This is my first fanfic, it is about my character and how I wanted him to be during my playthrough. This is a Dragonborn/Karliah fic, it will take awhile but it will happen, if you don't like it leave. If you do like it, I will try to upload as often as possible, but being in the Delayed Entry Program for the Marines/Training, school, and sports I don't know how often it will be. Reviews are welcome, hell even flames are welcome, because I could use them to keep warm. I don't own Skyrim, just a happy consumer.
Prologue
Dread Ilithen awoke in a dank and dark place. He just laid there on the cold stone slab waiting for his memory to jump-start and remind him how he ended up in this crypt-like room. All he remembered though was the fact that he had felt a sharp pain on the back of his neck to the side of his spine, and then darkness. He didn't even know how long he had been out, but he did know that it must have been longer than a few hours for he was extremely stiff , almost to the point of being paralyzed. Though through determination he finally was able to, quite minutely, move his thumb. After a few more moments he had his hands clenching and unclenching. Almost a half hour later he was able to move his legs and arms but his upper body still felt as if it were melted to the stone beneath him.
What the hell happened? He asked himself, Haha, the Champion of Cyrodiil himself can't even get up and move about, how pathetic.
He continued to move about and get the stiffness out of his body as much as he could, until with a last push of determination, he sat up and smiled. Happy to have finally gotten off of the dreaded stone slab.
Where is a damn light when you need one.He wondered
Noticing that the room he in was deathly quiet he felt very uneasy speaking aloud. With a flick of his hand he attempted to bring to life the magicka in his body.
Why does it seem that the magicka is so damn hard to get a hold of today...or night I would guess.He whined to himself.
After a few more attempts at the illusive strands of magicka he finally grasped onto it unleashing a small spell of light, illuminating the room. What he saw made him cringe, for there lay many bodies in many different states of decay, all of which were laying on stone slabs identical to the one he was on. But he also noticed that he was currently wearing his Imperial Dragon Armor, the gold designs that made up the most of his armor along with the chainmail underlay.
That is odd, I definitely remember wearing my leather armor.He pondered.
His sword, the blade he had used in many battles and the one he used to help return the Empire back to what it had been before the Oblivion crisis, lay next to him. A memory hit him like a charging troll, he couldn't hold back the single tear that escaped his eye as he remembered Martin Septim, the man who he considered a brother, his battle with Mehrunes Dagon, and his ensuing death.
"I need to visit his statue soon, it has been too long." Dread mumbled "but first I need to get out of this damn place and find the bastards who thought it would be funny to mess with me"
He clambered up and grabbed his sword, he wondered where his bow and daggers had gone off to, but his shield had been knocked off his makeshift table and onto the ground. He hurriedly picked it up and strapped it to his back. He limped his way to a passageway that was located at the other side of the room, passing the bodies and debris that lay in his way. When he reached the passageway he gave the room a final scan and proceeded down the stone halls beyond. He continued down the halls for a time passing crevices with remains of the dead laying in their eternal rest. Dread was becoming impatient with the slowness of his gait, but could not bring his body to move any faster. After what seemed to him to have been an hour he reached a doorway. Pushing the doors open he was greeted with a battering ram swinging from its hooks on the ceiling, and almost knocking him away. He turned his body at the last moment and narrowly dodged the accelerated log.
Hmmph, going to need more than that to kill me.he thought while continuing through the door and into a corridor "of course to top off the attempt to rid me of my life, I also get to fight undead grunts, in a weakened state."
What he was talking about was a figure whose skin was so tightly wrapped around its bones that it seemed impossible to him that it was even capable of movement. But if the rusted armor and sword where an indicator, it was more than capable of movement. And that is when it turned its gaunt head toward Dread. The first thing dread noticed was that it had no eyes, or at least in the normal sense, but it had orbs of blue fire burning in its empty sockets, its teeth bared in a face of pure pain.
Its bones creaked as it turned and lunged at Dread. He barely had time to stop the blade before it impacted his head, Dread viciously kicked the undead monstrosity away to give him time to orient himself and prepare for another attack. The thing barely flinched as it fell away, only to right itself and begin another attack. Dread knocked the blade away with his gauntlet causing the monster to stumble, right into his waiting sword, impaling it all the way to the hilt. But the undead being didn't even seem phased by the blow and moved to slash at Dread only to have the sword in its solar plexus move viciously up through its ribcage and out its neck. The creature collapsed and its eyes faded.
