Chapter 13

Dulce Et Decorum Est

"The only way to stop another holocaust is to remember the first."

-Elie Wiesel

I should not remember what I do remember. I thought unconsciousness was supposed to be a gap in the memory, so I'm unsure of whether to call what happened to me unconsciousness or something else.

I remember that my body was sprawled out beneath me, assuming the T shape, as if I were to be crucified.

How odd it was to see the crypt I was in! Below me, I could see the room, but when I looked straight ahead, there was darkness.

However, I was not the only one present in the lonely abyss. I was light.

The beast was huge, and it looked familiar to me. I couldn't forget this creature, for it was the one I saw when I was killed in Sparta. Though it had been years; years that had weighed heavily and corroded memories far more fleeting than a dream or prophecy, I remembered everything about this creature as soon as my eyes found it again: The crimson markings were all in the same places as the first time I saw it. Its scales were otherwise a brilliant white.

The creature itself seemed blinding, as if I were having an audience with Apollo.

As I did so many years before, I steeled myself to fight. The beast, however, made no movement.

It Spoke to me.

"Drem yol lok, Dovahkiin."

I said nothing, and only stared as the creature eyed me. From below, I could hear crickets chirping.

I could swear it began to grin at me. I did what I could to move away from it, though I now found myself near paralyzed. Could I, a Spartan warrior, truly be fearful of such a creature? I would bring shame to my ancestors.

"Nii los seik wah ahfon."

This time, I responded. "I do not understand you, beast. Just who are you?"

The beast, in spite of the horrifying teeth in its maw, the thick scale hide that looked impenetrable, and the eyes which hid so much from me, still managed to smile gently.

"Bormahu."

I only stared blankly. The creature continued to Speak, and I remained silent at its words. With each word formed by its mouth, I felt something alien awaken in me a little bit more. While listening intently, hoping to find meaning in what meant nothing to me at the time, my mind was also wandering.

"Dovahkiin yah fin Dovahgolz."

My eyes glanced down at my still form, then the cursed wall. Suddenly I felt myself dropping slowly. The world began to fill in around me and the beast began to vanish.

Its Words to me next, however, were quite clear.

"Krif voth ahkrin, krif voth FUS!"

Suddenly I drew breath and exhaled with a shout. My body hitched, and I was me again. The wall no longer glowed, though I could feel heat coming off of it, even being a meter or so away.

There was a loud crack, and then a thud behind me. I whirled around. The coffin was opening. I braced myself for the fight, picking up my blade hastily in the process.

Another draugr climbed out of the coffin, but something was strange. This one was different. Even being human, I was almost able to sense the power coming off the creature. It wore a thick black helmet, but its face was unprotected. On its hip, a blade, and on its ankle, I saw a small knife. Through some type of witchery this creature actually radiated darkness; what amounted to dark flames licked at its shoulders and skull. Still, I foolishly made an assumption, and it was that this draugr would be defensive, like the others I'd at then fought.

I was dead wrong. With quick reflexes, it pulled a well balanced blade from behind it and tossed it at me. I barely had time to react, and the blade ended up catching me in my arm- the very same I was using for my swordplay. Pain blossomed in it as blood began to spurt out of the wound. I fought back my groan and kept my face stoic, but I pulled the blade free. It had gotten stuck in the bone.

The momentary lapse in my concentration was all the draugr needed. It closed the space between us and tackled me, knocking my sword out of my hand and the throwing knife away from me.

We rolled towards the wall, which remained warm. The draugr was atop me and I flashed back to that day so many years ago, when I was beset upon by the wolf. Like I did as a child, I attempted to grapple the draugr's head so I may snap its neck, but it was quick. In an instant it had me by the shoulders and it slammed me back into the ground. My head impacted the floor behind me and lights invaded my vision.

I wasn't going to let myself become distracted by the stars or even the pretty colors. I threw a sloppy punch at the draugr, and though my fist did not hit, my arm managed to jostle it out of whatever its next move was going to be.

In retaliation, it threw a punch back at me, and then slammed me into the ground again. By some stroke of luck, the attack brought my sense back to me. I threw a punch with my wounded arm (earning another spurt of blood from it), followed through with a smack by the side of my shield, and then with a heave, I kicked the creature off of me and swiftly regained my feet.

Before I could take advantage of the upper hand, however, I realized my error. I'd stood up too quickly and a rush of dizziness overtook me. Though I did not fall back down, the delay was all it took for the draugr to regain itself and face me again. Once more, it charged me, and I cursed myself. In my haste to regain my feet, I failed to retrieve my blade.

