Chapter 1 - Unbound [Part 1]
"Shut up back there!" the imperial soldier who was driving the cart yelled over his shoulder.
However, the yell had been nothing but a murmur in Elyse's ear as her mind raced with thoughts. How the hell had she wound up in a fucking video game of all things? Not to mention the fact that it was a video game that not only took place in a setting that was like her world's medieval times but it was a fantasy world with all sorts of creatures that could kill her easily. Skyrim was filled with rabid wolves, huge saber cats, giants, mammoths, trolls, and after she was supposed to "escape" the doomed Helgen, there was going to be freaking dragons!
There were a few minutes of silence as they rode along the cobblestone road in silence, thinking of the gravity of the statement Ralof had made. Lokir had gone silent after Ralof made the comment that they were all pretty much the same once they were all technically being lead to their death by the headsman's axe. From the sombre, almost spine-chilling tone of Ralof's voice, Elyse had then realized the gravity of the situation that she was currently in.
The gloomy silence was then broken as Lokir's voice once again permeated through. "And what's wrong with him, huh?" he scoffed, looking over at the man to my right.
That "man" was Ulfric Stormcloak, the Jarl of Windhelm and the man who had "viciously murdered" Skyrim's previous ruler: High King Torygg. He had used the Voice to throw Torygg off the throne and to further bring down the empire's hold over Skyrim.
"Watch your tongue! You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King!" Ralof angrily defended his leader, true to both his duty to his leader and his loyalty to the Stormcloak cause.
Elyse turned to Ulfric who looked met her curious gaze with his own emerald green one. His eyes held suspicion, caution, and the normal exhaustion that any person who'd been in any war had. But underneath all the suspicion and exhaustion there lie something different, a small sliver of curiosity that made the young woman somewhat confused. What could be that fascinating about her? No words were spoken between the two as Elyse was thinking to herself and Ulfric had been gagged due to his ability to throw someone nearly one-hundred feet away from him with just the power of his voice.
"Ulfric Stormcloak, the Jarl of Windhelm?" Lokir question, shock in his voice. "You're the leader of the rebellion. But if they've captured you… Oh gods, where are they taking us!?"
The fear in the atmosphere around them was now evident as Lokir's eyes widened considerably at his revelation. He seemed to fidget in his seat as he worriedly darted his head back and forth at the imperial soldiers all around them. No one had actually uttered the truth yet, but it wasn't needed as Elyse knew exactly what Lokir was thinking.
"I don't know where we're going, but Sovengarde awaits…." Ralof trailed off ominously looking up through the mist and into the cloudy sky above.
There it was. It had finally been stated out loud. Every single one of them was being led to their death. Elyse hoped that she would survive Helgen like you would if you were playing the game in her world. It was obvious she was here for a reason, and since there was no other person in the cart with her and the other three men it was safe for her to assume that she was supposed to take up the mantle of Dovahkiin and defeat Alduin in Sovengarde.
"No, this can't be happening!" Lokir cried. "This can't be happening!"
"But it is happening, and we all have to face that thief….," Elyse stated.
"But, I didn't do anything wrong!" the Breton argued. "They can't do this!"
"I doubt that they see it that way," Elyse quipped.
Rolling her eyes she muttered under her breath and added, "Damn Imperial dogs!"
No one else was close enough to her to hear the comment save the person who sat next to her, Ulfric Stormcloak. The burly northern man with shoulder-length blonde hair looked in her direction again after hearing her insult his enemies. Curiosity was peaking once again in his mind as he looked upon the brunette woman beside him. She was clearly no form of mer, and she had no resemblance whatsoever to the cat people or the Argonians that inhabited Skyrim along with the Nords. However, she did resemble a Nord with her features and fair skin. The only thing was her height was more that of a Breton's than that of a female Nord, so Ulfric came to a decision in his mind that she had been most like born to a Breton mother and a Nord father.
The death ride's silence was once again broken by Ralof's voice. "Hey, what village are you from, horse thief?"
Lokir looked to Ralof with a distraught look on his face. "Why do you care?"
With a reassuring look on his face, Ralof continued, "A Nord's last thoughts should be of home."
"Rorikstead. I'm….I'm from Rorikstead," Lokir announced.
The conversation was interrupted by a shout from a young imperial soldier from the front of the company.
"General Tullius, sir!" he called. "The headsman is waiting!"
The imperial man with graying hair that had been riding behind them on horseback grunted as he spoke with spite. "Good. Let's get this over with."
"Shor, Mara, Dibella, Kynareth, Akatosh. Divines please help me!" Lokir cried to himself.
Ralof sneered in disgust as he looked to Tullius. "Look at him, General Tullius, the Military Governor! And it looks like the Thalmor are with him! Damn elves! I bet they had something to do with this!"
Well, this was it. It was either time to either get decapitated unlawfully or get saved by Alduin and live…