Hopefully that is a sign that the damn thing is dead, Dread thought.
He moved away from the remains of the dead being and continued up a rotten staircase. Dread couldn't help but think that whoever did this was going to pay dearly. After another hour and two more skirmishes with the undead beings he came to a metal doorway that angled up he pushed the doors open to a scene that was so dazzling that he had to close his eyes shut. He felt the warmth of the sun beat down on his skin.
Damn, its really bright out, Dread thought I feel like there is snow all around me, I must be somewhere near Bruma.
As the burning light continued to recede he was finally able to crack open his eyes. What he could tell was that he was in a circular chamber that had stairs spiraling up out of the cave. He started to climb the stairs in hopes that he was finally out of the forsaken crypt. His hopes payed off as he finally stumbled out of the bowl shaped opening in the ground. Snow lay packed on the ground everywhere he looked.
Most definitely near Bruma, Dread thought.
He walked away from the crypt in the hopes of running into some road, or city. Dread traveled several miles before he caught up with a group of people, all of whom were ragged looking.
"Stop right there Dark Elf" a man dressed in armor with a blue cloak over it spoke, his face was covered by a helmet that blocked everything from view except his eyes.
"I don't mean any harm, I just want to know where I am."
Dread looked at the group of people again, they looked like refugees.
"You are at the border of Skyrim" the man said.
What the hell am I doing here, Dread thought.
Then it happened, a massive force of men charged out of the trees. They threw nets, entangling some of the refugees. More pored out of the forest and charged the group. The man Dread had been talking to ripped his sword from its sheath and began to fight the enemy, Dread had been about to do the same when a massive blow was delivered to the back of his head. He fell to his knees the world going dark, he slumped over and lost conscious.
End of Prologue
Dread awoke to the bumbling and jolting of a wagon. His armor and weapon were gone, leaving him in a simple shirt and trousers.
Damn, it is cold, he thought to himself.
"Hey you, you're finally awake. You were trying to cross the border right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush same as us." The speaker, a blond man with a strong presence and the same armor of the man before, was bound and sitting along with Dread in the wagon "Look at that thief over there." he continued
Did he say Imperial ambush? Are these people the Imperial legion? If so they look different than the last time I saw them, Dread contemplated the new armor the soldiers had. How long have I been asleep?
The thief, this man was talking about, looked over.
"Damn you Stormcloaks, Skyrim was fine until you came along, the Empire was nice and lazy." the man speaking was a average man with dark brown hair that went down passed his ears, "if they hadn't been looking for you, I would have stolen that horse and been halfway to hammerfell."
Who in the Divines' name are the Stormcloaks?
He turned his gaze away from the man and looked at Dread before continuing "you there, you and me shouldn't be here its the Stormcloaks the Empire wants."
The Blond man cut in saying "We're all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief."
"Shut up back there." came a shout from the driver of the the wagon.
"What's wrong with him?" the thief asked, indicating a bound and gagged man.
"Watch your tongue, you're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King!" the blond man shouted.
"Ulfric, the Jarl of Windhelm?" the thief seemed to cringe away from the man who was bound and gagged, as said man glared at him. "You're the leader of the rebellion, if they've captured you... oh gods where are they taking us?" the thief croaked out.
"I don't know where we are going, but Sovangarde awaits" the blond man's somberly replied.
"This isn't happening, it can't be happening" came the panicked exclamation of the thief.
The blond man asked, in sincerity "Hey,what village are you from horse thief?"
"Why do you care?" the thief replied.
"A Nord's last thoughts should be of home."
"Rorikstead, I'm... I'm from Rorikstead."
"General Tullius, sir, the headsman is waiting." the voice came from one of the soldiers
General Tullius? Who is that? I have never even heard of this man.
A reply came from the man named Tullius. The horse thief was starting to panic, pleading for the Divines to help him. The Wagon entered a village, with faded and worn down stone walls. It passed the gate and continued down the main road.
"This is Helgen, I use to be sweet on a girl from here. I wonder if she is still making that mead with Juniper berries." the blond man was lost in his memories. When I used to be a boy Imperial walls use to make me feel so safe."
The wagon rounded a corner and the street opened up into a giant plaza, filled with soldiers and a single wooden block. The Executioner's block.
The thief who had remained quiet for a long while spoke up " Why are we stopping"
"Why do you think, end of the line" came the reply of the blond man. "let's go, shouldn't keep the gods waiting for us."
