
It stared at him, and then charged right in his direction. Lee, already tired, nearly panicked as the fearsome animal galloped in his direction. Surprisingly, the animal ran right past him, and into the woods. "Oh, no you don't!" Lee said loudly, as he brought out his trusty sword and chased after the fleeing animal.
After running into the dense forest, Lee then came to a complete stop when he saw a trampling of trees in his path. What could have done this sort of damage like this? A giant? Or else… A dragon. The imperial swallowed thickly, as he proceeded with caution. The wolf was on the other side of the fallen trees, and sniffing at something. "Hey!" The ebony haired male shouted, and the wolf looked up at him and howled, dashing off into the forest.
With his armor on, it wasn't so easy to move around in the forest region, as he tried to chase after it, but stopped at the same spot that he saw it previously. "You damn coward!" Lee said, as he yelled out to the fleeing wolf. With a "hmf" the soldier straitened himself out, and was about to turn back, until he saw a pale hand from within a pile of branches.
"Oh, no… I must have missed one… He must have been crushed by those wretched creatures…" Lee said to himself, as he moved the branches aside to reveal another body. But this one was different. He had startling red colored hair, and his skin was completely blanched and pale. Lee figured that he was already gone, but this person wasn't wearing any armor signaling where he came from. Was he a passing tourist that got caught up in the chaos of the battle?
With a sad sigh, the Solitude Soldier did more than his original duty, as he picked up the dead body of the merchant. It was upsetting to see so much death in a single day. Especially, when innocent people ended up in the crossfire. The body lay limp in his arms, as Lee carried him back to the wagon that is until he heard a ragged breath from somewhere.
Lee stopped in his tracks, and turned around, waiting for anything to jump out at him and fight. He heard that breath, but it sounded weak. He might have been mistaken and perhaps it was one of his fallen comrades that were still alive. Looking back at the body-filled wagon, he glanced over the bodies, but they all were still. That is until the redhead in his arms shifted slightly, did Lee jump and nearly drop him.
"W-What the…!?" Lee said softly, as situated himself and looked down at the body in his arms. He could have sworn that the corpse moved in his grasp, on its own accord. Was this necromancy? Was the body going to rise from the dead? He had no idea how to use magic at all, so it wasn't the knight that was doing this. Or perhaps, the body wasn't dead after all.
With a careful step, Lee rushed over to the side of the wagon, and leaned the fragile body onto one of the wheels to see if it was alive or not. "H-Hey…! A-Are you alive?" The knight asked softly, as he gently grasped the man's cheek to feel for warmth, and used the other to press onto his chest for a pulse of any kind. Then that is when he realized, that there was an arrow sticking out of his chest. When he first saw him, all he saw was a cadaver and didn't really pay attention at what could have killed him in the first place. His job was to collect bodies and bury them, not figure out how they died. But, now that this man could have a chance at survival, he wanted to know what caused him his injury.
Knowing nothing about medicine, Lee didn't want to aggravate any of his injuries if he was indeed alive. He could faintly hear a shallow breath, and feel the other's chest rise and fall very slowly. He didn't respond, but the knight could feel a very feint pulse through the smaller man's chest. He was alive, and Lee was not going to allow him to die. He still had a chance.
Quickly running over to Lotus, Lee unhooked the horse and pulled the animal over to the mortally wounded man, lifting him onto the horses back and then mounting himself. Lotus didn't have a saddle on, since he had pulling equipment on, so it would be a bit difficult to ride while carrying the wounded man, but Lee wouldn't allow himself to be troubled.
Seating the redhead in front of him, and wrapping an arm around him for safety, Lee pushed the large white stallion into a full-fledged gallop to Solitude. "Heyyaaa! Lotus, move along!" He yelled, as they sped their way to the town. At this speed, he should make it to the doctors by nightfall, since it was sundown already. Lee felt horrible to leave all of his fallen comrades on the wagon, abandoned. He made an inner thought to himself to lap Solitude 100 times as punishment for leaving his duties, but he had to save this man. There was a chance, and he was willing to take it.
~ O ~
Just as Lee predicted, night had fallen in Skyrim, and Lee could see the large walls of Solitude. He could tell that Lotus was getting tired of galloping, since he was slowing up a bit, but Lee kept pushing him, making sure that he wouldn't fall into a slow canter. "Come on, Lotus, old boy, you can do it! Just a little further!" He could feel the faded warmth of the man in his arms, and it only made the fire in his heart burn more, just to save him. He wasn't going to let him die.
