Chapter 9: Hollow

The wind was cold and harsh. Snow fell all around them, covering everything like a frosty blanket. They could scarcely see a thing through their snow speckled lashes.

"Stick close!" Ralof yelled over the howling winds. "It's easy to get lost in a blizzard like this."

"It's a bit late for that," Said Kriger.

Ralof wanted to retort back, but he held his tongue. He was right. Not a single thing could be made out through all this blasted snow. For now the only thing they could do was stick close, and keep moving until the weather calmed, or they managed to find shelter. They didn't know how long this would last nor where they were headed; it didn't matter. They had no choice but to keep moving.

Silva shivered, and her teeth chattered. She clutched the fur blanket tightly around herself; It did little to keep the chill away, but it was better than nothing. "Arliss, how are you faring?" She asked.

He wasn't faring much better. He too, clutched a fur blanket around himself to try to keep warm. While he didn't shiver as much as she did; his legs sank deep and he was having trouble keeping up. "Tis' difficult to walk in such thick snow."

"Aww what's wrong foreigner?" Kriger taunted. "The cold too much for you?" In that moment the coldest thing in that blizzard was his voice.

"What's gotten into you Sir?" Silva asked defensively. A hint of fear could be found in her voice.

Kriger glared at the two strangers. "You." It was quiet at first. His voice almost smothered by the wind. "You shouldn't be here."

Ralof was taken aback by the sudden change of attitude in his fellow nord. "What are you saying brother?" He stepped forward taking position in between his foreign friends, and his kinsman. "They're our friends. Our brother and sister in binds. We escaped Helgen together! Does that not mean anything to you?"

Kriger looked at him cold and hard. "No. It doesn't."

The fierce winds quieted, but it was not calm. The still air chilled in an attempt to constrict the travelers, as if it knew the potency of the heavy silence.

"It's true we worked together to survive, but that doesn't mean a damn thing." He continued. "I'm not as naive as you, and I never agreed to their friendship. The truth of the matter is...I don't trust them, and I never have." He glared at the two strangers again. His cold blue eyes, always looking through them, always full of distrust. For a moment they flashed in an eerily bright glow.

Silva couldn't help but take a step back, nearly fumbling over the thick snow. "W-Why?" She tried to keep a calm facade, but she couldn't hide the shuddered breath that escaped as she spoke.

Kriger's hardened gaze didn't falter. "Because..." He paused. "I suspect you caused the dragon to appear in Helgen."

The words made Silva freeze. Her breath caught in her throat, and she felt as if she couldn't breath.

Arliss took position to support his Arisen. He stealthily grabbed his staff; his hand kept back just out of view of the confrontational nord.

Ralof returned a glare of his own to his kinsman. "That's ridiculous!"

"Is it?" Kriger asked. "First two people from some far away place no one's ever heard of show up as if out of thin air, and shortly after they get caught a dragon of all things shows up to their rescue!" No one could deny that it was true the circumstances surrounding their appearance was strange; the timing of their arrival coincided with the return of the dragons perfectly.

Ralof couldn't help giving the two strangers an odd look. He shifted uncomfortably, uncertainty in his eyes.

"Who are you really, Arisen? Pawn?" Kriger went on with his pointed questions. "Where do you really come from? How did you get here?" His mysterious nature, and the eery glow of his gaze seemed to permeate everything.

Silva suddenly felt naked, as if all her darkest secrets had been laid bare. Unable to stand it any longer she turned to Ralof, but to her horror the look on his face and in his eyes had twisted into one of distrust. She reached out to him. "Ralof, I..." As she stepped forward, he recoiled. Her fleeting hope of acceptance died in an instant. A harsh gust of wind picked up. Snow blurred her vision; all she could see was white. "Ralof! Arliss!...Kriger!" She called out helplessly, but alas nothing could be heard over the sound of the raging wind. Another gust threatened to blind her with snow. She shut her eyes tightly; when she opened them she found she was in a place that was far too familiar.

Complete, and utter nothingness stretched out as far as the eye could see. The only discernable thing in the vast expanse of rift was the throne upon which she sat. 'No.' She knew exactly where she was. 'No.' The birth place of life itself as well as the final destination of an Arisen's journey. The Terminus of the world entire. 'No.' It was also the most cursed prison one could ever have the misfortune of being confined to; a place far removed from what could even be called existence. 'No! No! No! This can't be happening!' Her hitched breath came out in shudders.

