The Legend of Zelda: Skyrim - Chapter 1: Awakening
To those of you who have read this before: Yes, this is a re-write. I know it took me over a year but hey, I finally got around to it. Thanks to Xero I'm better at writing now and I hope the rewrites of this and the first 2 other chapters (up to chapter 3) look better. Anyway, I'll let all of you get reading.
Reviews for 1-3 on and past today (2-12-21) are for the new 1-3 chapters. Reviews before this are for the old chapters.
His first notion of anything at all was that his head hurt. It felt as if he had been whacked upside the head with a Lynel club, and when he tried to remember how he had received the blow, he couldn't remember anything. The second thing he noticed was that he felt as if he was being jolted back and forth, as if he was sitting in a horse drawn cart. Then, he heard the creaking of wooden wheels, hoofbeats, and snorting, and deemed that he was, in fact, in a horse drawn cart. He then began to hear voices.
"Hey, I think he's finally waking up."
"Thank the gods. I thought they killed him."
"That wound they gave him hasn't seemed to heal much. Looks bad."
"It does."
The voices belonged to two men, they both sounded concerned at least, and as the Hero of Twilight tried to figure out his current surroundings, he realized three things. One, he felt rather cold; two, he felt as if he wasn't wearing much, and that he seemed to be unarmed; and three, judging by how stiff and sore he felt, he had been sitting in the same position for quite some time.
'...Where am I? I don't remember how I got here, wherever this is.'A flash of pain stopped his thoughts for a while. '...Ow...Nay, my head...Hurts too much to think straight...'As Link became more and more aware of his current surroundings, he figured he might as well try to figure out his current condition. 'Let's see...there's my head wound...feels like someone wrapped cloth bandages around my head, something tells me they might be soaked through with blood, though. My hands are bound with...rope? Why are my hands bound? I'm so confused...'
The darkness of his vision flashed white for a second before it became dark again.
"Take it easy, lad, they hit you pretty hard."
'No Din they hit me - wait, who are 'they'?' The darkness began to recede and Link tried to remain calm as his vision returned. He didn't know what situation he was in, only that it wasn't good.
"You saw the blood fly when they hit him, right? Surprised he didn't die there and then."
"He's awake now and that's what matters."
He found himself looking at a round eared human with a thick mane of blonde hair and blue eyes. The man was wearing some sort of armor and his hands were bound with rope, when he saw Link looking at him, he smiled. "Good. I was wondering when you would wake up. Try to focus on something, get your bearings."
Link thought about not heeding the man's advice for a moment, but then looked up and saw massive pine trees passing overhead. His vision blurred and then slowly focused as birds flew across his line of sight and he lowered his gaze back to the man sitting before him.
"My name's Ralof." Ralof turned his head to look at the man in rags seated and bound next to him. "And this horse thief is Lokir."
Lokir glared at Ralof in silence before moving his gaze to Link. "The guards sure worked you over, kid. I really thought they killed you, but I guess not."
Ralof nodded. "I told those Imperial soldiers you weren't with us, but they just grabbed you after they injured you. You attacked in self defense, of course, but they didn't care. That was two days ago."
'Two days ago? Holy Eldin, and I've been asleep this entire time? Just how hard was I hit?'Link found that he had a lot of questions he wanted to ask, but the one he asked first was merely "...Imperial?" It somewhat hurt to speak and he realized that he wanted - no, needed- something to drink, but he knew the person driving the cart wouldn't give him anything, so he stayed quiet about it.
Ralof nodded. "Soldiers from Cyrodiil, south of Skyrim. That's where you are now, by the way. What's your name? First will do for now."
The Hylian instead gave Ralof his first and last name. "Link Farmanne. I've never heard of Skyrim or Cyrodiil, are they close to Hyrule by any chance?"
Ralof and Lokir looked at each other before they moved their gazes back to Link. Lokir spoke first. "Hyrule? Where is that? Never heard of the place. Is that where you're from?"
Link nodded. "Yes." His gaze flickered between the two older men. "You mean neither of you have heard of..." His voice faltered when he saw them shake their heads.
