Tolgan had never had a more restless sleep in his life for he dreampt of days of old back as a boy. Terror had gripped his heart, he was unable to move or scream . He watched helplessly as bandits slaughtered his parents right before his eyes. His mother fell infront of him, she was muttering something to him but he was unable to hear. The bandit leader delivered the final blow, jamming his sword into the back of Tolgans mothers neck.
The bandits began to make their way towards the four year old. They slowly crept up on him until they heard a blood curdling scream from their commrad behind them. A large orc in steel armor had jammed his greatsword into the bandits back. In a fit of rage one of the other bandits charged at him, but the orc was quick to react. He swiflty stepped to the left, causing the bandit to miss and before he could recover from his failed attack, the orc grabbed his orcish dagger and stabbed the bandit in the stomach three times.
At the sight of seeing his fellow bandits so easily taken down by one man the bandit leader fled. He managed only a few feet before he felt an intense heat sear threw his leather armor and knock him to the ground. The bandit could smell the foul stench of burnt flesh as his back singed and blistered from the orcs firebolt. With the four year old in one of his arms sucking his thumb the orc ordered Tolgan to look away. He burried his face in the orcs shoulder and the orc finished the bandit off with a final fire bolt to his head.
His dream shifted to when Tolgan was a teenager training under the instruction of the orc who had saved his life. Borack never went easy on him, always pushing Tolgan beyond his limits. "C,mon boy I want you to hit me! Now get back up."
"But master," Tolgan said breathing hard. "How can I hit you when you evade every attack or over power me?"
Borack laughed, "Haven't you learned anything since your time with me? One must not only be good with a sword but must also know how to out smart his opponent. Now I say again, get back up and strike me."
Tolgan awoke to the sound of horse carriages. he couldnt remember where he was or what happened to him. His eyes hurt upon opening them. He felt his hands were painfully bound together and saw a blonde nordish man sitting across from him. "Hey you. You're finally awake." He stared at the unknown man in mild confusion. "What happened?"
"You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked right into that imperial ambush. Same as us and that thief over there."
Tolgan looked to his right and sw to other prisoners. One was a skinny dark haired man dressed in rags. The was dressed in fine cloths with a cloth tied over his mouth. Tolgan felt something strangely familiar about this man but couldn't quiet put his finger on it.
"Damn you stormcloaks. Skyrim was fine until you came along. The Empire was nice and lazy. If they hadn't been looking for you, I could've stolen that horse and be halfway to Hammerfell."
"We're all brothers and sisters and binds now, theif," Annoyed with their banter, the guard guiding the cart yelled shut up back there. "And what's wrong with him, huh?" The horse thief said to the familiar man with the rag covering his mouth.
"Watch your tongue! Your speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true high king." Tolgan felt like he had been hit with a 10 pound bag of bricks. It was no wonder why the man sitting to his left was so familiar to him. He was well aware of who Ulfric Stormcloak was as did most people in Skyrim but Tolgan knew more about him then most because of his passion in politics. He found it rather funny that after all he's heard about Ulfric Stormcloak that he would later be captured and no doubt on his way towards execution.
A look fo shock drapped over the horse thiefs face. "Ulfric Stormcloak? The Jarl of Windhelm. You're the leader of the rebellion. But if they captured you..." Worry and fear became appearent in the theifs voice. "Oh gods, where are they taking us?"
"I don't know where we're going, but Sovngarde awaits."
"No this can;t be happening." Tolgan only flet pitty for the man. He understood what it was once like to fear death but he eventually accepted that death finds everybody sometime or another.
The blonde Nord looked at the horse theif and asked what village he was from. "Why do you care." He responded, keeping his head down. " A Nords last thoughts should be of home." The theif looked at the Nord and said he was from Rorikstead. Tolgan had once been there. It was a small farming villiage. Tolgan was pulling a job for the theives guild and he spent the night there. He remembered how polite the people were and how peaceful it was. They didn't even have a balcksmith, he guessed they figured it, uneccasary. Once he thought to himself that if there was never a time he needed to use his sword ever again then that was where he would settle. But never hoped to much because he figured that day would never come.
They began to go through a city gate. Tolgan heard chatter between a man named General Tallius and members of the Aldmeri Dominion but couldnt make out anything that wads being said. The horse theif silently praid to the divines, asking them for help. Again Tolgan only felt pitty for him.
"This is Helgen. I used to be sweet on a girl from here. I wander if Vilad is still making that mead with juniper berries mixed in."
