Chapter I
Helgen
All names referencing in the world of Skyrim is strictly property of Bethesda Studios, and is being used here for entertainment purposes only.
Author note: Words in italics are flashbacks
"Die, Rebel Scum!" A voice shouted. I looked around, and seeing no one continued on down the cobblestone road. So this is Skyrim huh, I thought to myself. I had heard much about this land when I was a young lad, but seeing her in person. It took my breath away. The trees smelled of pine and oak. The ground was covered in a thin layer of frost that I crushed under foot with each step. I stopped took a deep breath in and exhaled. I felt like I was home. The song of hoof beats played on the road. Pulling me from my dream. As imperial cavalry approached I dived out of the way, and to my relief they kept riding. I got up, and walked on. " What is going on here?" I said to the trees. If they heard me they didn't show it. I continued my walk. The sound of rustling bushes stopped me in my tracks, an arrow flew past my face; I ran and ran and ran. I stopped next to a tree to catch my breath. "What the hell was that?" I asked. I breathed in another gulp of air. Something hit me square in the back. Falling down hard I felt the cold Skyrim air surround and engulf me. So this is what it feels like to die. I wondered, before my eyes closed for my final breath I saw a figure stand above me.
"Rebel filth!" it said, before a boot kicked me into Sovngarde.
My head was aching. Slowly opening my eyes I looked, and saw that my hands had been bound together. I shifted my gaze up, and heard a voice speak to me, but through the haze I couldn't place it. I looked to my left, and saw a man with yellowish hair, dirt covered face stare at me. He was saying something about crossing the border. A jolt from the ride knocked me back into my senses.
"…the empire was nice and lazy, if they hadn't been looking for you I could have stolen that horse, and been haft way to Hammerfell."
I glanced to my right, and peered at two other occupants in the wagon. One had an air of authority about him. He was dressed in very fine clothes, but for reasons unknown his mouth was wrapped in cloth prohibiting him from speaking. I spied the other who was dressed in a roughspun tunic same as myself. He looked at me with a kind of fear in his eyes.
"You and me, we shouldn't be here. It's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants." He said to me. Before I could respond a soldier driving the wagon told us to shut up.
"What's wrong with him, huh?" The horse thief asked.
"Watch your tongue." The yellow haired man told the thief. "You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King."
The horse thief's eyes filled with dread, and I saw him shudder. "Ulfric? The Jarl of Windhelm? You're the leader of the rebellion, But if they've captured you... Oh gods, where are they taking us?"
The yellow haired man answered in all to certain terms that Sovngarde awaited us. I just sat still, and let what had transpired finally sink in. Here I was in a land that was now going to become my grave. I felt the wagon slow, and saw we had arrived at our destination. The yellow haired man was saying something about a military governor, but I paid him no mind, as I thought of home, and all I will leave behind. The wagon stopped. The end had come. My group exited. I stood there behind Ulfric. Waiting for my turn at the block. I noticed that this was a military garrison as well as a town which I found odd, because only cities had a large number of troops. Guess I'll never know.
"Step towards the block when we call your name. One at a time." An Imperial Captain shouted.
The last one off the wagon made a comment about the Empire loving their damn list. I stood there as names were called out. First Ulfric then Ralof; the one who spoke to me on the ride here. Lokir of Rorikstead was the last name called. He stepped forward protesting he was not a rebel, and that they can't do this. Something must have snapped in him, because, to my surprise, he made a run for it, but was swiftly cut down by an imperial archer. I felt no sympathy for him. The imperial calling the names looked a me with some surprise.
"You there. Step forward." He told me. I did as he asked, not wanting to be shot dead like Lokir. He looked at me again. "Who are you?" He asked. Then looking at his list he asked the imperial captain what he should do, because I was not on it.
"Forget the list he goes to the block." She told him with much impatiens. My mind leapt back home to my family. I walked to the middle of a group of fellow prisoners. A man who looked to be the military governor Ralof was talking about spoke to a gaged Ulfric who only could make a low growl sound as he was accused of murdering a king, and trying to steal his throne. A sound split the peace of the morning, causing everyone to look up. I saw nothing that identified the source, so I thought little of it.
