"Who... are you?"

If I'm going to be stuck here, better to have the name I want rather than the one I have. I was planning on changing it anyway. "My name is Casey. A scholar from High Rock."

"Really?" Hadvar asked. Real people means real conversations so that's a small mercy at least. "I had you pegged for one of those Forsworn savages. What were you doing with the Stormcloaks?"

Huh. Hadvar's more of a dick than was shown in the game. Though he's not wrong about the Forsworn. "I wasn't with the Stormcloaks. I was coming to Skyrim to research for a book I was writing on the effects of the ban on Talos worship." Haha! All those years of practice as a habitual liar are paying off!

"The soldiers reported you were fleeing to the border." Hadvar prodded.

"Well of course I was! I was only in Skyrim for half an hour and already found a bloody battlefield! The rebellion seemed like perfect subject matter for my book but I had no idea it was this bad up here! I figured I'd hole up in Bruma for a few months until this mess was sorted." Rolaf is glaring at me. Either because he thinks I'm trying to weasel my way out or because he now knows I'm not 'in this' with him in any sense of the phrase.

Shit. Hadvar's CO is walking up. Looks like I couldn't change the script after all. "Captain, what do we do? He's not on the list."

"Forget the list." she answered with disinterest. "He goes to the block."

"By your orders, Captain."

… In the game, this captain lady was pretty much a non-character. She had like, 5 lines and was never mentioned again. But to actually be here, to listen to her condemn me to death because doing otherwise would be inconvenient... I've never in my life wanted to smash someone's skull into the pavement this badly. I hope she dies in the attack. I hope it's painful.

No. Scratch that. I hope she survives. So I can make sure it's painful.

"I'm sorry." Hadvar tells me, and sounds like he means it. "I'll make sure your remains are returned to High Rock."

He tells me to follow the captain to the line with the other prisoners. I know rationally that I'm going to survi- no. Rephrase. I know they aren't going to execute me in the end. But still, my legs refuse to move. In the end, the captain turns, scowls at me and with an irritated look on her face comes back and frog marches me towards the line and shoves me into place. "I'm sorry, am I causing you problems?" I ask, deadpan. Anyone who knows me would recognise it as a sign I'm trying desperately to keep my temper in check. Angry snark usually works as a slight release. "Please, let me know if I can be more accommodating in my unlawful execution."

… You know, in hindsight, maybe I shouldn't have said tha-

-(-)-

The very next thing I see is a robed woman in the sky.

Wait... No. No, I'm looking at the sky. I'm lying down? Why am I lying down?

"Is he conscious, priestess?" Oh, how I hate that woman's voice. I'll remember it for the rest of my life, I swear.

"He is." The priestess answers with stoicism. Can't even guess what she thinks about this. Though that might be the point.

"Good.", the captain says as she starts hauling me to my feet, only to drop me again as a sudden boom echoes out from above us.

"What in Oblivion is that?!" I hear Tullius shout before it happens.

The voice of a dragon. No. The voice of Alduin passes over us.

To describe it as a loud roar would be doing it a disservice. It was loud, yes. Overwhelmingly so. But it was more than that. With the sound came a wave of pressure. A dragon could kill a man with claw, or fang, or sheer bulk. But that voice makes it absolutely clear it needs none of those things to rend flesh from bone.

This is the point where I realise how irrevocably in over my head I am. I try to scramble to my feet. A slightly more difficult task with my hands bound, causing me to roll to my knees and stand that way.

Okay. Plan. Plan to survive.

Item 1: Don't die.

Item 2: Find Hadvar. Good guy(ish) with sword.

Item 3: Get to the keep. The keep is safe(ish).

Item 4: Don't die.

Item 5 (which in hindsight should probably have been item 1): RUN.

I sprint off in a random direction as best I can, figuring the captain won't bother chasing me. She has bigger problems right now.

It takes a little while but after a minute or two of running and after bowel-loosening panic becomes the new normal I realise my random direction was in fact the opposite direction from the fort. Not only was I staying entirely out in the open, I was heading in the exact opposite direction of my only available escape. I dart into a row of buildings, partially as a chance to double back, partially to stop and catch my breath.

Apparently the immortal, world-ending dragon wasn't having any of that and tried to bring one of those houses down on top of me. The next few minutes are a blur as that row of houses becomes my only defense even as Alduin crushes and burns them to ash to get to me. The only thing that manages to root itself in my mind is the bravest and stupidest soldier in the Imperial Legion trying to slow it down with a bow. The World-Eater didn't even acknowledge his efforts as a wing slammed into the poor sod.

My eyes are terrible and the smoke in the air isn't helping but my heart leaps into my throat as I finally see the stone walls of Helgen Keep.

