Chapter I: Unbound
Kat woke up in a daze, feeling rather groggy. She slowly became aware of her surroundings, realizing her wrists were bound and she was trapped alongside three men in a moving wagon. Their wrists were bound as well, with one man even having his mouth gagged. She tried speaking, but it was incredibly painful to even make a facial expression. She settled for what she could manage.
"Gahhhhh. Whaaaa?" she said, wincing in pain.
"Hey you, you're finally awake. You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush. Same as us and that thief over there," the blonde man in front of Kat said.
"Damn you Stormcloaks… Skyrim was fine until you came along! Empire was nice and lazy. If they hadn't been looking for you, I'd have stolen that horse and been halfway to Hammerfell," the thief said, now looking at her. "You there, you and me, we shouldn't be here. It's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants."
Kat had already surmised that they were all criminals, but something felt off. The prisoners in the other wagons had uniforms similar to the blonde man. She concluded that she and the thief were not members of this "Storm-cloak" group, seeing as they were the only ones without the outfit.
"What's wrong with him, huh?" the thief questioned, looking at the gagged man.
"Watch your tongue! You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King," the blonde man said angrily.
"Ulfric? The Jarl of Windhelm? You're the leader of the rebellion. If they've captured you… Oh gods, where are they taking us?"
"I don't know where we're going, but Sovngarde awaits."
The final piece of the puzzle clicked into place. Every member of the rebellion is going to be executed, even those who apparently seemed suspicious enough.
"No! This can't be happening! This isn't happening!" the thief screamed in panic.
The wagons continued through a large stone entrance, reaching a small village. There were many stone towers alongside wooden buildings with thatched roofs. As Kat's wagon continued through the curves of the village, she could feel the judgmental eyes of both townspeople and soldiers. She lowered her head, trying her best to focus on the conversation.
"Hey, what village are you from, horse-thief?" the blonde man calmly asked.
"Why do you care?"
"A Nord's last thoughts should be of home."
"Rorikstead. I'm from Rorikstead," the thief said, calming down.
Kat took a moment from thinking of an escape plan to try to think of her home. She couldn't remember anything. Friends. Family. A home. Childhood memories. Nothing came to mind. Come to think of it, she couldn't even remember why she wanted to cross a border in the first place. What's going on? Surely I had a life before this, right?
"Shor. Mara. Dibella. Kynareth. Akatosh! Divines, please help me!" the thief cried, anxiety returning after seeing the headsman.
"General Tullius. And it looks like the Thalmor are with him. Damn elves. I bet they had something to do with this," the blonde said in disgust, spitting onto the ground beneath the wagon.
Kat now had a plan: When it was her turn to die, she would narrowly miss the blade by pulling back at the last second. She would run, hopefully being nimble enough to avoid the archers on lookout.
"This…is Helgen. I used to be sweet on a girl from here. Funny, when I was a boy, Imperial walls and towers used to make me feel so safe," the blonde man continued.
The wagon's horse stopped. The small door opened, showing the prisoners to a male and female soldier standing on the ground.
"Get these prisoners out of the cart!" she shouted.
"Why are we stopping?" the thief asked nervously.
"Why do you think? End of the line," the blonde replied, standing up in the cart and jumping to the ground. "Let's go. We shouldn't keep the gods waiting for us."
"Face your death with some courage, thief," he says, just as the thief opens his mouth.
"Step towards the block when we call your name, one at a time!" the woman shouted.
"Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Windhelm," the man says, keeping his eyes on the list.
The gagged man walked to where the headsman's block was. Ralof, the blonde haired man, quickly followed after him as soon as his name was called.
"Lokir of Rorikstead."
"No! I'm not a rebel! You can't do this!" the thief says, running as fast as possible. "You're not going to kill me!"
The woman whistled at the nearby archers, pointing at Lokir. One arrow pierced his back, while another went through his knee. He fell to the ground.
"Anyone else feel like running?" she yelled, looking around.
The other prisoners looked away. Katariah looked to the ground, hiding a smirk. Not yet, bitch.
"Wait. You there," the man said, looking at me. "Step forward. Who are you?"
"I a-am Katariah," she replied, pleased she was making progress in her recovery.
"Another refugee? Gods really have abandoned your people, dark elf," he said, now looking at the woman. "Captain, what should we do? She's not on the list."
"Forget the list. She goes straight to the block."
