Kyra's blade slices cleanly through the mans abdomen as she pulls the axe tied to her belt with her left hand and sends it spinning through the air. She catches the large armored orc charging towards her in the left eye knocking him backwards off his feet mid stride hitting the ground with a thud, dead. Kyra plants her boot on the other soldiers chest and rips her sword from his stomach.
She turns gripping her sword in both hands and brings it down onto the neck of a soldier attacking one of the Legion soldiers sent with her on this mission. She gets sprayed with blood as she twists on her heel and cleanly parts his head from his shoulders finishing him off.
Dripping blood Kyra marches up the steps of the small encampment built on the grounds of the once mighty fortress. Her sword in her right hand, she raises her left hand as it begins to glow a deep red hue. As she approaches the gates to the fenced in cell she makes a fist as the wooden gates begin to tremble.
Kyra turns her clenched fist up and towards her shoulder in a curling motion. Her arm tightly flexed muscles showing through her black armor as the wooden gates explode off their hinges and clatter to the ground. The prisoners begin spilling out of the makeshift pen and running down the steps a few pausing to attack nearby captors.
Kyra drives her sword into a guards back, her left hand circling around his neck and cupping his chin arching his back and pulling him towards her as she thrusts the blade through his spine and out through his chest. She yanks her sword out and pushes him off the staircase continuing her relentless march towards victory.
A soldier charges at her from behind his axe raised high above his head, Kyra turns in place her blade coming up in the hastily narrowing gap between them and braces herself as the attacker throws himself on her sword. She reaches up with her left hand holding his axe above his head as she watches him die, their eyes only inches from one another's, as he struggles against her.
His eyes are wide with pain as she retrieves her sword from his body and pushes him back, the soldier stiffly falling like a downed tree. She lashes out with her sword again her blade cutting across a soldiers face as it sings through the air.
She turns and looks down the long staircase at the bodies scattered down its steps. Freed prisoners were already stacking the bodies of their captors, raising salvaged swords and celebrating with loud shouts of victory.
Kyra sheaths her sword in its scabbard and puts both hands on her knees exhaling slowly trying to slow her heart rate. She watches the droplets of blood and sweat drip from her armor and hair, dripping one by one on the cobblestone. She can hear the sound of each drop as she lets her eyes close and tries to slow her breathing.
"Dragonborn!" The shout shatters her focus as she looks up straightening to her full height and wiping her forehead with her arm. The man approaches her clasping her gloved hand and shaking it vigorously.
"I can't express my gratitude for rescuing my men and I." Kyra nods extricating her hand and smiles.
"You're most welcome." She claps her hand on his shoulder and walks past him as he shouts his thanks again after her.
"That was some display." A voice says as a figure emerges from a dark corner of the walkway coming around a column of stone, Kyra turns in place drawing her blood stained sword.
"Easy Dragonborn." A pretty brunette makes her way into the light and smiles, Lya.
"I'll be damned." Kyra says as the two young women spread their arms and embrace. Kyra lifts Lya off the ground as they hug tighter. They part and step back looking each other over, both sheathing their swords in near perfect sync.
"Lya, by the gods, what are you doing here?" They turn in place at the same time arms sliding around each other. They both take the circular walkway towards the stairs leading to the fortress' main courtyard.
"You said I should come see Skyrim, here I am." Lya says with a coy smile Kyra rolls her eyes.
"Just to see me huh?"
"Ye-ok no. I hitched a ride with some adventurer types, they're looking for this charm they called it um - Geldars' Amulet." Kyra stops in place cocking her head eyes narrowing quizzically.
"Gauldars Amulet." Kyra corrects as they resume the moonlit walk down the cobblestone steps, Imperial soldiers carrying corpses brushing by them.
"Yea that."
"And they needed a thief whose as good at finding the thing as she is spotting the traps protecting it." Kyra says finishing the most logical path on her own.
"Exactly. Must be some treasure to pay my fee plus the travel from Cyrodiil, know anything about it?" They take the steps one at a time in no real rush, absorbed in their conversation.
"A bit. I found one fragment of it during some work I did for the College of Winterhold." Lya puts her hand on Kyra's shoulder stopping her.
"You have a piece of it?" Kyra spots the gleam in Lyas eyes, she was back on the hunt. They continue across the courtyard walking under the main archway and down the path lit by the moonlight leading away from the fortress.
"Come on kid, don't show up after a year and treat me like an idiot." Kyra says fixing her nearest thing to a sister with her sideways older sister like stare.
"Ok so they told me the College had found and catalogued a chunk of it, and you mentioned in your letter you were doing some work for the College..." Lya says, her voice trailing off giving Kyra an awkward "caught me" smile.
"You saw you had an in." Kyra says finishing Lyas sentence again.
"Yea sorry it's really good to see you though." Lya says shoving Kyra a little bumping her shoulder against hers. Kyra stumbles a step and easily regains her stride managing a smile, not feeling too bad about it.
"You too."
"So big sister, you're the Dragonborn. You defeated a dragon, loved that bit by the way, you fight like Pelagius the Mad which was a stunning display of swordsmanship if I may say so..."
"You may." Kyra says with a prideful smirk as they pass the stables, a wolf howls in the distance.
"You've come a long way from hunting down the Dominion. How's Aela?"
"Alright I guess, she wants to move to the Capitol."
"Cyrodiil?" Lya asks perking up at the hope of having her best friend home again, helping rebuild the long since sacked Imperial City, things just haven't been the same since she left.
"Solitude. She wants me to think of her daughter. You know, education, opportunities, friends..."
"The normal life." Lya finishes as the pair walk along the running river the road runs beside.
"Yeah because I'm normal." Kyra rolls her eyes and kicks a small rock with her boot.
"Well we're too young and beautiful for settling down." Lya says resting her hand on the hilt of her sword.
"Yea things are a little serious between us I guess."
"Too serious?" Lya asks looking sideways at the girl who always took care of her.
"A little I guess." Kyra says after a long pause, looking at the ground as they walk a thoughtful expression on her face.
"Since when has anyone dictated your life for you? I'm disappointed." Kyra blows the air from her lungs and her shoulders relax.
"God I've missed having someone to talk to." Kyra says with a relieved smile and puts her arm around Lyas shoulders. They both stop in place at the same time looking around.
"Kyra?"
"Yea, I just realized it too."
"Where are we?"
"I have no idea."