Well if these people are truly the Imperial Legion then I should be able to get out of this mess.
"Step towards the block when we call your name" came the commanding voice of a woman.
A young man started listing off names, Ulfric Stormcloak being the first one. When the young man said the name of the horse thief, the thief panicked and started to plead with the soldiers that they had the wrong man. When the thief figured out that his pleas were falling on deaf ears he ran.
"Halt, archers!" the female soldier screamed for the archers, which must have been a signal for they let loose a volley of arrows onto the poor thief, killing the man instantly. "Anyone else feel like running?" Her voice almost seemed to be daring all of the prisoners to try and escape.
The young man looked at Dread, and his face became surprised.
Finally someone who recognizes me.
"Wait, you there. Who are you?" the young man asked.
Dread became crestfallen, So he doesn't know who I am.
"I am Dread Ilithen, Champion of Cyrodiil, Hero of Kvatch, and Champion of the Imperial Arena!" Dread proclaimed.
The young man seemed taken aback. But as the words left Dread's mouth the man named Tullius stepped up.
"Well Dread Ilithen, by all accounts and stories left behind, the last Champion of Cyrodiil and Hero of Kvatch died around 200 years ago, you don't look near that old, and the Current Champion of the Imperial Arena is Gorog Bol'Vagr."
...200 years ago... what happened... this can't be right, I couldn't have been asleep for 200 years... could I?
"No, I am the Champion of Cyrodiil, I had the Imperial armor proclaiming me to be what I say!" Dread shouted
"Lies you never had the armor! Put this man with the others!" Tullius commanded.
Dread was lead to the group of prisoners standing by the executioner's block.
Tullius began talking to the man named Ulfric, who was still gagged and bound, " Ulfric Stormcloak, some here in Helgen call you a hero, but hero's don't use the power of the voice to murder his king and usurp his throne." Tullius continued to insult and talk down to Ulfric.
A distant sound of a roar was heard by Dread, though it didn't seem like anyone else had heard. At least until a soldier asked what the sound had been.
"It's nothing, carry on." Tullius commanded.
"Yes, General Tullius, give them their last rites!" the female soldier commanded a priestess.
The priestess complied and began praying for the poor fools who were about to be executed. Dread wasn't panicking like most of the others, he was planning on a way to get out of the predicament alive. His ears pricked up when he heard the priestess say something about the eight Divines...
That can't be right, there are nine. Who got this priestess, she doesn't even know how many Divines there are.
"For the love of Talos, shut up and let's get this over with!" an impatient man stepped forward to the block.
"As you wish" the priestess sighed.
"Come on I haven't got all morning!" the doomed man yelled as he was lowered down to the block, "my ancestors are smiling at me, Imperials, can you say the same"
As the last of the words left the man's mouth the executioner's ax descended, cleaving the Nord's head from his body. An outburst of cries came forth, some crying against the execution, others for justice.
"As fearless in death, as he was in life." someone to Dread's side sighed.
"Next the Dark Elf." one of the soldiers commanded
An animalistic roar could be heard again, this time closer and louder. The soldiers ignored it and began to lead Dread to the block, as he was lowered down he began running his plan one final time through his mind, at least until he saw a giant creature fly off of the mountain and disappear behind a tower. The Executioner started to raise his ax, and was beginning to cleave downwards towards Dread. As the ax descended Dread felt his reflexes speed up, he moved his head out of the way and then tackled the executioner to the ground. As soon as he made contact with the stone he rolled slicing his bindings on the falling ax and then grabbing it all in the same motion. Everyone was stunned, but their eyes weren't on Dread, they were above him, up towards the top of the tower.
Dread turned around slowly and when he did he froze for a moment, caught completely off guard by the giant red-eyed, black dragon that was clinging to the tower. It sent out a shockwave from its mouth the wave knocked over everyone, including Dread who narrowly avoided braining himself on his newly acquired ax. He quickly stood to the sight of balls of fire falling down and destroying the village. He was being yelled at by the blond stormcloak from earlier, telling him they needed to escape while they could. Both men sprinted to a tower that stood away from the dragon and its rampage. As they reached the tower both men spilled in and collapsed on the floor, only to stand a few moments later.
I guess the only way to go is up
Dread started ascending the stairs that spiraled up the tower in hopes of at least seeing what was going on. As he ascended he heard the continued destruction of the village Helgen.
"This way, we need to keep moving" a Stormcloak soldier yelled.
