A/N: Here's chapter three, and there a few notes. First, a score is twenty, if you didn't know that. Then, in regard to Skyrim, Praefect is the third highest rank in the Imperial Army (after Auxiliary and Quaestor), and Skingrad is a city in Cyrodiil, which is where Imperials are from. And, I think that's it. Many thanks to my beta reader (and sister) GrowlingPeanut. Reviews are appreciated.

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Bethesda Softworks and George R. R. Martin. Except for Lanius. He is my own creation.

Rating: M for language.

Fire. Everywhere he looked, all that Gendry Waters could see was fire. Helgen had been completely and utterly destroyed.

After the initial shock of the—dare he even admit it in thought?—dragon's appearance, the soldiers of the Imperial Legion had moved to action: firing arrows, casting spells, and in the end, not making a damn bit of a difference. Though the carnage had lasted for only a few minutes, they had lost many men to the dragon and the Stormcloak rebels alike before the beast had flown away, soaring up above the clouds and disappearing into the distance.

"Waters! Waters..."

Gendry turned away from the sky at the sound of his captain's voice and it took a moment for him to find Lanius a few feet away, trapped beneath a large chunk of stone that had fallen from the tower in the center of the town.

"Help me, Waters."

The irony of the situation was not lost on the young soldier and he spent a minute meeting the desperate and fearful gaze of his cruel commander before silently retreating a few steps and yelling toward where he had last seen a fellow legionary.

"Help! We need help!"

Gendry moved to lift the rock that was pinning Lanius to the ground and his call was answered momentarily when Hot Pie and another soldier that Gendry didn't know appeared from the heavy cloud of ash and joined him in his efforts. Between the three of them, they were able to lift the stone from atop Lanius' prone form, and the Imperial whimpered in pain once he was free.

He spent a moment struggling to get up as the third soldier left them to go assist in the cleanup of the rest of the city and after a few minutes, he collapsed back to the ground with an expression of sheer terror across his face.

"Waters..." he said in a barely audible whisper before raising his voice in hysteria. "I can't feel my legs. Oh gods, I can't feel my legs!" He broke into loud and helpless sobs and the two younger men watched him for a moment before Gendry sighed and stepped toward him.

"Hot Pie, help me lift him. We'll put him in one of the prisoners' carts until a healer can get to him."

The Nord nodded and they lifted their commanding officer, carrying him carefully to safety as he cried and swore and raged at them for furthering his weakness. Once deposited in the back of one of the wooden horse carts, he stopped his tirade and merely lie limply, staring up at the clear blue sky with a vacant expression.

Sighing again, Gendry turned away from the pitiful sight of his captain and managed to smile at the friend that stood next to him. "Glad to see you alive."

Hot Pie smiled weakly back and gave a nervous laugh. "Me too. All I could do was find a place to hide and stay there until that...thing...decided to leave." He hesitated for a moment then added a bit warily, "Was it truly a...a..."

"Dragon?" Gendry finished drily. "Yes. At least, it certainly looked like the pictures of dragons I've seen in books."

Hot Pie shook his head in disbelief and exhaled heavily. "Did you see what it did to Jarl Targaryen? One second he was standing there and then the next, just," He snapped his fingers and then fluttered them away absently in an imitation of blowing ashes. "Gone."

At the mention of Viserys' fate, Gendry frowned. "What happened to the prisoners? Where are Ulfric and his men? And Lady Daenerys?"

Hot Pie furrowed his brows then shrugged. "I don't know. I saw the lady running off with Ulfric's commander. Not Robb, but...oh..." He frowned. "Gods, what's his name?"

Gendry shrugged. The Silver Hand had never cared to learn the chain of command in the Stormcloak army. The enemies they faced had no leaders.

"Well, nevermind then. They disappeared into the keep, and I haven't seen them since. As for Ulfric and the other rebels, only the gods know. Probably on their way back to Windhelm as we speak." Gendry swore and his friend gave a gesture of indifference. "I really don't see why it matters anymore. With a dragon loose in Skyrim, I don't see why we should give the Stormcloaks another thought. We all have more dangerous things to contend with now."

Gendry nodded and was about to respond, but was interrupted by the sound of raised voices nearby.

"The end of this gods damned war was in our hands, and you let him just walk away?!"

"There were more pressing matters at hand, General. In case you didn't notice, this town was just destroyed by a dragon!"

There was a brief pause and then, "And how is that any concern of mine? I came here to see Ulfric Stormcloak executed, and now he's escaped. That is what concerns me."