… Unfortunately between me and those nice safe stone walls was about fifty yards of wide open space. Luck or fate decides to jump in again to give me a fighting chance. Rolaf's group appear to be making a desperate sprint to the keep. Alduin sees it. And immediately switches targets.

Wait. Switches targets? Does he not know I'm the Dragonborn? Then why did he- Not important right now!

With a great flap of his wings, Alduin rises into the sky.

Wait for the shout...

A great wave of heat flows over me as the stormcloak group are immolated. There are no screams. I expected screams. Why don't they scream?

The flames sputter out and my body – absent mind – takes that as a cue to run with everything I have left. I hear what I assume to be a great beat of the dragon's wings before he drops, intending to crush me. The air pressure of his enormous bulk knocks me clear and past the outer wall. I scramble forwards, in the direction of a door that would keep that wall between me and the dragon for as long as possible.

Reaching the door, I fumble with the antiquated mechanism with my bound hands until something clicks and I tumble inside.

Safe.

Another roar outside before I see Hadvar slam the door behind me.

Safe? Relatively speaking.

"You're that prisoner!", Hadvar exclaimed, apparently forgetting my name. "You managed to survive this long out there? And with your hands bound?! In any other circumstance I'd say the divines were smiling on you!"

I open my mouth to say something but... Well, what the hell would you say after going through all that? My thoughts are a jumbled mess of terror right now.

"Here, let me cut those bonds." Hadvar says as he uses a dagger to cut the ropes binding my hands together. "I can trust you not to turn on me right now, right? We have bigger problems to deal with I think."

As though to reinforce the message there is a loud slam, strong enough we can feel it through the stone. Clouds of dust and mortar are knocked loose from the keep walls.

The realisation that the dragon has not given up on roasting me or eating me or roasting then eating me brings my mind back into focus. "That thing can and will bring the roof down on us if we give it enough time. Is there another way out for us to get away unnoticed?"

"There's a cave system accessible through the lower levels. Used to be for moving supplies, I think. There should be a way out through there." He looks at a weapon rack with swords on it speculatively before grabbing one. "Know how to wield one of these?"

"Nnnnot as such, no."

"You said you're a scholar. I suggest you learn quickly then. Just try not to stab me accidentally." He adopts a thinking expression. "Or on purpose. That would be bad too."

I nod smiling slightly at his attempt at alleviating the tense atmosphere, taking the sword and trying not to show difficulty in holding it. It's a basic sword for the Imperial soldiery and so made of iron. At a guess it must weigh close to 1 stone. Hadvar headed for the portcullis leading deeper into the keep, immediately coming upon Rolaf in the next room. "Ralof!"

… Or Ralof. I guess.

The stormcloak doesn't look to be in good shape. Based on the burns on his face and that some of his hair has been burned off he didn't get away from Alduin's breath... voice... whatever. He didn't get away unscathed. But based on what happened to the rest of his fellows, he was lucky.

"Hadvar.", he croaks before erupting into a coughing fit. "It figures. Any chance of a stay of execution?"

Hadvar looks him over. A sneer creeps over his face before he gives a reluctant nod. "Fine. We will need to work together if we want to get out of this." He offers Ralof an arm and the Stormcloak takes it.

"Though you may deny him, may Talos smile upon you, old friend.", Ralof says with a smiling grimace as he grasps Hadvar's forearm.

He doesn't have a weapon. I can't decide if that's a good thing or not. In the game if you follow Hadvar the keep is filled with Stormcloaks. If the same is true here (which I'm beginning to doubt), he could just join up with them and kill both Hadvar and I. But this isn't a game. So realistically I doubt the Stormcloaks would win against the legion in their own keep. Hell, a lot of them clearly didn't even make it to the keep.

I walk up to Ralof, sword pointing down since I don't want to seem aggressive and I don't have a sheath for it. "How much can we trust you?" I ask flatly.

Ralof snorts. "If you have to ask the question, milk-drinker..." he trails off. He really doesn't like me.

My eyes move to Hadvar then back to Ralof. "And how much can you trust him?"

Both of the soldiers narrow their eyes at me. "What are you getting at?" Hadvar asks.

I look back the way we came. I just realised that I locked the door behind me. I locked the entrance to one of the safest structures in this place. "There won't be anyone following us. But I'd bet good money we weren't the first to arrive here. The legion doubtlessly retreated some of their men here, whether to escape the dragon or find a more defensible position to fight back." Like the roof. Or... whatever roofs on a keep are called. "Maybe another group of Stormcloaks made it inside. So... what will you do when we run across them?"

