a/n: I am sooo glad I got so many good reviews! Thanks so much on the nice words to everyone! ^^

3. The Game Changer

one month later

It was one of those days again, as Khanna concluded grimly. Her hands were slightly above her head as she kept a stern look on her face. Nine guards were poking their swords in her direction and her daggers were abandoned on the ground. Damn Skyrim was now really getting on her nerves, and if the borders weren't as closed as they are, considering the raging civil war, she would've fled weeks ago. Instead, she was stuck in the frozen wasteland with no money, job or a home to return to.

"Khanna Demeris, you have violated the law of Skyrim." the Captain of the Guard said to her "You are to be locked into prison, until further notice."

It just wasn't her day… Or week. Perhaps the last few years have been going badly after all, and she just didn't wish to admit it to herself. As the guards took all of her possessions and instructed her to the dark dungeons, Khanna knew that even there things won't stay quiet for long. Things never are with her around.

The sharp smell coming from her new cell made Khanna twitch a bit. At least she had a roof over her head, which was more than she had in the past few weeks. Coming from the far north of the continent as far away from the forsaken temple as she could, Khanna didn't stop on her way south. It was a rocky and cold way, and there were days that she was just minutes from freezing to death. Unfortunately, after all that happened, she had no intention to die there in that way.

She couldn't sleep the first night, so she kept pacing around the cell. Her only entertainment was listening to the guards as they gossiped about the Jarls and the current events in the state. The main topic was the civil war that has been raging on for a bit over a month.

"Have you heard about Helgen?" one of the heavy accented voices asked, breaking the midnight silence.

"Heard that not much is left of it." the other voice answered "It was all burned to the ground. No survivors."

"Aye. Just ashes and burnt buildings." the first one agreed.

"That's not what I heard." another voice said, trying to keep his voice lower "I heard that there were few who survived. And they have been spreading some nasty rumors."

Khanna now looked through the bars of her cell. Something strange was happening, and she couldn't really put her finger on it, but there was a strange feeling in her stomach that something important was happening. She tried to concentrate her attention to the voices outside.

"Crazy bastards." The first one said louder "Dragons, they said. The smoke must've clouded their minds." he took a loud sip of ale.

"I don't know if it's truth or not." the quiet one continued "But I say we should be careful and watch for the skies."

"Aye, I agree with the lad." the third one said after contemplating about it a few seconds "No harm in being careful. You never know what the Gods prepared for us."

Upon agreeing on the matter, the guards got up from their table and went separate ways. One of them, however stayed to watch the cells. Khanna moved from the bars, puzzled by the new information she just got. Perhaps going to prison was… Educational, after all.

As she heard footsteps passing in front of her cell, without much thinking she spoke.

"Where is Helgen situated?" her hands were once more gripping the bars of her cells as she looked at the passing guard.

"Falkreath Hold." he answered after looking over her "But, it's no place for a woman. Not even your type of woman. It's full of dead and scavengers ready to kill some more."

Khanna wanted to argue about what he meant when he said 'her type of woman' but decided to keep her mouth shut. No point in losing her only source of information over something so 'petty 'as her morals. She opened her mouth to ask some more questions about dragons, since the scholar in her couldn't be so easily satisfied with so few answers, but the older guard stopped her.

"Enough. Go to sleep." He dismissed her "You are to be released tomorrow. That is the penance for stealing cabbage." And before Khanna could stop him or say anything more, he passed by and left her in darkness again. Stealing cabbage didn't seem to be enough a crime to spend a night in the prison, besides she was starving.

With thought of dragons, Helgen and the crime of stealing cabbage, Khanna fell asleep. Who knew you could actually get used to the stink?

Few streaks of light passed through the bars of her window, as she slowly woke up from her uncomfortable poor excuse for a bed, which was in fact a pile of straw. Raising her heavy head up, she pulled a few streaks of 'the bed' from her red hair and got up. Looking around the small space she was confined to, her eyes locking with her target, Khanna raised a metal tankard from the cold floor. With a small smirk she started banging it over the metal bars in front of her.