Dread had just reached the second floor of the tower when the yelling man was sent to the ground by a blast that blew a giant hole in the walls. He had been trying to regain his footing when the enormous black dragon inhaled and then let loose a heated blast, cooking the man alive. After the kill, the dragon took flight and resumed his destructive wrath on the village and the few remaining survivors.
Dread peered out of the hole to a completely different village. Many of the other towers were now caved in and destroyed, the keep had sustained near crippling damage, and there were so many bodies laying in the road, all had been burned to a crisp. Dread looked for a way to get down from the tower, he needed to leave. He saw the inn that had been standing a few moments ago now near collapsing, but this was his only hope. He backed up on the platform he stood on, took a running start, and jumped. Just as he left the tower, he lost his grip on his ax, dropping it. He landed with a grunt and continued to run through the hollowed out building in hopes of finding a way out before the structure collapsed in on him. A giant gap in the second story of the inn made a promising escape route. He jumped into the gap and was met with a wall, he pushed himself off of it and began running to a collapsed part of the same wall. He was within five feet of the opening when he heard the building begin to collapse around him, its wooden supports cracking and breaking. He dove through the opening in just enough time for the building to cave in on itself, sealing the way he had just come from.
Dread stood dusting himself off, when he heard the voice of the young man from earlier. He looked up to see the man helping people up and getting them as far away from harm as he could.
"Dark Elf! We need to get out of here!" he yelled.
Dread sprinted over to the man, when he closed in the dragon passed overhead and unleashed its inferno on a group of guards not 20 yards away. The young man tackled Dread to the ground causing the next blast of fire to miss them.
"Get up we need to move!" the young man pulled Dread onto his feet "follow me to the keep, hurry!"
He sprinted away through the wreckage that had once been a village dodging running people and falling debris. They entered an alleyway, and ran on until debris fell and blocked their path causing them to turn down another alleyway and into a burned down house, its structures collapsed and burning.
"Let's go through here, we can get to the main road from here" the young man yelled.
Dread and the man ran out into the main road to be met up with Imperial spellcasters throwing elemental spells at the dragon in hopes of wounding it. The spells, though powerful, only seemed to anger the dragon further.
"Here it comes!" screamed one of the soldiers, right before the poor soul was grabbed in the dragon's powerful jaws and killed.
The dragon dropped the body as it flew away causing it to come crashing back to the ground. Dread and his companion ran down the main road desperately trying to enter the keep in hopes of safe haven from the disaster occurring.
After a short time they came to an entrance into the barracks that was attached to the keep itself. They ran through, looked back, and closed the door to the destruction that was still ongoing outside. As the door swung closed the young man barred it, closing out the light seeping through the door it made the room darker, if not for the few torches here and there the place would have been pitch black.
"Well scrounge around see if you can find a weapon, and maybe something more durable," the young man said "oh and the name is Hadvar."
Dread looked around the barracks and found several chests and weapon holders laying around the room. He walked to the racks but became somewhat saddened for there were no shields, instead opting for two swords. He donned a set of Imperial armor. The leather armor was lightweight but was also durable, even if it didn't have pants. Jamming on the pair of boots he found, Dread stood ready to move on from their current location.
"Well Hadvar, shall we continue?" Dread asked.
"Yes, let's continue," Hadvar seemed to be pondering something "Was that an actual dragon?"
"I would believe so, Hadvar" came Dread's calm reply.
Hadvar seemed somewhat disturbed by this fact but moved to a portcullis and reached over to a chain with a circular hand hold. He grabbed it and pulled down, activating the mechanisms in the door and making it lower into the floor. Dread and Hadvar walked down a hallway to find an identical door to the one that had just passed through. Again Hadvar grasped the pull switch and opened the door. Two stormcloak soldiers rushed Dread and Hadvar, weapons raised and ready to kill. Dread charged the two, spinning his swords in a show of amazing swordsmanship, before knocking the blade of the first one aside and stabbing his other sword into the defenseless man. Unable to remove his blade Dread opted for just taking the sword of the fallen enemy and ramming it through the other man's jaw just as the man was raising his sword to attack Dread. Dread stood from his crouched position and let the two men slump over, he retrieved his blade from the first man's body wiping the blood from the two swords.
"I've never seen someone kill so easily, or so quickly" Hadvar muttered.
"Well when you've lived as long as me, and have been through what I have, you learn many things that will keep you alive." Dread replied.
Hadvar opened a door that led down into the dungeons of the keep.