Ralof smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, lad. Wherever this Hyrule is, no one outside of Tamriel has heard of it, that I'm certain of. Tamriel is made up of lots of different provinces, Skyrim and Cyrodiil being two of many. There are nine holds in Skyrim; the Pale, Eastmarch, Haafingar, Hjaalmarch, Falkreath, the Reach, Whiterun, the Rift, and Winterhold. Each hold has a main city, and is ruled over by a Jarl. A person of leadership. We're in Falkreath hold now, near the village of Helgen."
'Right...so this Skyrim seens massive then. Interesting.'Link realized Lokir had asked him something and he gazed at the man in confusion. "What?"
"I said, how old are you?"
"Seventeen. Why?"
"Just wondered, that's all."
The Hylian then looked down to see just how well these Imperials had bound his hands, only to find that he was now wearing mere rags, and that he had been disarmed.
"Only now just realized? Soon as they hit you, they dressed you in rags, bound you, wrapped that head wound, and threw you on this cart with us." Link looked up to find Ralof looking at him. "How's the head wound, by the way?"
"I've had worse. Being accused of...whatever got me into this situation...It's nothing, really."
The person driving the cart seemed to have gotten annoyed with the three talking, as he turned his head and said "Shut up back there" before he turned back around and continued driving the cart.
"Seems like everyone is on edge today, aren't they." Ralof glared at the cart driver for a second before he then looked up at the sky.
Lokir spoke up next. "Wait, who's that gagged fellow on the cart, he looks familiar."
There was a man sitting next to Link, wearing rich clothing with a white cloth around his mouth. He was looking down and frowning to himself before he moved his brown eyed gaze to Lokir and Ralof, who reprimanded Lokir.
"Watch your tongue, you're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King."
Lokir's eyes widened. "That's the man who used the Voice to murder High King Torygg? The leader of the rebellion? Hey! You! Ulfric! You traitor! You're the reason we're here!"
Ralof merely sighed, closed his eyes, and leaned his head against the side of the cart. "You know he's going to ask questions now. I hope you're prepared to answer them." Ralof opened his eyes and looked at Link. "Go on. Ask away."
"What is this voice?"
Lokir didn't answer Link for a second, but then spoke. "It's some power where you can use your voice to do various things. I don't know the details, only that the man sitting next to you killed High King Torygg with it. I already know what you're gonna ask next, so don't even ask. A High King is someone that rules over Skyrim, chosen by the Moot, which is a council of sorts. And as for the rebellion, call it a Civil War, because that's what it is."
Ralof had closed his eyes again. "At least Sovngarde will be waiting for us, our ancestors, feasting, drinking mead."
Lokir nodded. "Gods, what I wouldn't give for some mead right now." He eyed Link and seemed to study him a bit before he spoke. "What brings you into the cold grip of the Empire anyway? I know you're not one of the rebels."
"I don't remember how I got here, so I'm afraid I can't tell you that."
Ralof opened his eyes and sat up straight. "You don't remember at all?"
Link shook his head slightly, mindful of his head wound. "No. Do you know what happened?"
Ralof and Lokir eyed each other before Lokir spoke. "From what I understand, the Stormcloaks were trying to escape through the Jerall Mountains to the south, when they were ambushed by Imperials. Somehow, you showed up, fought the Imperials in self defense - I watched you fight by the way, you seem to know how to fight - before they got the better of you."
"What's Sovngarde?"
Ralof spoke up. "A place where you can feast and drink mead forever. It's where warriors go after they die, their spirits living forever, living in the Hall of Valor, a massive building said to only be accessed by crossing a bridge made of bones."
"So it's like the Sacred Realm then...Well, maybe not the bridge of bones part, but spirits live forever there. Each race of Hyrule has their own afterlife, but my people, Hylians, believe in the Sacred Realm."
Ralof then spoke to Lokir. "What Hold are you from, horsethief? Whiterun? The Reach? Haafingar?"
Lokir glared at Ralof before answering him. "Rorikstead, I'm from Rorikstead, why do you care?"