"By your orders, Captain. I'm sorry. We'll make sure your remains get returned to Morrowind. Follow the others, prisoners," he said, likely writing her name for later.
Kat walked to the group of prisoners facing our captors. She grew a bit uncomfortable seeing the headsman's battleaxe. A dark-skinned man, likely General Tullius, walked in front of the soldiers to face Ulfric.
"Ulfric Stormcloak. Some here in Helgen call you a hero, but a hero doesn't use a power like the Voice to murder his king and usurp the throne. You started this war, flung Skyrim into chaos. And now, the Empire is going to put you down and restore the peace."
Suddenly, there was a faint noise. To Kat, it sounded something like a roar, but not that of a bear or a troll. Both the prisoners and members of the Empire looked around in confusion.
"In any case, carry on then," Tullius continued, returning to his stern look.
"Yes, General Tullius!" the Captain immediately said. "Priestess. Give them their last rites."
"As we commend your souls to Aetherius, blessings of the eight divines upon you-"
"For the love of Talos, shut the fuck up and let's get this over with!" a rebel yelled, walking towards the block. "Come on! I haven't got all morning!"
"As you wish," the hooded priestess calmly said, gesturing for the execution to commence.
The rebel kneeled at the block. The Captain firmly placed her foot on his back, so he couldn't try to escape. It was over in an instant. His head fell neatly into a small basket. The townsfolk cheered at the sight, while some of the remaining rebels gagged. Well shit. So much for my plan to escape. At least I'll die with a hot woman dominating me.
"As fearless in death as he was in life," Ralof said calmly.
"Next, the dark elf!" the woman said, suddenly becoming more attractive.
The roar was heard again, a bit louder this time. Once again, everyone looked around for the source.
"I said. Next. Prisoner," she said, clearly getting more frustrated.
Kat kneeled at the block. She felt the Captain crushing her into the rough stone. As hot as this was, Kat now knew there was no chance of escaping. Before she closed her eyes, she saw a black bird flying across the sky. As it grew closer, she realized it was no bird. The headsman turned around, dropping his axe in pure horror.
"Dragon!"
The humongous creature landed on top of the stone tower behind the soldiers, crumbling the roof with ease. The enormous creature was pure black, with the body of a lizard but the wings of a bat. It stared down with its glowing red eyes, observing the horrified faces. It roared, shaking the very ground itself. People began to scream, fleeing the area. Flaming rocks began falling from the sky, crushing the nearby houses and people.
With the Captain watching the chaos, Kat figured it was time to run. She got up as fast as she could, causing the woman to fall over in surprise. She then jumped on top of the Captain, knocking the wind out of the discombobulated woman. Kat felt a hand grab her shoulder from behind, to which she kicked its owner in the stomach.
"Kid, it's just me!" Ralof said, somehow having his hands untied. "Come on! The guards won't give us another chance! This way!"
He led her to a tower, safe from the flaming chaos. Inside were a few rebels, some lying unconscious. Ulfric knelt before the men, speaking to the one he was holding.
"Jarl Ulfric, what is that thing? Could the legends be true?" Ralof asked.
"Legends don't burn down villages," Ulfric replied, somehow having his gag removed.
Suddenly, the creature's head came crashing through the second floor. It looked around before shooting its powerful flames, filling the building with the fire. Upon being satisfied, it left to continue terrorizing the village. Ralof led Kat to the hole the beast left, looking for something.
"See the inn on the other side? The one with the hole on top?" he asked, pointing to a small building with a destroyed roof. "We have to jump through the roof and keep going!"
He jumped across, landing on the wooden floor of the destroyed inn. He looked up at Kat, who became rather anxious at the possibility of falling. He held out his arms, hoping to reassure her safety. As difficult as it was, Kat managed to make the large jump. She landed, feeling the pain of the fall go from her feet straight up her spine. After regaining her balance, Kat was led to jump down a hole to finally reach the ground level. They ran out of the burning inn and past the buildings throughout the village.
Kat saw many things during her run: a father holding his crying son, an Imperial Soldier rescuing a petite woman from a burning building, a Stormcloak soldier simply staring at the madness before her eyes. Despite all the horror, she focused on her escape out of this hell. No matter how loud her instincts were telling her to stop and help them. Ralof finally reached a tower, with Kat close behind. She collapsed onto the floor, landing on her hands and knees. Ralof approached a dead body lying near a small table. After studying the face, he knelt to slowly close the dead person's eyes.
