Chapter 3

Thud

"WHAT IN OBLIVION IS THAT!" Tulius screamed. Was he not listening?

The earth shook, stones losened and fell, and with a Shout, fire rained from the sky. Oh, and the headsman fell over. Didn't even give me that hair cut I asked for. Rude. I'm leaving a bad review.

Absolute panic. Archers began firing valleys of arrows and Alduin rose to the sky. Everyone was running around this way and that. It was all I could do to just stand there. Taking in the pandemonium.

"Over here!" Ralof cried from the other tower. I could see he, ulfric, and Aerana had taken shelter within. Well, seeing as the sky was falling, i might as well join them.

I rushed over, making sure not to trip over the rocks and debris. Someone slammed the heavy wooden door behind me. Air buffeted by back from the force of it.

"Was that a dragon?! Jarl Ulfric, could the legends be true?" Ralof directed at his dear leader.

"Legends don't burn down villages." Then his eyes glanced over Ralof, then Aerana, before settling on me. "You knew of this before it began. Are you a part of this?"

He had some intense eyes. Like a promise to drop the weight of the ocean on top if you should you displease him. I bet he's great at parties.

"I may have had an idea." Then the surrealism kicked in again. "But then I have many ideas! Not all of them good." Behind me walked a Stormcloak with the intention to climb the tower. As swiftly as I could, I turned and grabbed his shoulder. It was a bit awkward with my hands bound, but I managed.

He whirled around and cocked a punch. I flinched. What? He had like a solid 60Lb of muscle on me.

"What?!" he yelled. I could see he was shaking. I chose to forgive him. This was a very stressful situation.

"I wouldn't go up there if I were you." I said calmly. For some reason, this act seemed to have unnerved everyone present.

"W-why?" The soldier stuttered. I could feels the eyes of the room intensify. I tried to smile, but everyone present to stiffen. This was all so damn funny. I held up my hand, my fingers extended.

5

4

3

2

CRASH.

"Hmm. Seems I was a bit off." Anything else I could have said was cut off the explosion that threw rubble down the stairs. What felt like a wall of heat hit us and our eyes widened as the dragon's fire lit up the room. It's brightness overshadowing the meager torches present.

The man gaped in shock before collapsing to his knees. "Oh gods. Talos save us, that would have been me." Poor man sounded like he was about to cry. A thunderous shake informed me that Alduin had moved on from our derelict tower.

Without further delay, I pat the sobbing man on the back before started up the stairs.

"Wait! What are you doing?" Ralof exclaimed behind me.

"Uh, leaving?" I said like it was any other normal action.

"Is, is that safe?" he asked hesitantly. I was halfway up the steps at this point. Behind me, Aerana followed.

"Eh, probably not." I said back as I looked out the hole. It was around a 7ft fall to the ruined house. The tower wasn't very high, and I needed to get over to the burned out ceiling across from me.

Oddly enough, this was the part that made me hesitate. Dragons? No problem. Romans fighting Vikings? Sure thing. But, falling from a height? It wasn't the same. I couldn't apply the same level of cognitive dissonance. All things considered, despite this all being an end stage hallucination caused by my brain being shut down, it all felt very real.

But, that same part of my brain that seemed to kill my filter, also seems to have inhibited my impulse control. Before I could ponder more it, I had already jumped. Ralof's "Wait!" being heard behind me.

I landed somewhat rough. My knees buckling a bit before I landed in an awkward couch. I think I heard Ralof say something about "crazy madmen" then he said "Wait, where are you going". Before I heard a thud next to me.

"I'm going with him. He seems to know what's going on." She said. I couldn't help but notice she had landed significantly more gracefully then myself. I was a bit jealous.

"Mad! The lot of you" he shouted down at us. "We'll try to circle around. Try to get to the fort!"

I tried to wave at him but he had left already. Most likely to figure out how to get to the fort.

I walked out from the ruined house onto the burned deck. From there I began onto the burned up road. The imperial soldiers were too busy failing to hit the surprisingly nimble dragon. Seriously, Alduin was pulling off moves fit for a humming bird. I suppose he had to with the fact he was unmatched in dragon on dragon conflict.

It was at this point I came across Hadvar again. He was attempting to coax a child into safety.

The boys father lay in the ground. His stomach ripped open. He was holding the boy close. Likely whispering something soft into his sons ear. It was touching. Then Hadvar ripped the boy away and leapt to the side with him. A torrential cone of fire came down on the man.

And I watched as the skin boiled off his body. As the flesh and bone turned to ash. As all that was left but the frame of a chared skeleton. That…wasn't funny.

I felt phantom pains of my own similar demise. Was that all it took? Did I look like that right now? Oh god…how…am I still experiencing this dream?

I should be dead. Am I dead?

Oh god. I'm- "Hey" Aerana's voice pulled me from my thoughts. "We have to keep moving" she said, averting her gaze from the corpse.

No. Of course.

I must be alive still. This is all a dream. I read once that your mind can dilate time in your dreams. That must be it. In the real world, its been a few milliseconds at most.

I should continue the dream. Alduin had already moved on. The boy was sobbing in Hadvars arms, but I tried to walk past him. "wait! Where are you going?" he said.

And I paused, and Aerana paused behind me. Hadvar, despite how little the empire cared, was a good man. I was planning on going with Ralof. If I did that, Hadvar would die.

It wasn't explicitly stated in the game. But it was heavily implied. I could change his fate. It would be easy. But what would the point be?

This wasn't real. Aerana's existence alone proved that. She wasn't in the game. But, looking at Hadvar as he clutched the boy to his chest, I saw a man who wanted to do good in the world. As hell came from the sky, this man did his best to comfort a newly orphaned boy. Hadvar deserved better.

"Hadvar" I said calmly. It seemed like everyone always listens to the calm voice, because I had his rapt attention. "You remember how I knew about the dragon?"

If I didn't have his attention before, I certainly did now. "you did, didn't you. How" His voice gained an edge. The voice of a soldier and a man used to spilling blood. "Are you responsible for this?"

Aerana's ears were perked. She seemed to want answers as well.

I chuckled lightly, a move that did not ingratiate me. "No, I am not responsible. Alduin's return has prophesied for millennia. I just happen to be something of a sear. Or a lunatic. Or both." Hadvar looked a bit less hostile now, but Aerana looked confused. Hadvar's anger was replaced by confusion as well.

"And as a sear, I would offer some advice." I looked beyond them, to the busted town gate. "Take the boy from here. Circle around the town, and head to Folkreath. Inform the Jarl of what has happened here. They are allied with the imperials. Stick to the brush as much as you can. If you do that, you MIGHT survive." I must have been quite the site. My hands bound, a crazed smile on my face. But I had tried. If he followed me now, I wouldn't have any regrets.

With my peace said, I began to walk to the fort, and Aerana followed. Hadvar debated trying to stop me for a moment, but looked down to the child in his arms. I could hear his footsteps in the snow behind me. They were leaving.

Maybe they would make it. Maybe they would be eaten by a frostbite spider. It was out of my hands now.

Ralof was making his way through the rubble, and we met eyes as he stood before the fort. With a smile and a jerk of my head, I confirmed I would be traveling with him. And with me, Areana.

Now, to get myself a nice set of imperial armor.