Another quick upload - I know. Originally, this was part of the first chapter, but I figured it deserved it's own for character development stuff. Anyway, enjoy it, don't forget to R&R

Reviews...

PartySpaz09 - Thank you for your review! And honestly, I can say a little bit of both... or maybe neither? It's complicated - he's not restricted to just one class... well, you will see in the coming chapters. As to his father's death - let's not give it all away just yet... enjoy this lengthy chapter!

Age: 12

I stood in the long courtyard, wearing my leather doublet over my most expensive white shirt. I cavalierly opened my palm, a ball of fire started to hover in the palm of my hand. I quickly clenched my fist tightly, extinguishing the flame in a flash of smoke, then repeating the process again. After a while, I leant against hte fountain, cupping my hand in water and splashing some on my face.

Where the devil is Caprius?" I muttered to Ignus, who sat by the fountain, reading a book. He paid no attention to me, so I tapped him lightly on the arm, gaining his attention.

"What?"

"Where the devil has Caprius got to?" I asked, Ignus shrugging in response. "I talked to his father - he didn't come home last night."

"Ah, poor Caprius," I murmured aloud, "he's only a gentle soul. I don't think he's used to such a hot sun." I grinned, earning a smirk from Ignus. "Do you think he's dead?" I mused. Ignus looked at me, amused by the question, yet slightly annoyed at the idea. "Just asking." I justified myself. Ignus leant in quietly.

"His father said that Titus has been trying to duel him." I sighed dramatically - remembering my many fights with Titus as a child - where he would always overpower me and hit me with the wooden swords. Of course, fights had to be kept in check now we were both carrying real swords, but no one really fought anymore - not to the death anyway. I suppose it was just a way to pass the time - it was just messing about at this age. Although, I knew that messing about wasn't enough for Titus - he always had to win.

"Alas," I said frowning, "then Caprius is already dead." I started walking forwards from the fountain.

"How so?" Asked Ignus, jogging after me with a grin.

"Well, do you know who he's fighting?" I asked, mocking awe at Titus' person.

"Who's that?" Asked Ignus, amused by my mocking - as were some of the other boys that I knew, who had walked up to us to see what I was talking about now.

"Only Titus," I announced to the rest of the boys, mocking still, "the lord of the sword! Made by the blade! King of Cyrodiil!" I swept into a low bow, imagining Titus was in front of me, and made the rest of the boys around me laugh. I grinned at my humour. "He who has mastered the way of the sword, and has tamed the barbaric horde!" They began to laugh more at my poetry about Titus. It is worth noting that Titus had never been in a war before, and even though he had befriended many of the Imperial Legion, and played the part of a veteran warrior, I knew, as a brother, that he had not been in anything more than duels and fistfights inside the Imperial city.

Ignus grabbed my elbow, forcing me back and informing me of the entrance at the other side of the courtyard. It was Titus and some of his soldier friends. Titus was twenty years old now, and thought he was therefore more important than everyone else. He wore a simple red shirt with a long brown, suede overcoat that swept at his ankles. He made his way over to us with his entourage of four Imperial soldiers around his age and came up to us. By this time, I had seated myself on one of the benches, my back to Titus and his friends. I looked up at Ignus, who seated himself next to me.

"This is going to turn into a fight Tenebraeus." He said urgently. I simply took his book and began flicking through it. "I swear to the Divines, there will be a price for this." He hissed at me, looking at the approaching 'soldiers'. He shuddered at the memory of my scolding father from the last time he was involved with a fight.

"I swear to the dogs," I said, tossing his book back at him, "I don't care." I heard the footsteps stop behind me, and Titus clear his throat.

"Gentlemen." he said, the arrogance in his voice was evident. "May I have a word with one of you?" The rest of my friends looked at me. I grinned and turned around to Titus, who stood with a hand on his hilt. I put on a face of mock surprise when I saw him.