"We'll meet again in Sovngarde, brother."
"Looks like we're the only ones who made it. That thing was a dragon. No doubt. Just like the children's stories and the legends. The harbingers of the End Times."
"So, that creature. It's called a dragon?" Kat asked, hoping she pronounced it right.
"Yes. Look, we better get moving. Come here. Let me see if I can get those bindings off," he said, approaching Kat.
Using the dagger sitting on the table, he cut the rope. Kat felt relieved, stretching her hands in front of her.
"There you go. You may as well take Gunjar's gear. He won't be needing it any more. Give that axe a few swings, why don't you?" he said.
She looked at the dead rebel. As much as she hated disrespecting the dead, she could really use the protection. A few minutes later, the full set of Stormcloak armor was on. Sure it was rather snug and bloody in some areas, but it was doable. She picked up his axe, taking a few swings with it.
"It's the Imperials, kid! Take cover!" he whispered to Kat.
The sound of people talking came from a hallway behind a locked door. They spoke about the prisoners escaping during the attack. A familiar voice commented she would personally kill the dark elf who almost knocked her out.
"They're likely to come this way. Get ready to attack them," he whispered, pulling out his sword from its sheath.
Sure enough, the voice drew closer and the metal door clicked open. Kat and Ralof immediately rushed the three Imperial soldiers. Before they could even react, Ralof decapitated a soldier. Kat went for the Captain's head, leaving a big slash in her skull. The other soldier looked in horror at his dead allies, then at their killers. He ran. Kat took aim, and threw the axe. The blade went through his back, causing him to fall to the floor. She went to go pick her axe while Ralof wiped the blood off his sword.
"Good throwing there. Say, the door to the other hallway is locked. Maybe one of these bastards has the key?" he asked, sheathing his weapon.
Kat checked the pockets of each soldier. She found the key in the Captain's pocket, but also kept the gold she found among them. She also took the Captain's sword, as she greatly preferred the feel of a sword. I mean, it's not like they're going to use these anyway.
She unlocked the door, making her way down the steps with Ralof. They arrived in a room with beds, chests and other various amenities. It seemed to be the common area of the soldiers who were stationed here. Kat looted the chests for gold, treasure and overall useful items, filling a nearby knapsack. Ralof went to the kitchen area and began eating some food the previous occupants left behind. He tossed an apple to Kat.
"As much as I'd like to stay, we have to hurry. There's no telling if there's still soldiers prowling around."
"Alright, let me just finish grab-"
"Freeze Stormcloaks! You're under arrest!" a voice said.
Two Imperial soldiers appeared from the pantry area that connected to the common area. One had a shield with a sword pointed at Kat while the other had a bow ready to fire. Kat and Ralof looked at each other and had the same idea: play along. They both put their hands in the air.
"Alright. Nice and easy now, and there won't be any trouble," the one with the sword said, approaching Kat.
As soon as he got close enough, Kat kicked him in the balls. Before he could fall, she caught him and pushed him into the archer. The archer stumbled, but before she could prepare another shot, Ralof grabbed her bow and snapped it in half. She immediately became scared, as she seemed to have no other weapons. Wow, are all Imperial soldiers cowards? Surely they would've been prepared for these situations. He knocked her out with a punch to the head.
Kat decided not to kill either of the two soldiers. She believed that continuing to fight your opponent after they've already lost was cowardly. It didn't feel right to her. This, however, didn't stop her from taking the shield.
Ralof found a door in the pantry area that led farther into the building. They continued on, reaching another room. From the hallway, Kat could see a large cage. The two could hear people fighting inside the area, deciding to prepare their weapons. They entered the room, greeted to two rebels fighting two soldiers. Kat joined the battle, finishing off one of the soldiers by impalement. The other soldier was knocked out, left to bleed out from his wounds.
"Thanks, but I didn't need help from a gray-skin," one of the rebels said, brushing off Kat's kindness.
"Enough with the slurs. She just wanted to help you, dumbass," Ralof responded.
"Ralof, is that you? Oh Talos, I didn't realize she was your friend and I-"
"Forget it. We just need to get out of here before any more trouble comes."