"Let's go, there is an escape route through here" Hadvar said
Both men continued down the stairs and were walking down a stone hallway as a tremor caused them to stop. The tremor was shaking so bad that it made some of the ceiling collapse down blocking their way.
"Through here" this room should have another doorway that leads out behind that debris" Hadvar explained.
They entered a room in time to see two more stormcloaks looting the barrels and chest. Dread rushed the two unsuspecting soldiers and ran his swords through their backs, effectively ending both their lives and the fight before it even started. Hadvar didn't even bat an eye at the display, instead, he began looking through the things the stormcloaks had.
"Aha!" Hadvar cheered.
Hadvar tossed a red bottle to Dread.
"Potion for health" Hadvar explained "you drink it and the magicka in it will heal your body of wounds."
Dread thought, Right, I wasn't born yesterday.
"This will definitely come in handy, thank you Hadvar" Dread walked over clasping the man's shoulder. Both men walked through the room and exited out the door that Hadvar had talked about.
Hadvar led the way through the darkly lit hallways and down some stairs.
"The torture rooms" he muttered "Wish we didn't need them."
The sounds of battle could be heard, and Dread readied himself for the fight to come. As they hit the bottom of the stairs they could see three Stormcloak soldiers attacking an older man wearing Imperial armor and a younger man who was likewise dressed. Dread was almost upon the three combatants when a streak of lightning killed the soldiers.
"Good thing I know some magicka," the old man stated "because I don't think these men were too happy about the way I've been treating their comrades."
"Do you even know what's going on?" Hadvar asked "A dragon is attacking Helg-."
"A dragon? Please, don't make up nonsense." the old man said "Although come to think of it, I did hear some odd noises from over there." The old man indicated a hallway leading away from their current position.
Really? I would never have guessed, considering there is a blasted dragon at your doorstep. Dread thought.
"Come with us, we need to get out of here!" Hadvar said.
"You have no authority over me boy!" the old man said in a menacing voice.
"Didn't you hear me?" Hadvar asked "The keep is under attack, wait a second what's in those cages?"
Hadvar indicated an iron cage, which housed a corpse of a man.
"Don't bother with that, lost the keys ages ago, poor fellow screamed for weeks" the old man sighed, lost in his memories.
"See if you can get this open with some picks, I have no luck in such things." Hadvar commanded, handing Dread some picklocks and an anchor.
"Let's see what we got." Dread murmured. This lock is a very poor one, I could do this in my sleep with one hand.
Dread fiddled with the lock for a moment, unlocking it and removing the padlock from the door of the cage. He walked in and saw that the corpse was a Stormcloak man who must have been a magician of some sorts if the robes he wore were any indication.
Shouldn't expect too much, this man was imprisoned after all. Dread thought.
Dread searched the man, trying to find something that they could use. All he found were some gold coins.
Imagine that, he snuck some gold into this hellhole, I wonder if he were bribing some of the guards. Dread pondered the dead man for a second more before standing and walking out of the cage.
Hadvar and Dread moved towards the previously indicated hallway, and were about to walk down it when the younger man spoke up.
"Hey, I'm coming with you, if you are right then I don't want to die down here with the old man"
The three men continued down the hall, leaving the old man to fend for himself. Passing torture devices of every kind, and cages who still housed the decaying remains of the tortured.
Such a cheery sight,thought Dread.
The group came to a giant hole in the wall.
Must be trying to add more room to the keep's dungeon. Dread contemplated.
They walked through the hole and into the cave beyond. It became apparent that the cave was man made as the walls showed signs of digging, and there were torches lit and put into the walls. They continued to follow the trail of torches till they reached a corridor that showed signs of Imperial architecture. It also housed a group of Stormcloak soldiers, two of which had bows.
I would be jumping in joy at having found a bow, if only they weren't being used to kill me! Dread raged at fact.
"Imperials!" one yelled.
Dread didn't wait for his group to charge, as he was already sprinting towards the bowman. He weaved and dodged the arrows, always leaving just enough room to dodge but not enough to hinder his running. After a few more strides he was finally close enough to the archers that they started to panic, but he didn't stop to attack just yet, instead he weaved his way in between them, and in their panicked state they didn't notice that they were aiming at each other. Dread dodged the two projectiles causing the two Stormcloaks to kill one another. As the men slumped over, Dread ran to the closest one, gathering up the bow and removing the man's quiver, which so happened to be packed full of arrows.