"Because there won't be any Holds once the Empire has its way. No Jarls to rule over, just Legion soldiers and martial law. Every man, woman, and child in Skyrim is marked in this rebellion, horsethief. Everyone has to fight for the freedom of the nine Holds."
Lokir glanced at Ralof. "Freedom of the nine Holds"? I don't remember the Empire sweeping up every cutpurse in Skyrim before you bastards started butchering their soldiers."
Link thought about asking more questions, but given that the two older men were in a heated discussion, he decided to stay quiet and looked to his left, past the cart driver. Some sort of gate was coming into view and he figured they had reached Helgen.
Eventually, the cart reached the gate. There were a few soldiers walking around, as well as someone that looked important. The cart driver spoke to the man who was wearing golden armor. "General Tullius, sir! The Headsman is waiting!"
'Headsman...he doesn't surely mean...Does he?' He felt dread and fear course through him and his already quiet voice wavered when he finally spoke to Ralof. "Please don't tell me that's what I think it means."
Ralof only smiled sadly at him in answer and as the cart passed under the gate, Link saw the man that was called 'General Tullius' speaking to a woman who looked like a very tall Hylian painted in gold. It was hard to make out what they were saying.
"By the authority of the Thalmor, I'm taking..."
"I'm sorry, that's just not possible. That would cause far too many problems."
"You're making a terrible mistake. Your Emperor will hear of this, by the terminal White Gold Corndant, I will take full Imperial authority..."
'She seems pleasant to be around. ...Shame, really, that I could possibly die. I still have a lot to accomplish...Not that these people would care, of course...'
Link heard Ralof make a tsk sound and then the man muttered "Thalmor bitch" under his breath.
'Well, of course Skyrim would use some of the same curses, don't know why I'm surprised. I'll stick to my own variations for most of them though.'
The Hylian glanced at the woman before moving his gaze to Ralof. "She's...Thalmor? Who are they?"
Lokir spoke up. "I'll tell you what they are, they're all racist pricks who want to rule over men. They're the Aldmeri Dominion, who rule over the Summerset Isles to the southwest."
"This Aldmeri Dominion sounds powerful."
Lokir nodded. "It was. They tried to take over Cyrodiil twenty seven years ago, but failed, although the Imperial City fell then. The current Emperor, Titus Mede the Second, escaped with part of his forces and defeated the Thalmor a year later in the Battle of the Red Ring, thus allowing Mede to take back Cyrodiil."
Ralof then spoke to Link. "This is Helgen." The man looked around. "I used to be sweet on a girl from here, wonder if Vilod is still making that mead with juniper berries. Funny, when I was a boy, Imperial walls and towers used to make me feel so safe."
Around two minutes later, the cart passed by a house. A young boy and his father were standing on the steps, watching the cart roll by.
"Who are they, daddy? Where are they going?"
The man eyed Link for a moment, then spoke to his son. "You need to go inside, little cub."
The young boy looked up at his father. "Why? I want to watch the soldiers."
"Inside the house. Now."
The boy looked like he was going to protest, but then merely hung his head and began to walk towards the door of the house.
"Yes, papa."
The man continued to eye Link before he gave the Hylian a grim nod, then went inside his house.
The horse driving the cart began to act up, but then calmed down once the cart driver said "woah". As the cart drew closer to a free standing tower, a woman wearing armor walked up.
"Get these prisoners out of the cart. Move it!"
Lokir eyed the woman. "W-why are we stopping?"
As the cart started to slow down, Ralof responded. "What do you think? End of the line."
A few seconds later, the cart finally stopped before the tower and only then did Link notice that there had been another cart. It was beside the cart he was in, four occupants were getting up and getting off the cart. He noticed Ulfric stand up and the Hylian gazed up at the man in confusion, before he noticed that Lokir and Ralof had stood up as well.
"Let's go, shouldn't keep the Gods waiting for us." Ralof looked down at Link. "Do you need help getting up?"
'I have no idea what's going on...' Link stayed silent and shook his head in answer, before he somehow stood and looked around.
'Well, time to see what happens.'
And there you have it, the rewrite of chapter 1. Chapters 2 and 3 are gonna be a lot more interesting. Hope you enjoy the rewrites.