At the gates, Neji and Naruto were just about to call it a day, and hand off their nightshift duties as a gate guard to Shino and Kiba, whenever they'd arrive. Neji, head perked up at the sound of galloping hooves against cobblestone, and drew his sword, "Naruto, I hear something, get ready…" He said softly, as Naruto quietly did the same, mumbling "dattebayo." Nothing usually happened as a gate guard so his nerves were on end of what could be headed their way.
In the distance, hurdling closer, a white horse could be seen. "OPEN THE GATES!" a voice rang out, as Neji and Naruto flinched. "H-Hey didn't that sound like…" Naruto said, as the figure only got closer. "IT'S ME! LEE! OPEN THE GATES! I HAVE AN INJURED SURVIVOR!" Neji, knew that was their comrade, and Lee wouldn't do something so reckless unless there was a real emergency. He snapped at Naruto, "Help me open the gates, and yell out to clear the way!" They both pushed onto either side of the wooden gate, and just in time, as a white blur galloped past them, by a hair, through the doors. "Out of the way! Emergency coming through!" Naruto yelled out behind the galloping horse's trail.
Lee sighed in relief that they didn't run into the doors, he knew that if he had been bucked off, his passenger probably wouldn't have survived the fall. Seeing the town's doctor's office, Lee gripped hold of the redhead, bridle style, and leaped off of the galloping horse, landing on a jog to help slow the momentum of the fast animal. He has done this many-a-times with his steed, it was needed to know, just in case of any kind of emergency, as the horse gladly slowed to a stop and walked over to a trough to get a needed drink.
Lee bursts inside of the doctors, scaring the life out of the herbalists there. "As a member of the royal guard! I need a doctor! This man was found at Labyrinthian during the dragons raid! He is barely alive!" He said quickly, out of breath. The doctor rushed over to them, "Oh, please come this way! I will tend to him immediately."
~ O ~
"Would you like to be looked at as well, sir-knight?"
Lee blinked, as he looked up at an assistant. He sat in a chair, near a bed that had the redhead that he barely saved. The doctor said that there was a very little chance that he was going to make it at all, and was very surprised that he even survived the night with a wound like that. Lee felt nervous, and worried. He was sweating, and shaking uncontrollably at times. He didn't want this person to die; he had a horrible feeling in his gut just at the thought of this redhead dying. He hated to see someone die, even on the battle field he felt the same, but this time he was trying to save someone, and he considered it his responsibility to try and keep him alive, and if he died, it would be his fault. "N-No thank you, I am just fine. H-How is he? Will he be alright?"
Deep abyss eyes glanced over at the sickly patient lying in the bed near him. He already looked dead, just from his complexion. The arrow was removed, and it nearly made him throw up at the sight of the sickening sound it made as the doctors removed it from his chest. Three doctors were surrounding him, all with a healing spell glowing on their hands, as they concentrated their magica on the open wound. The assistants would come by every-so-often to smother the wound in crushed herbs. "He is stable, but still in critical condition. He has internal bleeding from the removal of the arrow, and the doctors are doing their best to seal the wound. If he does survive, he will have difficult time breathing, swallowing food, and even talking."
Lee cringed at the thought. That would be horrible. Would the citizen be happy that Lee had saved his life? Or would he live out the rest of his days in pain and agony, cursing the day that he was saved? He vowed to stay by this redhead's side to make sure that he woke up, if not, he would find some form of punishment for himself. Much worse than a mere workout.
Hours passed, and the doctors walked back to the fidgeting knight, sweat gleaming from their brow. "Sir-Knight, I am sorry, but this is the best we can do. We have done our best to seal the wound, but the rest is up to him. He is comatose, and could possibly not wake up at all. If he is a friend of yours, we suggest that you take him home, or back to wherever his home is. There is nothing more we can do here, and we suggest that he would be most comfortable, if he were to pass, to be in an environment that he is familiar with."
Lee took the condition in with a heavy heart. His eyes drooped at the sound the doctor's voice was, and the words that spoke in it. The smaller man lying on the bed might not make it through the night. Either he would wake, or die in his sleep. At least he wouldn't be in a lot of pain if he would pass, Lee would make sure that he would be comfortable. The only problem is, he didn't know this man's family at all, nor where he came from. The outfit that he wore didn't represent any known settlement in Skryim that he knew of. The only thing he could think of was to take him home, and hope for the best. "Th-Thank you, doctors… Please, send the bill to the Blue Palace; tell them that Knight Rock Lee has accumulated this bill. They should take care of it."