"Did you rest well Arisen?" Arliss asked. He didn't seem fazed at all, as if it was natural to be here. It very well may have been, but she didn't want to accept that. No. She couldn't accept it. She tried to get up, but her legs refused to listen. She managed to stand upon weak, wobbly legs, and collapsed as they gave out. "Master! Are you alright?" He was by her side in an instant. "Can you stand?" He offered his hand, but she refused to take it.

"Arliss..." Her voice was quiet; so quiet it almost wasn't heard. "Where are we?" She dreaded hearing the answer, but the question had already slipped from her lips.

"This is your chamber, Seneschal." He spoke; words she didn't want to hear. There was a hollowness which seemed to encompass everything in that moment.

She couldn't speak. Or rather, it was more that her mind refused to find the right words. 'What? How? Why?' They didn't seem quite right, but it was all she could think of. It felt like a long time before she finally spoke. "Arliss..."

He inclined his head towards her. "Yes Arisen?"

She paused again. Her mind still refusing the reality before her. She searched for words for what must have been an uncomfortably long time, but Arliss waited patiently. "What happened to Skyrim?"

He cocked his head to the side. "Sky-rim?" His speech was stilted; the word was foreign to him. "What is that?"

"Don't you remember? You were there too."

He looked at her in confusion. "I have never been to such a place."

"But, we were there."

Arliss looked into her pleading gaze. "Was that your dream?" He asked.

For a moment she stopped. It made perfect sense for it to be a dream, but it couldn't have been a dream. "No," She breathed. "It- wasn't a dream. It was real." It had to have been real. She felt it. The frigid air of Skyrim, the scratchy rope bound tightly around her wrists, the scorching heat of dragon flame, the cuts and grazes received in the recent battle; they were all real. She could recall it all so clearly. "It couldn't have been a dream. I felt it."

She could see genuine concern in his eyes. "Twas but a dream." His tone was meant to be reassuring, as if she had just awoken from a nightmare; it had the opposite effect on her. His hands moved softly over her shoulders in the hopes of calming her, but she reeled away from his touch.

"Why don't you believe me?" She looked at him feeling completely betrayed.

He didn't say anything to that, but he didn't need to; his eyes spoke for him. They spoke of worry and confusion, but also something akin to pity. At least at first it seemed to be pity, but beneath the mimicry of concern it hid itself. She thought that whatever it was made his eyes seem much colder than before. Once vibrant pools of blue green now reflected the void around them; they were hollow. After a moment he finally spoke. "I believe you must have had a vivid dream."

"No, you're wrong! You have to be wrong!" It was becoming difficult to breath. "It can't be! Not here! Not here..." Sobs wracked her body as reality finally began to set in. She felt his hand upon her back, and heard his soft voice; he was trying to comfort her. She looked up at him gratefully only to be met with cold, hollow eyes that feigned concern. He looked at her like she was a mad woman; she very well might have been given how hysterical she had become.

"This is where you're meant to be. You're where you belong Seneschal." He said.

A shiver ran down her spine. "No!" She shoved him away, and crawled back. He tried to offer his hands, but she didn't dare let him. "Don't touch me!"

He stepped back. "As you wish." He said; his voice monotoned.

She didn't even spare him a glance afore taking off into the void. She felt his eyes upon her back, but she didn't dare look back. In the deepest recesses of her mind she knew there was nowhere to go, but in that moment it didn't matter. She wanted to get away from that cursed throne; to get as much distance from there as possible. As far as she ran all that could be seen was grey nothing. It didn't take long before she decided she couldn't stand the hollow, empty rift any longer; anything was better than this. She stopped, falling to her knees in defeat.

"You're back."

She looked up; her eyes immediately drawn to him. His vibrant red cloak, and bright blue green eyes were a much needed sight in this dreary colorless place. "Yes." She sighed. Her gaze slowly drifted aside to the throne. It was the only defined thing here, but even then it barely stood apart from the rest of the rift. It seemed to be made of stone, and was just as grey as everything else. Reluctantly she decided to return to it. She took a step forward, then another, but stopped.

Still she refused to return to this kind of existence; she still had yet a small glimmer of hope left. In one last attempt to defy her destiny she turned away from the throne, and held out her hand. Gazing through the rift she willed it to move. It swirled about itself in hues of gray; light and shadow mingled until they became clouds. The vision in front of her changed from grey to white. Colors and shapes slowly started to become visible. She could see it; Skyrim.