Again the draugr had me by the shoulders, and this time it shoved me into the wall, where my back felt hot at the touch. I saw a blade in its hand, dark as a starless night. There were twelve tallies adorning it. Though the draugr had no lips, I could swear it was grinning evilly at me.

"Hei los dii borii andiiv," it uttered in a foul, scratchy voice. It went to bring the knife into my heart, but I wasn't through yet. With a jerk, I managed to knock the blade out of its hand with my shield. Then, I used the wall I'd been pressed against to my advantage. I pushed off of it and forced the draugr several steps back, but not before I stole the sword from its hip. I scowled at my new weapon. Though the knife looked gorgeous, this sword seemed no different than mine.

"Ronak bo fah aan joor," it said. "Sovngarde saraan!"

In a fluid motion, my enemy picked the blade I'd dropped from the dirt, and it closed the distance between us.

Its moves were quick and calculated, and when I say quick, I mean quick. I could barely keep up with it. I was blocking its attacks with my shield and rarely had a chance to strike back. Any attack I did make was deflected by the blade that I'd carried through most of the tomb.

I recall, for a brief, fleeting moment, that I wondered if the battle was to end with me the victor at all. I feared this draugr. It attacked me with more ferocity than the black beast of Helgen did. I'd never seen anything quite like it at that point in my journey.

It wasn't until the bastard made one small error that my fear left me. It pulled its blade back to stab at me, which left it open for just a moment. It was all I needed to manage a quick slice across its abdomen. I cut through its armor easily, but the injury I inflicted was far from lethal. The only response I got was a grunt. Oh, and also the attack. It still stabbed at me. I managed to block with my shield, but the draugr followed through quickly. Another slice from the creature opened up a wound on my leg, and through reflex it buckled.

Again the draugr grabbed my shoulders. Before I could gut it, it whirled me around, and tossed me around a meter away such that its back was facing the wall. I brought myself to my feet again. Sweat was covering my body and stinging my gashes. I was losing blood and my head pounded.

"Fus..."

That word. The beast of my dream uttered that word too. What was happening?

All I heard next was, "Ro," followed by what I thought was an explosion. After that, I could hear nothing but ringing and hissing. A shockwave caught me and sent me flying back. I landed against the coffin this cursed draugr came from, but even that was not enough to dispel my backward momentum. I was carried over it.

For a moment, I managed to catch a glimpse of a plaque lying in the coffin. Something told me that was exactly what I was looking for. Meanwhile, my quiver had broken and my arrows had scattered everywhere from where I'd been standing to where I was to land.

I fell past the flight of stairs I'd climbed to get to the wall, and landed on my shield arm. I couldn't hear it, but I could feel the snap of bone in three seperate places. I rolled down the slope to a stop, and spared a look at the arm I'd landed on. The pain was enormous. Whether I stifled my groans or not, I'll never know. My hearing would not return to me. My blade? It was nowhere to be found. If losing swords were an olympic sport, I'd win the gold medal.

I barely had the energy to move any more. Killed by a dead man! Pathetic, Mia Tuk! I silently cursed myself while I writhed about on the ground. Above me, the draugr stared, as if disappointed. It held its throwing knife again, but hesitated. The throw went wide, though not through lack of skill.

I still could hear nothing, and I began, with my unbroken arm, to claw my way towards the stairs. If I was to die here, I wasn't going to go out cowering.

The draugr even seemed somewhat impressed. It had begun walking down the steps to finish me. I clawed my way up to meet him, and gripped his ankle with my good arm.

The creature had no mercy, and I expected none. It grabbed me by the neck with its blade hand (it had retired the blade to its sheath, and also retrieved its knife), and tossed me to the coffin again. I caught the corner with my ribs, and though they didn't break, they were badly bruised.

I was half propped up against the coffin, eyeing my prize. It was so close. I could take the tablet and flee, but if I fled a battle I'd be spitting in the face of my ancestors. I would never forgive myself.

The draugr turned me about, and it drew its knife once more. My back against the coffin, it prepared to deliver the coup de grâce. With one hand it steadied me. The other, it began to plunge the blade downward to my chest. I caught it with my unbroken arm, and though the pain was intense and blood began running from my throwing knife wound anew, I kept fighting against the creature.

Exhausion burned my muscles and gradually I was losing this fight. The knife sunk closer and closer to my breast, and I considered my options. My shield arm was broken, so I couldn't knock him away. I couldn't let go of his hand or I would be killed, and I couldn't force him away, as my center of balance was off.