Dawning realisation appears on both faces. When faced with that possibility they might turn on one another. Or the other group might force them to do so. The Imperials will expect Hadvar to kill the rebel (and possibly me). The Stormcloaks will... probably attack Hadvar regardless of Ralof's input.

"I want to remind you. We're trying to escape a dragon, here. The one thing the legends seem to agree on is that dragons are the most powerful and capable creatures short of the Aedra and Daedra. If anyone is going to make it out of this, we need to work together. I don't mean us three. I mean us and every survivor we come across, regardless of faction. So it doesn't matter how much we trust each other." I turn the sword over and offer the hilt to Ralof. "All that matters is that to live through this, we need to trust each other."

Ralof looks at the offered weapon, then at my face. A few seconds pass, and he gives an acknowledging nod as he takes it. Hadvar tenses slightly before relaxing as Ralof walks ahead, taking the lead. I trusted him not to attack us when he has a weapon. He trusts us not to attack him when given the opportunity.

You could cut the tension of this temporary alliance with a sheet of paper, and yet it's still far better than the dragon.

I think today is going to mess with my perspective for a long time to come.

-(-)-

"You said you were a scholar... Casey, was it? Writing a book on our revolution?" Ralof asks from up front as we continue walking through the halls.

"Rebellion.", Hadvar corrects irritably.

"I was planning to." I answered, both of us ignoring Hadvar. No sign of other survivors yet. "I believed that this could be a significant moment in the history of the empire. Events here could be the turning point in the conflict with the Aldmeri Dominion."

"Typical Imperial view. Forget about the people for the sake of your 'big picture'." Ralof sneered.

"Those people aren't going to have a good time of it should the Aldmeri win the next war. You think outlawing Talos worship is the worst that they'll do?", I ask rhetorically.

"We will not turn our backs on Talos!", he snaps.

"Talos was Tiber Septim! He founded our empire! Do you think we want to turn our backs on him?", Hadvar asks before I can.

Ralof looks back at us. "No." he says before facing forward again. "But you did."

-(-)-

"By Talos! What have you done to my brothers!"

"Stormcloak intruder! Restrain him, Malus!"

"Stand down, soldier! We have bigger problems than one rebel, right now!"

You know, I should probably be doing something about this so it doesn't turn bloody. But what the hell am I supposed to do? We found the torturer's dungeon. I'm having a hard time believing the torturer or his assistant will back down here. Hadvar is trying to pull rank but I'm pretty sure he's only the Legion equivalent of a Corporal. And with a Stormcloak right there and him talking about a dragon attack they aren't going to take him seriously. Ralof likewise isn't likely to let this go. And I don't blame him.

"So you've turned traitor, Hadvar. Really. Dragons? Do you think me a fool? Malus, I won't give the order a third time! Kill all of these rebel scum!"

I need to arm myself. I take the dagger from the nearby table. It's at this point that I notice that both of them are ignoring me. Did they dismiss me because I had no weapons?

The assistant... Malus. He still hesitates. More than before, even, at the order to kill a fellow Legionnaire.

I need to do something. Ralof and Hadvar are readying for a fight but Hadvar is trying to decide on with whom.

"Disobedient fool! Fine!", the torturer exclaims as a ball of fire erupts in his hands oh shit. "I'll do it myself."

My body seems to move on its own. I take a few quick steps as quietly as I can around a support beam behind the two, grabbing hold of one of the torturer's arms as I do. As he loses focus on his spell my other arm reaches around his throat. I draw the arm back across, the dagger in my hand cutting through the soft flesh of his neck.

My conscious mind reasserts itself and I suddenly realise I just tried to kill a man. Tried.

The torturer is still standing, hand to his neck to stem the bleeding. He realises too late he should be retreating to cast healing spells as Ralof is already upon him, running the sword I gave him into the man's stomach.

I killed him. Why did I do that? I've never killed... anything before.

I see the corpse, the wound I gave him still leaking blood... and I involuntarily drop to my hands and knees as the contents of my stomach escape me.

I hear a clang of iron striking iron and Hadvar's voice. "Don't make me. None of what I said was a lie. We need to escape this place or the dragon will bury us here."

"Dragons are just legends.", the gruff voice of the assistant doesn't sound so sure of that.

"All legends have truth to them. Lay down your arms and we'll leave. Whether you follow is up to you. But for your own sake I pray to the eight that you do."

There's a clanging sound. I assume Malus' axe hitting the floor.

I wipe at my mouth and survey the room again. Doing my best to focus on something, anything else.