"How is that any concern of yours?" The woman that General Lannister was arguing with—Legate Rikke, Gendry assumed—gave a harsh laugh of disbelief. "Gods, Tywin, we lost half of our men. I haven't even seen any of Ca— Lanius' regiment yet..." Her voice cracked with emotion and there was a moment of silence before General Lannister spoke again, as calm as before.

"Then I suggest you search for them. And if you find any survivors, tell them that we'll be returning to Solitude. There's nothing more for us here. It's time to move on."

In the end, only two of the four score men that had entered Helgen returned to the capital city, and among them, over half were wounded in some way that required healing. The journey back was long and slow, and by the time they reached the gates of Solitude a week later, more men had been lost to infection and the wolves that prowled around the campfires at night.

It was with great relief that the soldiers made their way to either the infirmary or the barracks upon their return, and Gendry collapsed on the edge of his bed when he reached the long room that the soldiers under Lanius' command had been appointed to.

"Never thought I'd be so glad to end up back here again," he commented idly as his fellow soldiers found their way to their respective beds. A few of them nodded wearily in agreement and Hot Pie flopped down in the space that he had claimed with a dramatic sigh.

"What I wouldn't give for a nice big apple pie right about now." He said wistfully. "And a tankard of Stros M'Kai rum."

Gendry smiled and laced his fingers behind his head as he stretched out. "Mm. I think I'd like a whole cauldron full of venison stew and a bottle of Surilie Brothers Vintage 399, imported straight from Skingrad."

Hot Pie snorted and turned his head to look over at Gendry. "You imperials and your damned wines. If General Lannister and the Empire gain control of Skyrim, I hope we'll at least be allowed to keep our mead."

Gendry frowned slightly at the word 'if', and he was about to reply when the sound of hard steel boots announced the arrival of a high ranking officer and the barracks fell silent as the soldiers all scrambled to attention. A moment later, the Praefect of a different regiment appeared in the doorway and he scanned the row of legionnaires before speaking.

"Is one of you named Gendry Waters?"

All eyes found him in the center of the row and he took a step forward. "Yes, ser?"

The captain appraised him for a moment, then replied. "General Lannister wishes to see you."

Gendry nodded his understanding and once the captain had gone, Hot Pie looked over at him with a mixture of reverence and fear.

"What in Oblivion did you do?"

Gendry shrugged and sat back down on the edge of his bed for a moment longer. "Nothing I can think of." With an amused smile, he glanced up at his friend. "Did you even for a moment consider that it may not be something terrible?"

Hot Pie shrugged. "Well sure, but, I mean, it is General Lannister..."

Gendry snorted. He couldn't argue with that.

Standing, he turned to his fellow soldier and placed his hands on his shoulders with mock seriousness. "Hot Pie, if I die, you get my sword." The Nord nodded solemnly and Gendry rolled his eyes in disbelief.

Leaving the barracks behind, he made his way out into the training yard, and then through the door of Castle Dour's tactical room. Inside, he found Lanius, Legate Rikke, and General Lannister all waiting for him. For a very brief moment, he wondered if Hot Pie was about to inherit a very well-crafted silver sword.

"Waters." It was Tywin Lannister who spoke. "Do you know why you're here?"

Gendry hesitated for a moment then answered truthfully. "No, ser."

Lannister nodded then glanced over at Lanius where he sat silent and motionless in the corner. "In light of recent events, and due to the account of your actions in Helgen as told to us by Captain Lanius, we have decided to promote you to the rank of Auxiliary and officially make you a soldier of the Imperial Legion. I do not believe the soldiers of the Silver Hand speak the Imperial oath when they are initiated."

Though not phrased as a question, Gendry answered as though it were. "No, ser."

General Lannister nodded at the affirmation of his assumption and continued. "Since your captain is now less than worthless on the field of battle," The look of pain that crossed Lanius' face did not go unnoticed, nor did Rikke's restless movement as she appeared to resist the urge to go to him. "Your regiment is in need of a new leader. And you will lead them." He turned to the woman at his side and she quickly regained her composure. "Legate Rikke, you may do the honors."

She dipped her head in deference and stepped forward to stand in front of Gendry. "Gendry Waters, do you swear by speaking this oath that you will remain true and faithful to the Empire from this moment until your last?"

Gendry straightened up and nodded. "Yes, ser."

"Then repeat these words after me, and may they guide you through your battles: "Upon my honor I do swear undying loyalty to the Emperor, and unwavering obedience to the officers of his great Empire. May those above judge me, and those below take me, if I fail in my duty. Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empire!""