No. Please let this be a nightmare. Shar thought as she walked shakily to the block. She stood next to it, trembling in fear and anger, and looked over her shoulder at the captain. She was smirking at her; victory was glowing in her eyes. "We're going to make an example out of you little girl. No one defies the Empire." Shar lunged for the woman, but was still moving too slowly. Before she could even come close to hurting the Captain, the soldier threw her arm out, elbowing Shar in the mouth. Shar dropped to the ground, head newly swimming and lip freshly split. She glared up at the Captain through watery eyes, and could taste the blood in her mouth. The crowed stood in stunned silence, not sure how to react. Then, for a second time, they heard the roaring. The sound echoed through the streets, and set some of the leaves on nearby plants shaking. Everyone looked to the sky, and Shar could feel blood trickling down her shin as she scanned the horizon.
Someone in the crowd of prisoners cried out, "There it is again! Did you all here that?!"The man began looking around at the others, and they all began nodding and muttering that they did.
"Um. I think I'd like that priestess to come back…" a dark haired Stormcloak said from the crowd.
"SILENCE!" the Captain bellowed, spit flying from her mouth. "The executions will continue as planned! You will all await your fate in silence! And you, prisoner!" she turned violently to face Shar. "I said next prisoner. Place yourself at the block!" Shar glared at the Captain's angry-red face, weighing her options. She could run like Nokir, but she knew how well that went for him. She could try to attack the Captain again, but she still wasn't at full strength, and it probably wouldn't do much good. Beside which, there were well over a dozen other soldiers around, so even if she managed to overpower her, she was done for. Shar didn't seem to be moving fast enough for the Captian, so she grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her into a kneeling position facing the block. Shar could now see the Headsman and his axe, both dripping with blood. His grin was no less manic than it had been before, though it was directed specifically at her. She swallowed hard, and looked away, seeing the Imperial man from before standing on the other side of the block. He was still looking at her with an expression laden with guilt. Not everyone here is so bloodthirsty. Just maybe… Maybe I can use that. She gathered herself as much as she could, her mind going into overdrive. Shar began to make a plan. She would only have a moment. The split second before the axe came down, and the Captain wasn't expecting it, she would roll. She could go for the headsman, take out his knees and bring him to the ground. She could wrap her arms around his neck and use him as a shield. Presumably, he would want to live enough to follow along enough to get her into the tower behind him. It was a long shot, near impossible. But if that man really felt bad, he might not stop her. Maybe. But, she'd rather go down fighting than tied up like a beast. And perhaps get one of the archers to take out the axe-wielding psycho with her. The Captain kicked Shar in between the shoulder blades, interrupting her planning. Her face slammed into the bloody stone with a sickening squelch, and she could smelly the coppery tang of the blood pooled around her face and knees. She turned her eyes to the executioner, and braced herself. As the man swung his axe back, a dark shape soared up from behind the mountain range, blocking our both the sky and Shar's thoughts. Her mind went blank as a huge, winged beast flew closer, growing in size as it came. It seemed to resemble the carving on her locket tucked underneath the cloth of her garments.
"What in Oblivion is that?!" someone cried behind Shar.
"Sentries, what do you see?" barked out the Captain.
"To the ground!" someone else screamed as the creature landed with a ground-shaking crunch on the top of the tower behind the headsman who promptly threw himself to the ground, and attempted to use Shar as a shield. Someone, far behind Shat cried out, with one word that cut through the yelling and confusion, sending everyone silent, "Dragon!"
It was the most frightening thing that Shar had ever seen. It dwarfed the two-story tower with wings that wrapped about it, tipped with claws that ripped through the stonework. It was a matte-black in color, with jagged scales that seemed to absorb the light and refuse to let it escape. Its beady red eyes glowed with a hate that burned into Shar's mind. As her body was wracked with new tremors, she watched the headsman move in front of her, crouching as he readied his bloodied poleaxe. Before he could try to stand, the great beast, the dragon, opened its gaping maw, revealing two rows of glistening teeth that were as large as some of the stones of the tower, and looked to be as sharp as the executioner's axe. It let loose a cry that seemed to ripple the very air around them, and the clouds began to darken and swirl above them. The once bright day was now darkened, and the clouds almost seemed to have a layer of ever-changing colors that disappeared when you focused on any one area too long. Shar watched, or rather heard, the headsman hit the ground with a grunt. All the while, the beady red eyes never left Shar's, and it's scaled lips pulled back into what looked like a sneer. It opened its mouth once more, letting loose another cry that Shar could feel vibrating in her bones and her stomach, a noise so deep and terrifying, and almost recognizable that Shar screwed her eyes shut in fear, and her breathing got faster and out of control. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she began to get light headed. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up to see the imperial man from before crouched in front of her, eyes on the dragon and sword in hand.