The doctors bowed slightly, "As you wish sir-knight. Have a good-night, and we all wish you and your friend luck, through the night." Lee nodded, and stood up, his bones achy and stiff from sitting down for too long. He walked over to the still figure in the bed. The redhead's chest rose and fell gently with the awful silence of the room. Carefully, and gently as he could, Lee lifted the frail body into his arms, making sure to wrap the blanket around him to make sure he was warm, it was cold outside, and that red gown didn't look very warm.
Walking out of the building, Lee clicked his tongue to Lotus, which was eating some hay that he found near the trough, to let him know that he was there and not to spook him. It was dark out, and could be a few hours until he got back home. Maybe he could take the day off tomorrow, or just head straight to Labyrinthian to finish the job from yesterday. He hopes his superior won't be too angry at him for abandoning a job and letting it go unfinished until the next day.
With a tired sigh, Lee lifted the limp body onto the horses back, and then mounted himself, making sure to make the redhead's back lean against his chest, as he gripped the reins. With a steady walk, Lee passed the gates of Solitude, with a nod to Shino and Kiba, as they opened the gates for him and his horse, in thanks. It was a long walk home, and he knew that he would have to get up early tomorrow.
As he rode back home, with a brisk walk, he wondered about the injured redhead leaning against him. What was his name? Where did he come from? Why was he at Labyrinthian when there was a battle between man and dragon going on? So many questions tugged at his brain, even some simple ones, like: had he eaten yet? Was he too cold? Too warm? Was he in pain? And the big question that nagged at him was; will he wake up? Lee would be devastated to wake up to a dead man in his home. The guilt would be extraordinary, because he would believe it to be his own fault for not taking care of him.
Lee probably wouldn't get any sleep tonight. He would probably stay awake to make sure that his guest would be alright, or if he managed to wake up. What if he would need him in the middle of the night and Lee was asleep? The Doctors said that he would have a difficult time talking, so the knight probably couldn't hear him if he did wake and tried to call out. The brave knight sighed, tugging the reins to the left on the fork in the road, to head home.
The raven-haired male blinked when he felt the body against his shiver slightly. Was he cold? Lee didn't ask for an answer, as he wrapped his arms around the poor redhead, gently. A strange smile appeared on his face, as he felt the body seemingly cuddle into his hold, and give off the softest of sighs. Maybe he would be alright, after all. Lee would love to get to know this person, maybe he would become a good friend to him. It has been ages since Lee has had someone over for the night in his home.
~ O ~
The first thing that Lee did when he arrived home, was dismount with the redhead in his arms, and walk inside his house. It was pitch black in there, but he knew his way around without light. He made his way to his own bedroom, and placed the fragile body into his bed, covering him up with the blankets to make sure that he was warm; it was a cold night in Skyrim on this night. He walked back outside to take care of Lotus, and put him back into the stable for the night. Lee knows that he deserves a good rest for the long galloping that he did today.
With the horse fed, and watered, Lee grabbed a few matches, and a lantern, lighting it so he is able to see. Walking over to the bookshelf, he picked out a good book to read. He didn't plan on sleeping tonight; he had to take care of his guest, just in case he needed him.
Lee walked upstairs, and pulled a chair up to the bed and sat down, placing the lantern on the night table. Abyss eyes looked at the pale figure in the flickering light of the lantern. He had a look of beauty, and youth, but strangely he had a sense of power and wisdom behind those set of black-coal colored eyelids. It was strange, was that eyeliner? He had never heard of a man wearing make-up, he thought that only women wear it. Perhaps it was a part of the tribe that he is in. Lee was not one to judge, everyone was different and unique, and that is what makes people interesting.
The redhead's breath still was shallow, but it wasn't ragged like it was before the trip to the doctors. They had done a good job, but there was still a chance that he wouldn't make it through the night. That soft tone of breathing was a reminder that he was still alive, and it is what gave Lee hope that he would make it through the night. Looking over at the window, the moon in the sky looked to be around 11:00pm. It would be a long night, and Lee made himself a silent oath. "If I do not stay awake and fall asleep during the night, I will do 1000 push-ups as punishment." He thought.
One look over at the poor redhead, he made another solemn oath, "If you do not make it through the night, I… I don't know what I will do…" He said under his breath. Honestly, he didn't know what he would do if this man would die in his home. He would just have to wait by his side and find out. With a sigh, Lee lifted the book and opened it, turning to the first page, and began reading in the flickering light of the lantern.