I spared one final look at the tablet I was sent to retrieve. Shame. What would mother think? I wished to apologize to her. Images of her ran through my head as time seemed to slow down again. Her graceful jumps when we trained, her kind, loving smile, her pride in my dedication and discipline, her training me to knock an arrow...

The idea came to me, and I looked at my other side, down at the foot of the coffin. There were a few arrows in it. If I could just get to one...

If I let go of his hand, though, I wouldn't live long enough to retaliate. I considered the fierce ache of my broken arm, and heaved a sigh. This was going to hurt.

I forced life into my broken arm again and managed to slide it between the draugr and myself. Though it was still capable of stabbing me, the shield bought me some time before it could drive the blade all the way into my chest. With my other hand, I went for an arrow.

I felt the cold kiss of the knife, however. It slowly pierced my left breast. I could feel it straining its way between two ribs, and though it hadn't hit a vital organ yet, I still felt faint.

That was when I brought the arrow into its left eye. Almost instantly, the creature lurched up and away from me. Though I could not hear it, I knew it was shrieking in pain.

The draugr stumbled away from me as it tried to pull the arrow out of its eye, and I collapsed to my knees. My broken arm hung useless at my side, and the draugr's blade was partially embedded in my chest still.

I'd not begun coughing up blood yet, though, which was a good sign. I spared a look at the draugr. It was still trying to pull the arrow from its eye, and it was upon its knees facing away from me. I wouldn't have another chance. I swiftly recovered one more arrow and bit down on the shaft, and then I pulled the knife from my chest. With a final burst of energy, I spit the arrow aside, and I charged my enemy, stabbing it through the back of the neck with its own knife. I continued doing so until it collapsed in a heap under me.

Only when I was certain it was deceased did I roll to the side and onto my back. Blood was running from my wounds and my heart was pounding in my head. I could still hear nothing but hissing and whistling.

Though it was the last thing I wanted to do, I closed my eyes, and I do not know how long they were shut for. I do not know how long I was out for. When I came to again, a pool of blood had formed around me, but my wounds had finally coagulated.

I all but needed to be scraped from the ground. I glared at the dead draugr beside me for a moment, and then I took the blade I left embedded in its neck. It was a fine knife. I had every intention of keeping it.

I managed to get to my feet, but I was wobbly, and I needed a few breaks just to make the trip to the coffin. Finally, though, I retrieved the tablet, and I turned about, scanning once more to see if there was anything else to be pillaged.

That was when I noticed the doorway not far off from the wall. It was atop a slope, and was blocked by strong iron bars. Next to it, however, was a chain. I trudged to it, and using what little strength I had left, I pulled it, opening the way out. The tunnel had its twists and turns, but it cut my return trip to the surface down considerably. I'd come out of the barrow from a trapdoor hidden behind a tree. Though it took a few strikes (it had been overgrown and was locked), I managed to find my way out. I was quite near Riverwood, too.

For a healthy individual, the walk from where the temple had let out to Gerdur's house would have been ten or fifteen minutes. For me, however, it took over an hour. I kept having to stop and rest. My vision was swimming, and I still could hear nothing. I was regularly looking all around me to ensure nothing was sneaking up on me.

I looked like the walking dead. Many people that saw me wisely stood clear of me.

Finally, with nothing left in the tank, I made it back to Gerdur's house. Ralof was gone, but she was home, and she looked alarmed at my intrusion. Wearily, I held forth the tablet, and when she took it, I fell to the floor in a heap. Unconscious.

Again.

Gods damn it.

End of Chapter

2,904 words.

Maybe I should change the title of this story to Unconscious Simulator 2016. Something about that feels good. If only DayZ didn't have rights to it.

I kid. Weekend At Mia Tuk's!

Ahem. So, that draugr fight was a lot more fun to write about. Also, as one of you mentioned, Mia Tuk was getting it a little too easy, wasn't he? Spider gave him a boo boo last chapter, and a draugr said bad things to him, and Alduin took his lunch money...

Anyway, to the reviewer who mentioned that, I salute you. While we will still see Mia Tuk get through some fights fairly easily, it's not going to be all of them. Promise.

Spoiler alert: He attacks the wrong chicken, and it gets all of its chicken friends together and kills him Zelda style. If you don't know what I'm talking about, take my advice: Never attack the cuccos.

Next chapter covers Mia Tuk's recovery, returning to Whiterun, and then going on a field trip to a watch tower.