Chapter 1: Unbound

The dark comfort of unconsciousness faded with a snort of horse, the rumbling of a carriage, and the scent of evergreens.

Raising his head, a gentle morning light roused Kunda from his stupor. He shifted in his seat, his tail sore from being sat on. His hands were tied together with rope, and his makeshift armor he had last had equipped was replaced with thin rags that left his feet bare and his skin chilled. He was a passenger in a horse-drawn cart, along with three nords. Two wore blue gambeson and furs, reinforced with ringmail, but the third only had a similar set of rags. Kunda sympathised with the prisoner. The warriors seemed unconcerned with the wet morning air.

An uncomfortable damp permeated the fur over his body. He wished he had more than rags to wear. Looking to the front of the cart, he saw an Imperial soldier, in his familiar maroon leather garb, riding the horse they were secured to. There was another cart further along the stone road, where yet more captives sat.

"Hey, you. You're finally awake."

Kunda looked across from him, where the blonde warrior with a scruffy beard sat.

"You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there."

The blonde nodded towards the brown haired man in ragged clothes, who returned the gesture with a cross look. The thief curled in on himself to ward off the cool morning air. He couldn't seem to get comfortable and, in his ire, said, "Damn you Stormcloaks. Skyrim was fine until you came along. Empire was nice and lazy."

Kunda looked at the last man, with whom he shared the seat, and saw that his mouth was gagged with cloth. They shared a glance, but the older man looked away, deep in thought.

"If they hadn't been looking for you, I could have stolen that horse and been halfway to Hammerfell. You there, " the man called for his attention, his eyes wide, "you and me, we shouldn't be here. It's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants."

Kunda made to respond, but the blonde quickly added, "We're all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief."

"Shut up back there!" Their driver interjected.

They were all quiet for a moment. Until the thief, twitching in his seat, spoke quietly.

"And what's wrong with him, huh?" Pointing towards the gagged man.

"Watch your tongue." The blonde said angrily. "You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King."

Kunda glanced toward the driver, but he seemed to ignore the outburst.

"Ulfric? The Jarl of Windhelm? You're the leader of the rebellion." The thief spoke quickly, growing more concerned with each word as understanding dawned on him. "But if they've captured you… Oh, gods, where are they taking us?"

The blonde sighed then, leaning back in his seat. "I don't know where we're going, but Sovngarde awaits."

"No," the thief started panicking, "this can't be happening. This isn't happening." He tried to stand, but Ulfric reached across and grabbed the rope holding the thief's hands together. He pulled the thief back down, forcing him to sit. Everyone was quiet as they watched the thief. He was taking short breaths, clearly thinking about leaping out of the cart, but once he looked back at the man trailing the cart, he gasped. There was a soldier on horseback watching them. Clearly just a guard, but his hand reached for the bow slung over his shoulders, and he had seen the outburst. He wasn't about to let an escape take place. He didn't say a word, but it was enough for the thief to sag and lean over his hands. Ulfric released him and he quietly mumbled prayers to himself, shaggy brown hair obscuring his face and whatever tears were likely to form.

After a minute's time, when the thief had calmed down and wasn't likely to get himself killed, the blonde said politely, "Hey, what village are you from, horse thief?"

"Why do you care?" He said tearfully.

"A nord's last thoughts should be of home."

There was a moment of contemplation before saying, "Rorikstead. I'm… I'm from Rorikstead."

The blonde nodded, "West of Whiterun, right? Good horses in those plains."

"Not good enough." The thief murmured.

The blonde looked back to Kunda, who had been ignored since the thief began his antics.

"What about you, cat?"

"Cyrodiil." He said plainly. He raised his hands to rub at his eyes, but a quick shout from the guard made him keep his hands down.

"Sure, but before that."

"The womb."

"I see," the blonde smiled, "you're really from Cyrodiil? Born and grown? What brought you up from the cozy south?""

The khajiit shrugged, shaking some frost from his shoulders. He said, "Crime. Escape. Came north to hide from authorities."

"Oh? Well, sorry to get you caught, then." He said dismissively.

"It is no bother." Kunda looked up at the trees, through the morning fog, and at the peaks beyond. "This one has always wanted to visit Skyrim."

The blonde seemed surprised. "I hope it meets your expectations."

"More than you know." He said in wonderment, staring up at a mountain standing high above the others. To the north-east, illuminated by the rising sun, stood the Throat of the World. The tallest peak in Tamriel. Kunda had always been enamored by the thought of it. Now that he lay within its shadow, he knew he had been right to.

"You may not have heard," The blonde said upon noticing where Kunda's attention was focused, "but Ulfric was actually-"

"General Tullius, sir! The headsman is waiting!"

The prisoners all looked ahead, and Kunda noticed that they were approaching a settlement. The announcement came from a soldier atop a stone barricade, underneath which a large wooden gate groaned open and accepted them.