What the Nord infront of him said made Tolgan think of his loved one. A dark haired Altmer woman he met during his time with the theives guild. He was in the bar that stood underneath the city of Riften called the Ragged Flaggon waiting for a member of the recent Dark Brotherhood. He was sitting at drinking a bottle of Black-Briar mead when he felt a delicate hande touch his shoulder. He turned to see a tall, toned and beautiful high elven immediately noticed her blood red eyes and realized that she was a vampire, which he thought was odd for a High Elf, but then again, no one in the Dark Brotherhood was normal, her eyes however did nothing to cloud her unrelenting beauty.
"Are you Tolgan, a.k.a Tapeworm as you're known to the theives guild"
Tolgan stood up from the stool he was sitting in and shook her hand. "That I am and you must be Sion, a.k.a the Dark Brotherhoods newest member. I've quite alot about you."
"Is that so." She said flattered.
"Yes but they never said just how lovely you are."
With a smile she thanked him. "Listen after you're finished with whatever business you have maybe I can buy you a drink."
"Sounds fun. But only after my business is done." She repeated him.
Sion now resided in the thieves guild as their leader since the Dark Brotherhood was destroyed by a horrible case of betrayel and since Tolgan decided he wanted to leave and help others instead of climbing through windows or picking peoples pockets. It wan't something she wanted to do but she understood his reason for wanting to leave after the incodent with the thieves guilds previous leader, Mercer Frey. Tolgan began to feel regret as he felt that he would never see Sion again. He began to feel the want of needing her warm embrace that always made him feel safe and forget about how cruel and dark the world was.
The cart came to a sudden halt. "Alright everyone out!" A strong authoritative voice shouted. The four got up and slowly exited the cart. "Step towards the block as we call your name."
"Damn imperials love their damn lists." The blonde nord exclaimed.
A yound imperial soldier name Hadvar opened a piece of parchment and read off the names listed. Ulfric Stormcloaks was first, then it was Rolaf, then Lakir. As Lakir walked up, he began to panick. "No I'm not a rebel you can;t do this." Two Imperials grabbed him after his protest and attempted to walk him towards the block. Lakir shook lose and began to run. "You're not going to kill me!"
"Archers"
Two archers aimed and fired striking Lakir in the back and shoulder. He fell to the ground and mometarily twitched until his body was lifeless. "You there step forward." Tolgan did as directed. "Who are you?" Tolgan would have never given his real name unless it was someone he trusted but he figured it didn't matter. "My nake is Tolgan. I"m a Nord of Skyrim."
Hadvar couldnt see his name anywhere on the list. "Captain, what should we do he's not on the list?
Forget the list he goes to the block."
By your orders, Captain. I'm sorry kinsmen, at least you'll die here in your homeland." Tolgan sinced real sincerarity come from Hadvar and gave him a brief smile. "It's okay I understand your just doing your duty."
Tolgan walked next to Ulfric and waited. General Tallius walked up to Ulfric and the two gave eachother intense glares. Tallius gave Ulfric a hard puch to the stomach,A grown had escpaed from Ulfric and he fell to one knee. "Ulfric Stormcloak some here in Skyrim call you a hero, but a hero doesn't use a weapon like his voice to murder his king and usurp his thrown." Ulfric replied with a muffled grunt. A guard attempted to help him up but Ulfric shrugged him away and stood up.
All of a sudden a loud and mysterious roar was heard from behind the mountains. Hadvar had asked what it was and Tallius said that it was nothing and to carry on. Tolgar watched as the first prisoner, a stormcloak soldier, didn't even bother to have his last rights read to him. He bravely walked up to the block."Lets get this over with." The caption placed her hand on his shoulder pushing him to his knees. He positioned his head over the block and with one strong swing from the executioner, decapitated him.
"Next, the Nord in the rags." Yet another loud roar came from the mountains. "There it is again. Did ou hear it."
"I said next prisoner, Hadvar."
"To the block prisoner nice and easy." Tolgan walked up to the block without saying anything. All he could do was think about Sion. He tried to think about all the most memorible moments he shared with her, from the first time they met, to the first time they made love. He positioned his head over the block awaiting his death. In an instant, he saw the silhouette of a large flying creature. "What in Oblivion is that?"
"Sentries what do you see?" The large creature swooped down and landed on the tower facing them. The force of the landing caused the ground to shake making the executioner lose his balance and tumble. "Dragon!" Tolgan laid there seeing the dragon clear as day, it was as big as a mountain and as black as night. For a brief moment the dragon and Tolgan made eye contact and all Tolgan saw in those eyes was death and hate.