Chapter 5

It was while we were making our way deeper into the fort it that happened. As we came around the doorway to the hall. A group of imperials noticed us. Before I could stop her Aerana charged at them, flame spell leaving her hands. I didn't have time to think.

I sprinted past her to get in the way of her path, but I had ran too far. Alduin roared from above, and the ceiling shook. Dust from the failed mortar was my only warning. With a loud crack the wood support beams gave out.

The last thing I saw was her shocked face as I pushed her back. Then a brief pain, and darkness.

I felt a sensation like being quickly dropped in an ice cold pool, before I could see again. I blinked, extremely confused.

"Your pretty weak, mister Sheogorath." Someone said.

I blinked again, and saw that it was Aerana. Her hands were still bound. A quick inspection showed that my hands were also bound.

"What, nothing to say? You hit your head or something, or are you actually crazy?" She was waiting for a response.

Ralof made his way across the room, and found the dead storm cloak again. "Come over hear, both of you. Let's get your hands untied. After that, one of you take that armor. Gunjar won't be needing it. Give that axe a few swings." Aerana didn't waste any time. I followed her example.

I was, really grasping at straws here. With my hands unbound, I picked up the axe. The site of an imperial soldier screaming, his arm nearly chopped off passed through my head and I dropped the axe.

"Easy" said Ralof from the gate to the lower section. "Get a firm grip on it. You drop that in battle, your dead. Understand?"

I nodded and picked it back up .

"Blast! Locked" Said Ralof. "Look around. See if you can find a key." Aerana began looking around the room.

"The Imperial Captain has it." I said. Both Ralof, and Aerana turned to me. "She and a regular legionnaire will be here in a moment".

Aerana quirked a small smile. "This your famed site? Oh wise Sear?" she asked. It was clear from her tone of voice she was thought I was full of shit.

But she was forced to eat her words when we heard an increasingly annoying voice.

"There! The escaped prisoners!"

"By shor!" Ralof exclaimed. "A sear! Truly?" He readied himself for the coming fight.

"It would appear so, interesting." Aerana said back. Fire sparking in her hand. It was all happening again. This was what happened before.

If I hurried I could stop the soldiers death. The gate opened and I acted. I bolted forward. Shoulder shoving him out of the way of Aerana's magic. We tumbled to the floor, and The Centurion Captain engaged the two like before.

From the floor, I looked on. I could do it this time. I had saved the man. Now I need only-"Guh!" I cried.

He, he stabbed me! From our position on the floor, while I was distracted. He had taken his sword and stabbed me in the gut. That bastard!

"I-I was t-trying to save" I had to spit up blood. " you. She was going" -Cough- "Was going to throw you into the fire. Why?" But his eyes, once so full of understanding, were cold now.

"Shut up, damn rebel" his voice was neutral. He didn't care. I was just another enemy to him. I cried out in pain as he pulled his blade out. Oh god, it was pulling on one of my organs. Oh god. It hurt so much! It was worse than the fire!

With the fire, I only felt pain until my nerves had burned away. I could feel everything. I was bleeding out so slow. I could see that the fight was now 2 on 2. And my side started to lose. Ralof took the first hit. He couldn't block two blades at once. Not with only one weapon. A nic to the back of the calf was all it took. He fell to one knee, and his headless torso fell a moment later.

Aerana didn't last much longer. She had a slight advantage with range, but the room was small and circular. She put up a good fight, trying to focus on the more lightly armored foe. But that cost her, when the Centurion Captain drove her blade up through Aerana's chest. The Captain the roughly pulled her blade out, and Aerana whimpered in pain as she fell to the floor face down.

Then the two used the key on the gate, and left. Those bastards! They left us to bleed out! Those fucking bastards! After we gave them mercy! After we made sure they didn't do the same! The irony of it hit me like a truck.

"Ha…haha…hahaha." Once I started, I couldn't stop. What hell was this? I cranes my head over to see Aerana. She was crawling to the discarded iron dagger. The one Ralof offered her. I guess she didn't know healing magic after all.

Blood seeped out her mouth, and she left a trail along the ground as she crawled. Once she got to it, I understood. She placed it against her neck, and squinted her eyes.

"Wait!" I rasped. She paused, and looked at my sorry state. At how I lay on my back, guts protruding from me. "Can I use that when you done?" I asked.

Amazingly, she tried to laugh. Seems I was making progress. Blood erupted from her mouth at the action. But she laughed again. She raised it to her throat, and with one final chuckle, she ripped it across. While the light left her, she weakly tossed the knife my way.

I felt that jealousy again as it clattered just a few inches from my hand. I wish I was so graceful. I heard one final gurgled laugh, before there was just the sound of my pained wheezes. I took the dagger in my hand, and brought it to my neck. It was covered in blood. Her blood. One last chuckle was heard in the room, before there was silence.

We laugh, because something is wrong.