"What was that?" Somebody asked.
"It's nothing, carry on." The man ordered.
"Yes, General Tullius!" The Imperial Captain said.
Our last rights were given by a priestess of one of the eight divines. Which one I didn't care, before she could finish a red haired Nord stepped toward the block, and become its first victim. The captain looked at me, and pointed.
"Next, the Nord in the rags." She shouted.
A sound like thunder disturbed the silence of the execution. I peered skyward, and again saw nothing, but clouds and birds. The people around me also heard it to as they looked up.
"There it is again." Someone to my right said. Again, I wonder what it could be. At the direction of the imperial who read the names. I made my way to the block. I went down on my knees, and was swiftly pushed on to the slab. Head resting in the haft bowl of the stone. The executioner raised his axe, but before he could deliver my death blow a roar for the third time broke the silence.
"What in Oblivion is that!?" A man shouted.
"Dragon!" A woman shouted.
The beast landed on the tower opposite of me, and let out a sound that made the sky rain with hell fire. A rock crashed next to me. Quickly standing up in a daze I heard a voice call out to me. I turned to see Ralof telling me to follow him. Still in a daze I did, and into a tower we ran. The door was shut. The sound of giant wings, and cries of death was all that assaulted my ears.
"Jarl Ulfric! What is that thing? Could the legends be true?" Ralof asked the other living inhabitant of our little shelter. I noticed that Ulfric was unbound, and had removed his cloth gag. He looked at Ralof, and then to me.
"Legends don't burn down villages." He said.
I heard the sound of passing wings, and felt the tower shake. I looked around for a way to escape. I made it to the base of the stairs when the tower shuck violently; throwing me off balance. Ulfric yelled something, but it was difficult to hear what it was. Moving up the stairs with my hands tied in front of me was proven near impossible. Each movement of the stone structure put me on my knees. I had to brace against the wall just to stand, and make my way up. Making it to the first landing. I saw, to my horror, the way was blocked by pieces of the tower. I stepped on to the second landing, but before I could do anything the wall to my right exploded inwards knocking me against the other wall. I looked up. Staring into the eyes of a beast from children's nightmares froze me to the spot. The creature opened its mouth, and without thinking I dived down to the first landing. Fire spewed from its jaws burning the wall where I had recently stood. The tower shook as the creature flew off. I stood there when I felt a hand push me up the stairs. I looked, and to my relief it was Ralof. He pointed to a collapsed roof just opposite our perch.
"See the inn on the other side? Jump through the roof and keep going! Go! We'll follow when we can!" He told me.
I wanted to argue that was a fools gamble, but feeling the tower shake as the dragon passed made me jump anyway. I landed and rolled forward. Getting to my feet I noticed this was only the second floor. Seeing a hole in the wood I jumped through. I got to my feet again, and ran through a missing portion of the wall. The scene that befell my eyes was one of chaos. Boulders crashed around me turning anything they touched into a burned hulk. Imperial soldiers fought to kill the beast, but I quickly noticed it was all in vain. Another imperial soldier was crouched near the wreck of someone's home. He was yelling at a child that was standing in the middle of the street looking at something on the ground. The boy ran towards the imperial just as the dragon landed, and destroyed what ever the kid was looking at. The soldier spotted me. I froze in place not knowing if I should run or fight.
"Still alive, prisoner? Keep close to me if you want to stay that way." The Imperial ran into the alley right next to where the dragon had been moments ago. I followed closely behind. A large shadow passed overhead, and in an instant the dragon was on top of us. I heard a scream, and smelled burning flesh then the dragon was airborne again. Rocks exploded around us as we ran through another destroyed house. We ran, and dodged more boulders. Coming to a clearing next to the towns keep Ralof ran out in front of us.
"Ralof! You damned traitor. Out of my way!" The imperial shouted at him.
"We're escaping, Hadvar. You're not stopping us this time." Ralof retorted.
"Fine. I hope that dragon takes you all to Sovngarde." Hadvar said.
"You!" Ralof looked at me. "Come on, into the keep!"
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