Dragons… just when I thought that this day had run out of things to surprise me with, a fucking dragon crushes the top of the tower. I was torn between my inner scholar jumping up and down and demanding a closer look, and my more sane sense of self-preservation screaming for me to get to safety.

Thankfully, self-preservation won out the day.

Fireballs and falling debris were hitting the ground all around me. I had to get out of the open, I needed to put stone walls between myself and the dragon before it turned its attention in my direction. I saw another tower with an open door across the town square. It took me only a half second of my cape getting caught on a rock to make the decision that it wasn't worth the risk. I'd be embarrassed about it for the rest of my life, but I needed a rest of a life for that.

I sprinted naked across the town square, stepping over burning sticks, sharp stone fragments, and bits of things that used to be attached to people. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the dragon rearing his head back to launch a fireball in my direction. I leapt across the remaining distance, throwing myself through the doorway. I landed in a roll, just the way that Idrosu had taught me. And then I found myself encircled by wolves.

There were four Stormcloaks in the room, and right next to the door stood Ulfric Stormcloak. One of them, I recognized from the cart as Ralof of Riverwood, upon seeing me yelled, "Bind her, we need a hostage."

Summoning my magic again, something that I knew was taking a serious toll on me, and kindled flame with the righteous indignation I felt at these barbarians seeing me unclothed. The flames started in my hands and I willed them to travel up, twining like ivy around my arms. It took extra energy, but I wouldn't be able to fight them all anyway in my current state, my only hope was to scare them.

"I'd like to see you try." There was a lot more confidence in my voice than I really felt.

Ulfric held up a hand to the others, "Don't lay a hand on her, we need to ensure this girl escapes alive and unharmed."

Ralof looked at his Jarl in shock, "Jarl Ulfric, I would never question your orders, but this girl would guarantee our escape, and all of our imprisoned brothers, but probably a mountain of gold as well." This man must not have heard much about my father.

Ulfric shook his head, "I've met this girl's father, I served with him in the war. If this girl dies here, if he learns we took her hostage, he will take a blood oath to avenge her and he will personally bring the full weight and power of the Empire's most elite down upon Skyrim. Our finest guerilla commanders lay dead and their networks are undoubtedly being destroyed as we speak, were we to face that now, we would be destroyed."

Then he looked at me, "And I don't hide behind children, I protect them." He removed his fur cloak and offered it to me.

I was torn, on the one hand, naked, on the other, accepting gifts from a traitor.

I shook my head, scowling at him. "I'd rather be unclothed than don the mantle of a traitor."

With that I turned and sprinted up the steps, hoping I could find a room to lock myself in until they were gone. These plans didn't last long however, as the dragon's snout bashed through the stonework, nearly throwing me back down the stairs. I barely managed to catch my balance as the dragon blew a stream of flame into the tower.

After a moment, it drew back and flew off. The tower was aflame, I needed to get out of there and there was only one way that didn't include Stormcloaks. I steeled myself as best as I could and threw myself through the hole, flying through the air, and landing through a collapsed section in the roof of a burning house. As I landed I felt the scorch of the flames. I didn't have time to examine myself, but from where the pain was, I felt I must have burned myself in a very embarrassing place.

I came out of the front door of the burning house and saw a legionnaire calling for a boy to get to cover. He turned as he saw me. "My lady, you're still alive. We must get to safety, follow me."

Glad to be back in the hands of the Legion, I didn't hesitate. We sprinted across the path and sought cover behind a wall as the dragon dropped right on top of us and let out another jet of flame, thankfully, it didn't seem to see us and flew off again after a few moments. At the legionnaire's directive, I followed him out into another wide open area, surrounded by ruins. General Tullius was coordinating a retreat in the center of the chaos, like the eye of a maelstrom."

Upon seeing us he pointed towards the large keep behind him, "Hadvar, take Aurelia and get into the keep, we're moving out soldier."

Hadvar took me by the arm and half guided, half drug me toward the keep. Ralof, the Stormcloak, ran out in front of us, axe brandished. "Ralof, you damned traitor, get out of my way."

Ralof shook his axe at Hadvar, "We're escaping Hadvar. You're not stopping us this time."

The dragon roared again, Hadvar shook his head, "Fine. I hope that dragon takes you all to Sovngard!"

Ralof pointed at me, "You, these milk drinkers can't protect you, follow me."

That wasn't going to happen, I took a firm hold of Hadvar's bicep and let him lead me into the keep. The second we were inside, he turned, seeing no one following us, he slammed the door shut. "Looks like we're the only ones who made it in, we need to get into the caves and make our way out."

I was running out of Magicka, I closed my third eye all the way and fell back to my electric senses, I sent out a constant and steady wave of low level electricity, highlighting the silhouettes of everything around me. It was a called electroreception. Everything faded to black, then everything was replaced with dark and slightly blurry outlines.

This needed to end soon or I wasn't going to be able to use my magic. Hadvar brought me back to reality, "here, put these on." He shoved a set of Legion scout armor into my hands.

I pulled it on as fast as I could, it wasn't that great of a fit, but it was better than continuing as I had been. Even if it did make that burn on the very embarrassing place hurt a lot more. "Are you ready my lady?"

I nodded, "Let's go." Hadvar led me down a long hallway. At the end of the corridor, we reached an iron door, Hadvar opened it with a key he produced out of a pouch on his belt. At the same time, seven Stormcloaks stormed into the room from the other door. We were caught in the center of the room and within a second we were surrounded.

…

Second one out, I actually managed to get a fair bit of work done on the next chapter of Frigid Warrior, though I won't lie, this story is launching its siren call at me to continue it past the chapters I already had stashed away. Aurelia is a fun character to write.

Either way, R&R people.