The man at the head of their procession, an Imperial commander with a bronzed chestpiece, crimson cloak, and balding head of gray hair, calmly said, "Good. Let's get this over with."

The thief, who had been blessed quiet for the time-being, started muttering again.

"Shor, Mara, Dibella, Kynareth, Akatosh. Divines, please help me!"

He continued his whimpering, but Kunda ignored him as their cart passed under the wall, and he saw villagers move about. They watched the military procession pass them by with curiosity, but went about their business.

The commander's horse stepped to the side and moved towards a group of Thalmor, standing tall in their black-gold robes and leaf-like armor. They spoke as the cart continued on, and while Kunda tried to hear their conversation, the blonde complained about "the Military Governor" and the "Damn elves."

The carriages went around a tower, and the blonde's mood shifted once the Thalmor were out of sight and he was looking at the homes around them. He looked at his fellow passengers, and something on their faces must have prompted him to say,"This is Helgen."

"I used to be sweet on a girl from here," he continued, "Wonder if Vilod is still making that mead with juniper berries mixed in. Funny, when I was a boy, Imperial walls and towers used to make me feel so safe." He scoffed as he finished, seemingly ashamed of his past naivety. Kunda figured he was talking to keep his own spirits up.

As the carriages slowly turned towards the town square, with bare dirt replacing the tiled stones, Kunda overheard a young boy on the porch of a large nearby house. He was interested in the soldiers, but his father was adamant that he move inside and stay there.

The horses towards a wall, and Kunda turned to see the boy step inside his home, upset that he was missing out on something exciting.

"Get these prisoners out of the carts." Said a captain, clad in shiny steel armor. "Move it!"

They stopped, and the thief began twitching once more. He asked "Why are we stopping?".

"End of the line." The blonde tapped Kunda's knee, saying, "Let's go. Shouldn't keep the gods waiting for us."

They stood, and the thief cried out to the guards, but he went ignored.

"Face your death with some courage, thief."

"You've got to tell them!" He reached out for the Stormcloak, but he stepped away. The thief moved to Kunda instead. "We weren't with you! This is a mistake!"

The captain came forward with another soldier, who carried a book and quill.

"Step towards the block when we call your name." She gestured to the dirt, where a bloody slab of wood awaited them, and an executioner stepped out of a building. "One at a time."

"Empire loves their damn lists." The blonde muttered as he stepped off the cart.

They lined up in front of the captain, one hand on her hip, the other on her sword. Her subordinate read off his book, "Ulfric Stormcloak. Jarl of Windhelm."

"It has been an honor, Jarl Ulfric!"

The gagged man walked to the dirt and stood near General Tullius, who scowled his way.

"Ralof of Riverwood."

The blonde nodded, and went his way.

"Lokir of Rorikstead."

"No, I'm not a rebel," the thief said pleadingly, "You can't do this!"

The soldier said nothing, and Lokir twitched once more. Suddenly, he bolted past the captain. She called for him to halt, but he continued to run. She commanded the archers to stop him, and with one arrow to his back he collapsed. A moan escaped him before he fell silent, dead at the steps of the young boy's home.

The captain turned back to Kunda, and the prisoners from the other cart, saying, "Anyone else feel like running?"

The captain's subordinate looked at his notes, and Kunda, curiously. The group of prisoners was quiet. He pointed, "Wait. You there. Step forward."

Kunda approached him.

"Who are you?"

He considered lying, but if the Imperials were looking for a white khajiit with black streaks, which was likely, then there wasn't much point.

Kunda shuddered in the chilly morning air to knock the water off his whiskers. He stood tall and said, "Kunda."

The soldier's eyebrows furrowed and flipped through his notes. "You with one of the trade caravans, Khajiit? Your kind always seems to find trouble." He turned and held the book up to his captain. "Captain. What should we do? He's not on the list."

"Forget the list." She said in a clipped tone. "He goes to the block."

"By your orders, captain." He looked back at Kunda, his eyes sad. "I'm sorry. We'll make sure your remains are returned to Elsweyr."

Judging by the captain's quick incredulous look, Kunda suspected that wasn't going to happen.

"Follow the captain, prisoner."

The woman moved to the block and pointed to the ground where she wanted Kunda to stay, right next to Ralof. General Tullius looked them all over before resting his eyes on Ulfric, taking a breath, and speaking.

"Ulfric Stormcloak. Some here in Helgen call you a hero." He gestured to their surroundings. "But a hero doesn't use a power like the Voice to murder his king and usurp his throne."

Ulfric grunted in response.

"You started this war," the general continued, "plunged Skyrim into chaos, and now the Empire is going to put you down, and restore the peace."

A ringing bellow came down from the mountains, and everyone looked up towards the Throat of the World.