Dread equipped the quiver to his back, leaning it so it was slanted behind his right shoulder. Dread aimed his bow at a soldier who was sneaking behind Hadvar and the new man, and let loose the arrow. The arrow streaked through the air and pierced the enemy soldier's throat. The man's face showed utter surprise, as if dying was the last thing on his mind.
Well no shit I guess it was, Dread thought.
Dread continued to let loose arrow after arrow, every single one finding its mark, whether it be in the throat, eye, or in the gaps of the armor. As the Stormcloaks started to realize that Dread was the real threat it had already been too late. For there were far too few, and to top it off they weren't in a position to attack Dread.
Dread dropped two more Stormcloaks, rising the body count to eight. But even with those dead the last three were starting to learn from their fallen brethren because they started to move themselves to where Hadvar and the other Imperial man were in the way. Dread was lining up another shot at one soldier, whose head was sticking out farther than he thought, when another group of Stormcloaks rushed out of a tunnel at the same end he was at. Pausing only to align the shots Dread killed four soldiers before they could cross the 20 foot gap between them and Dread. The last three were too close for him to use the bow so he grabbed out his swords and went on the attack. Weaving through the three soldier, Dread slashed out cutting one's throat before dodging a horizontal slice from another one. Dread deflected a thrust spinning along his opponent's blade before wrapping his arm around the man's neck. He spun again removing his arm from the man's neck only to replace it with his own blade, effectively slicing the man's throat.
The man fell to the ground gripping his throat, making wheezing noises. Dread didn't even slow to congratulate himself, as he was already charging the other man. Dread saw the fear in the man's eyes as Dread slipped through the man's defence, sliding his sword into the man's ribcage.
"Sleep well" Dread whispered, before ripping the blade sideways, and letting the man fall to the ground.
Dread looked over to see how Hadvar and the Imperial were fairing in enough time to see Hadvar get thrown away and the other man impaled on a sword. Dread gathered his fallen bow and sent a barrage of arrows at the enemy. One such arrow hit a man in his throat, another pierced an eye, and the final arrow hit the final man through the armpit and into his heart, just as the man was about to slash at the fallen Hadvar.
Hadvar stood up, and with a thankful nod headed towards the tunnel the Stormcloaks had left from. As the two survivors entered the tunnel they were met with a cave, this one definitely not man-made. They continued down the darkened tunnel till they came to a slant in the floor leading down, but that isn't what made them pause, it was the sight of the cobwebs. Not just any cobwebs, these one's were thick and were everywhere.
What was the Legion doing with these caves? Dread thought.
The men continued through the webs into an open corridor, that housed eggs, and giant spiders. They were a dark red color, along with yellow on its head, their eyes seemed to burn with hatred, and their legs held spikes the size of Dreads hand. Dread pulled out his bow and began unleashing arrows onto the giant arachnids. One arrow lodged itself into a spider's mouth, going down its throat and killing it. Another met with an end from an arrow piercing its eye and traveling to the feathers of the shaft. Hadvar charged the remaining spiders hacking and slicing at legs and bodies.
The battle ended with the two men the victors. Battered and tired both men stumbled through a connecting tunnel in hopes of finally being able to leave the cave. As they walked they heard the sounds of water bouncing off the walls, and as they rounded a corner they caught sight of a small river running through the middle of another corridor. Both men collapsed near the river, too drained to continue any further.
"Don't suppose we should drink this, should we?" Hadvar asked.
"I don't really care right now, I feel like I have cotton in my mouth." Dread replied.
Both men drank deeply from the river, and then crawled to a ledge that would give them cover as they took a small break before continuing. They rested for a short amount of time before Dread stood up, wishing to continue and leave the cave. Hadvar slowly climbed to his feet and led the way to their exit.
"Shhhh, there's a bear right there." Hadvar whispered.
mmmm, yes wouldn't want to get mauled by a damn bear now would we, Dread thought.
Dread crouched trying to keep himself as quiet as possible in an attempt to bypass the bear without a fight. They slowly snuck their way around and after rounding a turn stood straight.
"Thank the Divines," Hadvar whispered "I don't know if I would of had enough energy to even put up a fight against that thing."
Thank the Divines indeed, thought Dread.
The two men walked in silence until they saw a light coming from around a corner. Both men, with as much energy that remained, ran for the exit. As they shambled through the cave entrance they both froze. For outside the cave, circling in the sky, was the dragon.
End of Chapter 1