"Only a word Titus?" I asked, gasping. "I don't think conversations can be born from just one word Titus." I frowned. "Has our tutor not taught you that yet?" Titus ground his teeth as my friends snickered.

"You will show me more respect boy." He growled. I rolled my eyes, and turned back to my friends. Titus did not appreciate my lack of interest and began to advance on me, only to stop suddenly. "Don't worry little brother." He said, a grin playing on his mouth. "Here's my man." I turned around to see Caprius entering the courtyard, venturing into the dispute between Titus and I. "Caprius!" Titus shouted in anger. He marched over and drew a fist, knocking Caprius back a few steps. "Did you steal my helmet?" He asked, knowing the answer. Caprius shook his head.

"No, no, Titus, I swear by the eight!" Titus cut him off with a kick to the face, bringing his foot back to reveal a bloodied nose. Titus proceeded to remove his sword belt and handed it to one of the soldiers, before launching a foot into Caprius' chest. I flinched at the cracking sounds bouncing across the stone slabs and to my ears.

"Why isn't he fighting back?" Ignus muttered. I knew the answer - if Caprius was too afraid to fight back - he had no chance of defending himself. It just seemed so unjust - so wrong. The strong were preying on the weak - it made me furious. I doubted Titus even owned a helmet - he was undoubtedly just looking for a fight. But Caprius was a year younger than me - four years younger than Titus, who was now a looming figure over him. Titus began to furiously beat Caprius more.

I unstrapped my sword belt and handed it to Ignus before marching towards Titus, who only saw me for a moment before I launched a fist into his face, sending him back onto the floor. Aside from the stinging pain in my knuckles, I was feeling quite empowered from the first time I had grounded my older brother. I helped Caprius to his feet before Ignus to look after, before turning back to Titus.

I was met to a punch in my face, which made me stumble back, grabbing my jaw. I turned back to face Titus, who's face was now contorted in rage. He threw another punch at my face, which I quickly ducked under, launching a fist into his stomach. He stumbled back a step, but quickly resumed his posture. He then threw a third fist at my head, but as I dodged again, I was met with his other hand, directly in my right eye. I fell backwards, temporarily blinded by the blow. I started to blink frantically, grabbing my eye and trying to see. Titus took this opportunity to throw another punch into my rib, causing me to keel over for a time. My sight returned and I stood back up, waiting for Titus to make the first move. He threw another strong punch towards me, but I was a lot quicker then Titus, and grabbed his wrist, pulling the punch down past me stomach and launching a strong knee into his stomach. He groaned in pain, but managed to wrench his fist back from my grasp and launched it back into my chest. He was physically, more dominant than I, and so I stumbled a few steps before we both began to launch ourselves at each other again. However, we never met, as several guards of the Imperial Legion ad begun to restrain us. I was angered by the sudden feeling of being powerless, and tried to wrench my arms back to Titus, who was enraged like a bear, and was attacking the guards around him, who were now being assisted by Titus' entourage. I subsided relatively quickly, and realized I would be hearing about this from my father. Again.

I stood in the courtyard behind our house, panting from the training. My forearms were red from the grapples, but I was relatively unscathed. Apart from my earlier scrap with Titus.

"Good, good! You are learning fast!" My instructor grinned. "Try to control your breathing more - a chokehold can only do so much when you have a good chest of air." I nodded, taking in his advice, then prepared myself again for the grapple. I threw a fist at his head, but he grabbed the wrist, twisting it around, and as he went to grab my neck, I took a deep breath, grabbing his neck in return. Eventually, his grip loosened, allowing me to escape from the hold. "Excellent!" He coughed, gasping for air.

"General." We both turned around to see my father by the door, approaching us. My instructor nodded, and left. I sighed, and proceeded to remove my leather cuirass, changing into my white shirt. "I never thought you would've excelled at fighting, I admit," my father said, approaching me, "but once again, you have proved me wrong." He smiled. I returned the smile, but I was smiling more to myself than at him, and I began to tie the leather bracers on my wrists. "So, I heard you and Titus had another... disagreement." He informed me.