"Deep breaths Nord. Don't let yourself hyperventilate. Wouldn't want to pass out right now." Unable to muster the willpower to be angry with him, Shar attempted to follow his instructions. The man stood up, and placed himself between herself, and the winged beast, the dragon. He shouted something over his shoulder, but it sounded incomprehensible through the shouting from the others that was now clamoring through Shar's ears.
"What?!" she screamed, but he didn't seem to hear because at that moment, the dragon let out another cry that sent her whole world spinning.
Shar rolled off the block, her face smashing into the stone courtyard. She felt a sharp pain just under her eye, and a warmth begin to trickle down her cheek. Her head was swimming, and the noises and colors swirled in confusion. Shar pulled herself into a kneeling position, but rested her head on the ground. Ever so slowly, the spinning stopped, and her world was left in a blurry standstill. Noises were becoming clearer, and she became aware of a voice calling out to her.
"Shar! Come on lass!" Shar raised her head and squinted at the blurry form of Ralof crouched in front of her, hands free, and armed with something. "The guards won't give us another chance, we have to move now!" He stretched out his open hand to her, and she wasted no time in grabbing it in a white-knuckle grip. She stumbled clumsily after him as they ran for one of the stone towers, only dimly aware that stones were smashing into the ground around her, missing her only in feet. "This way!" he cried as they ran closer to the pillar of stone. After what seemed an age, they fell inside and someone shut the door behind them. Shar's vision was still blurred, and Ralof grabbed her by the shoulder and rested her against the stone of the tower's interior. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back, listening to the people around her. She could hear the groans of several people to her right. Ralof was in front of her, talking to someone, possibly the person who shut the door behind them. "Jarl Ulfric, what is that thing? Could the legends be true?" Ralof panted. So Ulfric made it out then. Good. But what legends?
Ulfric must have understood, because a deep, powerful voice replied "Legends don't burn down villages." Shar opened her eyes to a world in sharper focus than she had seen since she had woken up on the cart. Her body seemed to course with energy, and the pain in her cheek seemed to be gone. She looked at the tower around her. Directly in front of her, Ralof stood facing the man called Ulfric. Both were free of their bonds, and the gag on Ulfric had also been removed. To Shar's right were two bedrolls laid out next to a table with some tankards on it's surface. Both bedrolls were occupied by wounded people wearing the same uniform as Ralof, with another soldier tendind their wounds with some rags. They must be Stormcloaks too. I hope they make it out of this alive. I hope we all do. The dragon screeched once more, and everyone looked up in discomfort and fear. "We need to move, now." Ulfric stated, motioning for everyone to move up the stone stairs that Shar was resting on. Shar moved to her feet, and watched as even the wounded began to rise and struggle to the stairs. I can see how he came to rule these people. He can make even the dying fight for him without hesitation. Shar and Ralof were the first to begin up the great stone spiral staircase, while Ulfric and the uninjured Stormcloak assisted the wounded. They had almost made it to the first landing, when Ralof turned to look out one of the firing slots in the wall.
"Get back!" he cried, throwing his arm around Shar and bringing both of them to their stomachs on the steps. An Imperial soldier ran to the top of the steps from somewhere from the first landing. He held his sword tight and showed no sign of fear.
"Stop! By order of-"his orders were cut off as the side of the tower exploded inward, showering the man with chunks of stonework larger than himself. Again, Shar heard the cry of the dragon, and the hole and upper part of the tower were filled with an inferno that made Shar bury her head into her arm to shield her eyes from the heat. It finally ended, and Shar and Ralof were on their feet in an instant. They ran to the whole in the wall and looked outside to see the beast soaring over the shouldering wreckage of the village. There was a building backed up against the tower that had a hole burned through the thatch roof, though the inside was not yet ablaze. Ralof put his hands on Shar's shoulders and looked her directly in the eyes. His eyes are silver. I never noticed.
"The building on the other side; jump through the roof and keep going! I'll follow with Ulfric and the others when I can. Go now, and stay safe." He nodded and ran back down the stairs to the others. Shar took a shaky breath and looked down at the building in flames. 1…2…3! Shar pushed against the edge of the tower with all of her strength, and for a moment, she was flying.