"Do you see it Arliss? Tis' a land called Skyrim. It exists." She glanced back at him victoriously; he only stared blankly. She turned back to the land. Her will was to see. "Show them to me." As soon as she said it a gust of wind sprinkled snow across the rift; through it two blurred figures could be seen in a blizzard. "Be clear." The snow began to dissipate; soon enough Ralof and Kriger could be seen clearly. She looked back at Arliss. "Do you see them? Do you remember them?"

Arliss shook his head. "I'm afraid not Arisen."

Silva looked at him sadly, before turning back to Skyrim. She willed herself into existence and stepped through the rift.

"Hey we're in luck! That blizzard wasn't too bad!" Ralof smiled to his friend.

Kriger looked around. "Yeah, but I think we went the wrong way." They had not only walked off the beaten path, but they were now in the wilderness somewhere.

"It's fine." Said Ralof. "Nothing a bit of walking won't fix." He laughed.

Kriger continued scanning the area. His eyes searching for something that wasn't there. "Weird," He muttered.

"Something wrong?" Asked Ralof.

Kriger sighed. "It feels like something's missing." Ralof gave him an odd look. "Or maybe I've forgotten something."

Ralof rubbed his chin. "I don't think we forgot anything." He slapped him on the back. "You must be thinking too much! C'mon let's go."

Kriger glanced around once more before sighing. "Yeah, you're probably right." Without another word the two nords started moving forward.

"Here! I'm right here!" An unheard voice cried out. She tried to get ahold of them only to go right through them; it was as if she was a ghost. She stood in front of them but their eyes looked though her invisible form until they passed her by. Her heart sunk as she realized she didn't exist. Tears stung her eyes, and she fell to her knees wailing. She yelled at them and cursed her fate. The rift; without any chains or walls it kept her prisoner, and it didn't intend to let her go. As the two nords disappeared over the horizon the vivid scenery dissolved into nothing, until it was all replaced by the rift.

"Do you see now, Seneschal?" Arliss asked. "There's no place for you in that world." He looked to her pitifully, and held out his hand.

Silva looked to him defeated. 'Is this really Arliss?' She wondered a moment before shaking the thought from her head. It didn't feel right, and it likely never would, but she knew she couldn't keep fighting fate; lest she only hurt herself more. She reached up to take his hand, but stopped when she heard something. It started with a few soft taps behind her; for a moment she wasn't sure if she truly heard something; then it came again. The sound grew in volume and intensity; rap rap rapping soon turned into urgent pounding. She whirled around to see a vision within the rift. The two nords were desperately banging against an invisible barrier.

"Get out of there already!" Yelled Kriger somewhat angrily.

"C'mon Silva! We haven't got all day, you know!" Ralof's tone was light hearted compared to Kriger's booming voice, but it was loud and urgent all the same.

The meek voice that followed made Silva stop. "Forgive me the intrusion Arisen, but it might be for the best if you do as they say." Arliss shuffled timidly behind the two nords.

"Arliss?" She whispered to herself; in wide eyed shock, and confusion. 'How can Arliss be there when he's right here? If that's Arliss, who is this?' She turned around again to face the man in the rift. Instead of being met with Arliss' face she was greeted by someone she had previously only met once, but couldn't forget. "Savan?"

The former Seneschal looked back at her with eyes full of disappointment. "You have a duty Arisen." His voice was deep, and rich, and his words echoed in the rift.

"No," She said weakly. She stepped back, her legs faltering.

There was a loud bang, and an angry shout that tore her attention from the god before her. "Wake up!" The powerful voice belonged to Kriger.

Her eyes filled with light as realization struck her. 'I'm dreaming? I can escape from this place. I can be free!' She ran towards them; towards her friends outside the rift, and away from him. The vision in the rift cracked. She glanced back at Savan one last time.

"We'll meet again soon, Arisen," He said.

The vision in the rift broke completely. Silva leapt through the portal. She opened her eyes to see a brown, wooden ceiling. It was such a plain, innocuous thing, but to her in that moment it was indescribably beautiful. Another loud bang on the door and the sound of voices outside beginning to argue made her jump out of bed. A quick glance around the room reminded her where she was; everything that could be seen was just as she left it the night prior. She approached the door with a bit of apprehension. 'What if I open the door only to be met with the rift? What if I can't be seen by anyone?' She shook her head of the intrusive thoughts, and steeled herself.