Curses and shouting started almost immediately. The effect was just as Khanna wanted it to be.

"What in Oblivion are you doing, woman?" a guard came up with a deep frown.

"I'm waking up the crime in Riften." she said with a smirk "Now, since my penance is over, open my cage and let me go and kindly return my things." Once more she hit the bars with the metal tankard, making an uncomfortable noise in the process.

"Just leave already." He said, as he unlocked her cell with his frown deepening even more "Your 'library' is on the table." The guard told her sarcastically as she passed by him.

Khanna did bring a bunch of books with her. Twelve of them, actually, as much as she could possibly muster to carry around without too much trouble. Searching though her bag she discovered that her things were all there, with her daggers and her twenty gold pieces.

Once again, she was on the sunny streets of Riften, free as any criminal skulking around. She took a deep breath of fine smelling air, which was a nice change from the air she used to breath in the cell, and started walking through, observing and trying to decide what her next move should be.

As she sat on the small wall surrounding the center of the town, she started creating a plan in her head. She was stuck in Skyrim, that much was for sure, but she decided she won't interfere with the state of things. No need for her to get entangled in the war, dragons or guilds. What she needed to do was to get a job and a roof over her head. Riften seemed like a good enough place to start, although she and Riften had a rough start. As she jumped off the low wall a hand caught her shoulder.

"Crime in Riften never sleeps." She couldn't recognize the voice, nor the face of the large man in front of her "But it's well hidden to the unskilled eye."

"Seeing how full the prison was, I'd say that crime in Riften doesn't exist." I answered, crossing my arms.

"Newcomer, then you know nothing about Riften." He smirked, and Khanna couldn't decide whether that was a malicious smirk or not "Anyway, if you stay a bit longer in the city, you'll see it with your own eyes… Good luck."

The man left, as quick as he appeared, leaving Khanna confused. She didn't even get to ask for his name, not that she mattered much. But, somehow she felt as if he knew her from somewhere. I was impossible, since she left Skyrim when she was three years old and left for High Rock. Shaking her head slightly, Khanna decided not to lose her head over it. Strange people were everywhere.

"So, one more question." Khanna said, drinking from her tankard. The lizard-woman in front of her was a good source of gossips and rumors. Seems like this city indeed was much dirtier than expected.

"Anything strange happening around Skyrim?" she asked, narrowing her eyes slightly. She had little use of dirt from people's secrets.

"Except dragons, the Thalmor and vampire attacks?" she looked confused "I don't think much stranger things can happen."

"I wouldn't bet on that." Khanna raised her eyebrows. The more she knew about Skyrim, the less things could surprise her. It was a small miracle anyone still lived in this place.

"You're right, traveller." She nodded "But I have this theory about these strange things." The argonian came nearer before she spoke "I think it's all somehow connected. And I think it is far from over."

A slight chill came down her spine as Khanna remembered the temple that sealed her fate a month ago. She still had nightmares that will probably haunt her for the rest of her life.

"Also, there have been stories of a man who survived the hell in Helgen." The Argonian said "People have been telling strange stories about him."

"What kind of stories?" now Khanna came nearer to her, a sparkle of interest in her eyes.

"The wicked ones, the kind full of magic and myths." She whispered "They say he is the Dragonborn."

Khanna took a sip of her drink with her eyes not really focused on anything. She was thinking. This was a game changer, and as much as she wanted to run away as far as she could from this place, something was drawing her into the chaos and straight in the center of this mess.

"So…" she finally smirked "Where can I find this Dragonborn?"

A/N: So, Khanna will probably get herself into some more trouble really soon! Also, big things coming up next, as the next chapter will be marked as the first one with actual Daedra encounters! One more thing, the Dragonborn will come and go in my plot, so he isn't really the main character or anything. Oh, and I was just wondering, what would you prefer for Khanna to do: join the Thieves Guild or the Dark Brotherhood? I'm going to incorporate both factions in the story, just want to see which one would you wish to see more!

-khatariah