If this is what the dragon feels, how could he ever be so angry? This is…. Amazing! Her body felt light, and there was a euphoric feeling in her heart. Then the moment was gone, and she was plummeting toward the wooden floor of the building. Shar bent her knees, and lifted her bound arms above her head to protect her face. She hit the floor and rolled, jarring her elbow on the hard flood that thankfully didn't collapse under the strain of its sudden new weight. She hopped to her feet, shaking her arm as she ran through the wreckage of the building. There was a hole at the other end of the floor, and she could see the light of the day filtering up through it. She reached the edge of the hole and dropped down to a dirt floor and an empty doorframe directly ahead of her. Shar ran into the harsh glow of fire and sun, eyes squinting. Ahead of her was an old man crouched behind a building for cover. In the road, the Imperial man that had had the list was beckoning to the young boy who had asked to watch the soldiers earlier. The boy was crouching over his father, who was laying on the road. As Shar made her way closer, she could see blood pooled in the street around him.
"Haming, you need to get over here! Now!" the Imperial man yelled as the dragon loomed closer. The boy, Haming, reluctantly left his father's side and ran to the man, grabbing his outstretched hand. As the two met, the dragon landed in the street next to the injured man, its eyes meeting Shar's once more. The imperial pulled Haming behind the rubble of the building, and Shar dove under its cover as the dragon loosed another vortex of flame down the street. The man hugged the boys head to his chest, muttering "That 'a boy."
"But Hadvar, what about my father?!" the boy cried, pushing himself away from the soldier.
"I'm sorry boy." The man, Hadvar, said solemnly. "Even Thorald couldn't have made it through that blaze." The boy dropped to the ground, a stunned look on his tiny, soot-covered face.
"Mama didn't make it out of our house. I'm all alone now…" Tears began falling silently down his face, and the old man, who Shar could now see was blind in his right eye, rubbed the boy on his back.
"Chin up boy. There will be time for mourning after we're safe." Hadvar finally noticed Shar crouched against the crumbled wall of the wooden building.
"Still alive prisoner? Keep close to me and you'll stay that way." He turned to the old man and the boy. "Gunnar, take care of the boy. I have to find General Tullius and join the defense." The old man nodded and helped the boy to his feet, handing him a dagger.
"Gods guide you Hadvar." Hadvar shook hands with Gunnar and motioned for Shar to follow him. Well, he is my best shot at making it out of here right now. I don't think he would lead me into a trap.
The two ran down the dirt street, past the still smoldering body of Haming's father Thorald. They snuck between the stone structure of the base of a house, and a section of the fortress wall.
"To the wall! And stay close!" Hadvar yelled back to her as the dragon swooped overhead. No sooner had they pressed themselves against the wall, when the dragon landed with a thud directly above them. Shar watched as the claw at the tip of its wing dug into the ground just in front of where she stood. She looked at Hadvar, and could see sweat dripping from his chin and nose as he looked at the dragon, a terrified gleam in his eyes. The great beast screamed and more flame shot from its mouth down the road ahead. Arrows and streams of blue light shot over the wall of another burning building, hitting the dragon in the face. It let out an angry roar and launched itself into the sky, sending stone chips and dust raining down on Shar and Hadvar. "Quickly, follow me!" Hadvar cried as he bounded up the path. Shar followed as he turned into the remains of a house, the walls still ablaze. They zigzagged through the rubble, emerging in front of the gates of the village. In front of them were a group of Imperials, and a wounded villager. One imperial tended to the man's wounds, one fired arrows into the air as the dragon screamed overhead, two were making ice and fire shoot from their hands at the creature, and the last man was General Tullius. The General saw the two approaching, and motioned wildly for them to get away.
"Into the Keep!" he yelled over confusion. Hadvar paused, clearly hesitant to leave.
"Come on!" Shar yelled to him, "Surely you don't want to die like this?!" Hadvar didn't even acknowledge that she had spoken, infuriating Shar. Losing patience, she stepped over the sooty ground and hit him in the chest with her clenched hands. Hadvar stumbled backward, and turned toward the girl. His face twisted into a glare he stepped toward her, but before he could do anything, the wounded man behind him grabbed his ankle.
Hadvar turned to look as the man weakly said "Save yourself." Hadvar's glare dissipated into a tired sigh. He nodded and motioned for Shar to follow once more. Still fuming, she followed him around the curve of the inner wall.
"It's you and me prisoner, so stay close." He yelled back to her as they ducked under an archway in the wall. Ahead of them was another courtyard, and two separate entrances to the Keep. As they made their way quickly through the courtyard, a figure in blue wiggled out of the rubble.
"Ralof!" the two cried, though with very different emotions. "You damn traitor! Out of my way!" Hadvar shoved past Ralof toward the far entrance into the keep.
"We're escaping Hadvar." Ralof said as the other man walked away. "You're not stopping us this time."
Hadvar turned and screamed, "Fine! I hope that dragon sends you all to Sovngarde!" before going to help the archers that surrounded the courtyard. Ralof turned to Shar and clapped a hand on her shoulder.
"Come on, into the keep!" Shar nodded and the two of them ran through the nearest door into the relative safety of the stone fortress.