The four continued past the rest of the torture chamber, following through a cramped passageway. They were led to an area with a small cobblestone bridge connecting two stone platforms. Underneath the bridge were pebbles that were wet from a small source of running water, likely originating from a nearby lake or river. Kat groaned as she noticed five more soldiers roaming the area, dropping her bag and preparing her weapons. Her allies noticed her reaction and readied their weapons as well.
"Stormcloaks!" one soldier yelled, pointing at the group.
Ralof took the soldier near the entrance. The two rebels took the two soldiers on the ground below the stone platforms. Kat went directly for the two standing near the bridge. They pointed their bows at her.
"Surrender or face the consequences, scum!" one of the men shouted.
"I think I'll take my chances," Kat said, deciding to sheath her sword.
In a fit of rage, the soldier fired his arrow directly at Kat's chest. Using her stolen shield, she blocked the arrow with ease. She used her free hand to grab the arrow, snapping it like a twig. She ran towards the archers, making her shield cover her upper body. The two dropped their bows and unsheathed their swords. Suddenly, she took the shield with her free hand and flung it at the head of the first archer. With his guard down, Kat dived between his legs. She turned onto her back, kicking the man's balls several times before he could even look down. She was on her feet in an instant. She drew her sword, ready to fight the soldier who was still trying to process what happened.
"One down. One to go," she said, giving the soldier a wink.
They slashed, parried, and dodged, determined to defeat the other. He managed to leave a deep cut on her left hand, his cocky smirk leaving him wide open for her final blow. He fell to the ground, almost falling off the bridge. She opened his leather armor and ripped off a piece of his red underclothing. She wrapped the cloth around her bleeding hand, making a tight knot. Her allies joined her, having defeated their foes.
"Ralof, sir. We wish to return back to Helgen. There might be more Stormcloaks to be rescued, and I doubt the Empire will have any sympathy," the racist rebel said, standing next to his partner.
"Very well then. May you return to Windhelm in glory or honorably die for Skyrim and her people," he said, saluting his allies.
They saluted and began to walk back towards the entrance.
"Oh, don't mind Kotir. He can be a bit… assertive, but his heart is in the right place," he said.
Once Kat retrieved her things, the two continued towards the exit of the dungeon. On their way through the cave, they killed a few spiders "I hate these damn things. Too many eyes, huh kid?" and snuck past a large bear "Phew, that was close". The cave eventually ended, leading to the wilderness. The view was breathtaking for Kat: The dark green trees covered in fluffy white snow, the cobblestone path barely visible among the various frost-covered leaves and the faraway snow-tipped mountains were quite a welcome sight.
Ralof was about to speak to Kat, but was quickly cut off by the creature's haunting roar.
"The dragon! Hurry!" he said, pulling Kat back into the cave.
The creature flew across the sky, its force easily shaking the trees beneath it. Fortunately, it disappeared beyond the misty mountains.
"There he goes. Looks like he's gone for good this time. No way to know if anyone else made it out alive, but this place is going to be swarming with Imperials soon enough."
"Listen, my sister Gerdur runs the mill in Riverwood. It's just up the road; can't miss it. I'm sure she'd help you out. It's probably best if we split up to shake off any lurking Imperials," he said.
"I'll be on my way then. Thank you so much, Ralof!" Kat said.
"Good luck!"
With that, the two separated. She began walking along the path, eventually reaching a small river. She sat down, kicking off her boots and putting her feet in the water. She laid on her back, looking up at the bright blue sky. The cool water felt refreshing, especially after the day's stress-inducing events.
She rested near the water, taking in the crisp air with deep breaths. A few minutes later, she put on her boots, cleaned her sword and put on her knapsack. Now ready, she continued on the path.
Glossary
Aetherius – a realm that is commonly believed to be the afterlife
Akatosh, Dibella, Kynareth, Mara, Shor, Talos – Gods and goddesses
Dark Elf – A race of elf.
Gray-skin – A racial slur referring to the skin tone of Dark Elves
Helgen, Riverwood, Rorikstead, Windhelm – Cities/villages located in Skyrim
Imperials – The legion opposing the Stormcloaks during the Skyrim Civil War. Led by General Tullius
Morrowind – A province east of Skyrim
Nord – A race of men native to Skyrim
Skyrim – The province where the story takes place
Sovngarde – The Nord afterlife for worthy warriors
Stormcloaks – The rebellion opposing the Imperials during the Skyrim Civil War. Led by Ulfric Stormcloak
Thalmor – A group working with the Imperial Legion to eradicate the Stormcloaks