When she opened the door the sight she was met with was of Kriger in some kind of argument with other patrons while Ralof tried to placate them. Arliss noticed her presence and greeted her. "Ah, Master you're up!" He smiled happily. "I hope you slept well, Arisen. I also took inventory just as you told me."

"So you're finally awake." Said Ralof with a grin. Silva felt a wave of relief wash over her as he spoke to her.

"What took you so long?" Asked Kriger irritably.

"Forgive me Sir. Did you wait long?" She couldn't keep the happy smile from her face.

Ralof spoke up before Kriger could get a chance. "Don't worry about it, you got up in time for breakfast. I came to call you over. He's just a bit impatient."

"I can wait for long amounts of time if I need to, that doesn't mean I have to like it." Kriger defended.

Ralof ignored him. "You seem to be in a good mood. Did you have a nice dream?" He asked.

Silva's smile faltered. "No, it was actually pretty terrible. I'm just glad it's over." She spoke wistfully.

"Sorry to hear that lass," Said Ralof.

"What kind of dream was it?" Kriger asked curiously.

She looked away, wondering if she should tell them. They were persistent, and she eventually relented. "I was trapped in a rather dreary place, and I could not escape." She chose her words carefully. "I tried to escape, and reach out to someone but it was all for naught. I could not be seen, nor heard. I was as a ghost." She paused. "No, I was even less than a ghost. I did not exist at all."

"That sounds like a pretty bad nightmare." Said Ralof. "You must be glad it's not real." He laughed, but Silva could only give a weak smile.

Arliss watched her sadly a moment in understanding, before switching to the polite smile he assumed she preferred. He figured distracting her with more pressing matters would help her forget about that place if only for a little while. "Don't forget to gather your things Master," He chided respectfully. "When you're ready we can go over our inventory together. We'll have to make sure we have ample supplies, as well as find a way to earn coin."

"Yes, of course." She smiled back at Arliss. "You're very prudent. I'm glad I can count on you to keep track of these things."

"If you're looking for work I've got a few ideas you could try," Said Ralof.

Kriger observed the two strangers curiously, deep in thought.

As she gathered her things, her mind began to wander back to her dream. Intrusive thoughts told her many terrible things. In truth every time she blinked a fear in the deep recesses of her mind told her that she'd open her eyes to find herself trapped once more in that place. It told her that Skyrim and it's inhabitants were nothing more than hollow, empty husks that she had simply dreamed up. No matter how often she shook her head to rid herself of these thoughts they always crawled right back.

Finally, enough was enough; she pinched herself. It hurt. "It would seem I'm awake." She muttered to herself. 'Can a mind delude itself so much, that it could conjure even pain within a dream?' She wondered. A mirthless laugh escaped her throat. "Surely I must have gone truly mad." She smiled ruefully to herself. 'Mayhaps it doesn't matter whether this be some sort of illusion. In this moment I am free, and that's all that matters.'

The door opened and Arliss greeted her. "You're done with preparations?" He asked. "Then, let us meet with the others."

"Yes," She agreed. Her lower lip trembled a bit when they reached the door. A world of grey flashed in her mind, but she pushed the thoughts out of her head, and willed herself forward; endeavoring to remain calm and resolute.

Chapter 9: Hollow End

Author's Notes: Sorry for always making you guys wait for the updates. I want to thank you for your patience. I wasn't feeling so great about the last chapter, but this one I really like. I know that the pace is kind of slow, but please bear with it. I think that the best way to go about this story is to take time on small things first as the characters learn their way around a new world, and experience new things. I'll probably have the pace of the story pick up later once the characters get their bearings, and stuff...maybe.

I was looking forward to this chapter for awhile. I think that being in a place like that would really take it's toll on someone, and the Arisen was trapped like that for who knows how long. It wouldn't be something that just goes away when you suddenly become free, it's something that I think would leave a lasting impression on someone, and affect how they think and act long after things change. That's my reasoning for how I'm writing my story. If you let me know your thoughts it would be greatly appreciated.

Oh yeah. I also want to ask you if you fell for the dream? Did you think I did a time skip and they were actually in a blizzard, or that she was actually trapped again? ;)

Or did you figure out it was a dream? If you did what tipped you off? You don't have to tell me, but I'd love it if you left a comment letting me know what you thought.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and the whole story overall. Thanks for reading! :3