"Here it comes." I murmured.

"I told you why we don't fight." He said sternly.

"I know, code of conduct, but come on - do you really think Titus adheres to that code?"

"It doesn't give you an excuse to reject it." He raised an eyebrow. He had a point. I shook my head, and reached for my doublet, fastening the clasps. "How is your training coming along?"

"The general says he thinks I know as much as he can teach me without sending me into a war." My father chuckled.

"General Tullius..." He mused, looking after my instructor "he's a talented man. I daresay he's the one to quell the rebellion." He smiled at me.

"What rebellion?"

"Some Nords in Skyrim. They object the treaty with the Thalmor." He said.

"Don't you?" I raised an eyebrow.

"I am... unhappy with certain compromises we had to make with the Thalmor." He stated. I was satisfied with this answer. I picked up a goblet of wine on the stone table beside me and drank some before turning back to my father.

"So, as you were saying?" He thought for a moment.

"Ah, yes, the rebellion. A Jarl decided to lead a rebellion against the Empire's presence in Skyrim, as they were devoted to Talos."

"Jarl?" I asked, confused by the word.

"It's the Nordic equivalent of a Count." He explained. I nodded, showing my understanding. "As I was saying, Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Windhelm, killed the High King of Skyrim, sparking the Stormcloak rebellion." I nodded, fixing my doublet so the top was open, as it was too hot to have it fastened completely, as my father did.

"Skyrim?" I asked.

"What about it?"

"Isn't that where you met..." I couldn't finish the question, he knew who I meant.

"Yes, that's where we met. In a small city in the south-east." He spent a moment thinking about it. "I doubt I can remember the right name of it. She stopped me arresting her friend, who happened to have stolen my coin purse." He said, a tone of amusement in his voice. "There wasn't much coin in the purse, but it was all about maintaining order you see." I nodded. "Anyway, she made the thief give back the purse." He smiled at the memory.

"I wish I could see it." I said and I drank some more of the wine, slightly disheartened.

"See what?"

"The rest of Tamriel."

"You live in the very capital." He said, astounded by my answer.

"Yes, but that's not enough." I said, slightly depressed. "Besides, I really want to see where... where she grew up." I shrugged. My father thought for a moment.

"You've been to High Rock." He reminded me.

"Briefly." I confirmed. "Besides, she always talked of the mystical nation of Skyrim, where the snow-topped mountains and rolling fields went on for miles, teeming with wildlife. It just sounds... well, not like here." My father frowned.

"You don't like it here?"

"I like it here fine." I shrugged. "I just... it's all the same. There's nothing surprising left for me here. I mean, I love living here, and I don't think I could ever leave, but... I just need time to see somewhere else." I shrugged, and I finished the goblet of wine, while lifting a hand to cause the jug of wine to lift and pour more into the goblet, albeit messily, with wine pouring onto the stone table as well.

"That's cheating." My father said.

"A soldier uses everything within his power to his advantage." I quoted to him, and he chuckled at the fact I had paid attention to his code of conduct.

"How would you feel accompanying General Tullius and I to Skyrim?" He asked me.

"To kill rebels?" I asked, a little wary.

"I do not want to kill rebels." He shook his head. "No, far be it from me to condemn men who are willing to fight for what they believe. I simply want to... reason with them. Because..." He waited for me to finish the sentence. I rolled my eyes.

"A soldier knows when the taking of life is necessary?" I asked, unsure.

"And that is when?"

"More lives are at risk." I nodded. I understood his philosophy - the greater good dictated the actions. I didn't necessarily agree with it thouhg. But that was because I didn't agree in the taking of lives. I knew that I would get angry, especially so around Titus, but I don't know whether I could actually harm him. He was still my brother after all. "Alright. But I don't want to get dragged into any politics of the place."