Ralof is still brandishing his sword at the assistant. Very reluctantly, he lowers the blade before stooping to pick up the axe. "I will not kill an unarmed man. But if I ever see you again with weapon in hand, I will avenge their deaths", he indicates the bodies in the cages, "on you. And their suffering will pale compared to yours. Now, where are the keys to these cages?"

Malus pulls a ring from his belt with three keys on it. Ralof takes them and starts unlocking the cages, pulling out the corpses. He moves to pick one up but a pained look passes over his face and he seems to change his mind. "I wish I had the time to give you a proper burial. The best I can do is let you rest with your dignity. You will not be left to rot in a cage... May you find peace in Sovngarde."

Once again, he takes the lead into the caves, not saying another word. Only Malus saw me take a couple of books and a satchel with me.

-(-)-

We don't run into anyone else. I guess no one else made it to the keep. Come to think of it, it didn't make any sense that you would run into Stormcloaks past the dungeon if he's still alive. We do run into a rather large bear. Ralof decides to show off a little and pierces its skull with an arrow. Hadvar takes the opportunity to harvest some meat and cooks it at a nearby fire-pit. It smells horrendous but it's at this point that I realise I haven't eaten anything in over a day and whatever hadn't been digested yet I lost about half an hour ago. Could do with rinsing my mouth out actually but doing that with water from the stream in these caves seems like a terrible idea.

The meat doesn't taste much better than it smells. Hadvar agrees but tells me it's better when properly prepared. We just don't have time for that.

And now it's the moment of truth. We head cautiously look through the cave exit. No sign of Alduin. We creep further out until we stand on the snow covered slope. Did I mention Skyrim is super cold? Did I mention I'm still in my rags? Fucking Sheogorath.

"Get down!" Hadvar whisper-shouts. The three of us take cover behind a small rock outcropping as we hear the telltale roar. Far in the distance I can see a black shape against the clouds before it disappears. He's gone.

There's a moment of relieved silence. We survived.

Hadvar turns and looks to Ralof. "Riverwood?"

Ralof nods determinedly. "They need to be told. We have to warn them. We go there, we spread the word, we go our separate ways. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

They both look at me... OH! "Agreed. What else was I going to do dressed in rags and only carrying a dagger?"

"And books. Why did you pick those up though?" Hadvar asks.

"Well this one", as we come out of hiding I hold up the first book with a drawing of a flaming hand on it, "seemed wise to take. I need some way to defend myself if I'm staying in this province. I think the message was clear that heading home is not an option." The fake one or the real one.

"And the other?" Ralof presses as we start the long walk to Riverwood.

I take hold of the other book and look at the cover, the symbol of Akatosh embossed into it. "Divine providence.", I sigh, not happy at all that it's probably exactly that.

They both look at me with eyebrows raised.

"I know but think about it. We're making our way through a keep, trying to escape a dragon. A creature long thought to be myth or legend or exaggeration. As we go through this keep I find a grand total of two books. Nothing about tactics or military history or combat as you might expect from a military building. Just an instruction book on shooting electricity from your hands and a book about people who can kill dragons."

"... Well if you put it like that it does seem like a pretty big coincidence." Hadvar admits.

"But if it is a message from the nine and that's a rather large 'if'. Why give us this message?" Ralof asks.

"Not us. Him." Hadvar corrects. "Neither of us would be looking for books in there. A scholar on the other hand..."

"Well... you might be reaching a bit for that." They are. Because I'm not a scholar and I'm assuming neither was the original Nordy dragonborn. "Still, if I'm right, message received. Looks like I'm looking for a dragonborn." Huh. Found him. That was easy. "Then I tell them to go kill a bunch of dragons and maybe I can go home."

"Ha! I wish you luck with that.", Ralof laughs. "Still, it's true that the dragon should be our priority right now. With it around, any town could be another Helgen." he adds somberly.

I look back. Even with my eyes I can see the smoke column rising from where Helgen used to be. "Yeah..."

-(-)-

A/N: Man this took a long time. I got a bit stuck on how to rejigger things after I had Ralof join the party. Fixed it though. And after I did it all worked out rather neatly.

So... writing me killing a dude was pretty weird. Was super uncomfortable with it. I figure at this point the character is very much no longer me. Very similar to me in a lot of aspects but not me.

Anyway! Regular plug incoming. Fandom Flux channel on Youtube. We do podcasts on writing (usually). We do Lets Plays. We did a show about new manga releases but it's on a bit of a hiatus right now. Cast members are all fanfiction writers and include myself, Slicerness, KingofZeroX, Kenchi618, Serpentguy and Arrixam. Fun stuff. Check it out.

Annnnnnnnnd I just realised I forgot to release the newest podcast for the sake of writing this. Oops! I should get on that now.

Thanks for reading.