"What was that?" The subordinate asked quickly.

Tullius waited a moment, annoyed by the interruption. "It's nothing. Carry on."

He turned and walked back next to the executioner, as well as a priestess.

The captain said, "Give them their last rites."

The priestess, a young woman in brown robes and a yellow hood, took a breath and began. "As we commend your souls to Aetherius, blessings of the Eight Divines upon you-"

"For the love of Talos," a redheaded Stormcloak cut the priestess off, "shut up and let's get this over with." He stepped forward and the priestess closed her eyes. She acquiesced. He stood in front of the block, staring the executioner in the eyes. "Come on, I haven't got all morning."

The captain went behind him and shoved him into a kneeling position, head over the chopping block.

"My ancestors are smiling at me, Imperials. Can you say the same?"

Silently, the headsman raised his cruel looking axe and brought it down, severing the nord's head clean from his shoulders, falling into a small basket. The captain kicked his body off the block. A Stormcloak woman insulted the Imperials for the transgression, and then some villagers shouted about justice.

"As fearless in death as he was in life." Kunda looked around and noticed Ralof standing at the end of the line of prisoners to his right. He whipped his head back to his left, finally noticing that the blonde nord he was standing beside was a stranger. He chuckled lightly at the mistake, but when Tullius looked his way, he stopped, frowning.

Can't get away with anything, he thought.

The captain called out, "Next, the cat!"

Another roar thundered from the sky. Louder.

"There it is again. Did you hear that?" The soldier with the list said nervously. The feeling was clear on everyone's face, but the captain continued.

"I said, next prisoner!"

The sad-eyed soldier looked at Kunda. "To the block, prisoner. Nice and easy."

He approached pensively, but as he crouched down to lay his neck on the bloody block, he grew angry.

He snarled as he looked up at his executioner, whose blank eyes peeked through a black cowl.

Kunda is more than some common dog!

His killer gripped the axe and raised it.

A terrible roar reverberated through the air, and Kunda thought for a moment it was himself. A black shape rose over the mountain in the east, blotting out the sun. A gasp rose from everyone in the town centre, and even Kunda's fury quelled at the sight of it.

"What in Oblivion is that?!" General Tullius shouted.

A monster, forged from obsidian, flew down from the mountain tops and landed atop the nearest watchtower. Piercing red eyes watched the frozen men and women. Its wings, with hooked claws each the size of a man, enveloped the tower.

Someone muttered "dragon," and the Imperials in the area drew their swords. It was as if giving a name to the beast gave them the courage to face it.

Before orders could be given or an arrow nocked, the black beast hissed and a thunderclap escaped its mouth, knocking the executioner off his feet. In the sky above, a cyclone formed, and balls of fire rained upon the town of Helgen. The dragon leapt into the air, tearing stone chunks off its perch as it went.

Kunda watched as it glided around the city igniting thatch roofs and people alike. Screaming filled his ears as villagers ran for cover.

"Hey, Khajiit! "Ralof called, "Get up! Come on, the gods won't give us another chance!"

Kunda stood up, staring up at the cyclone that blotted out the sky and threw flaming boulders to smash into buildings.

"This way!"

He looked towards the voice and saw the blonde waving and yelling from within a stone watchtower. He ran across the road and inside.

Ralof slammed the door behind him as he arrived. He saw that Ulfric and three more nords joined them. One was bandaging up two others, who were bleeding heavily. "Jarl Ulfric! What is that thing? Could the legends be true?"

Ulfric's gag hung around his neck, and his hands were no longer tied together. Kunda looked around and saw that no one else still had their binds on.

"Could one of you-"

Something crashed into the side of the building. A hole appeared in a wall, revealing the burnt sky outside.

"Legends don't burn down villages." Ulfric said much too calmly at first. "We need to move, now!"

Ralof nodded and quickly moved towards a staircase, bringing Kunda along with a hand on the shoulder. Ralof pulled hand axes off the waist of the man that lay on the floor. He wasn't moving. The Stormcloak woman sat up against the wall, curled over stomach.

They went up the stairs, but before Kunda could ask to have his hands unbound he heard a rush of air outside. He went quiet as they reached the second floor, where another Stormcloak was crouched over rubble that blocked stairs heading to the roof.

"We just need to move some of these rocks to-"

The dragon smashed his head through the wall. Kunda saw the beast's sickle like horns and burning red eyes. He would never forget their appearance. The stonework crushed the Stormcloak, and Ralof dragged Kunda a few steps back down the stairs as a roar and flash of heat incinerated the second floor.

The building shook to its foundation as it leapt into the sky once more, and while Kunda processed how close to death he came, Ralof went back up. His thick boots crushed the ash that had been his compatriot, and he looked out the hole in the wall.

"See the inn on the other side? Jump through the roof and keep going!"

Kunda approached the hole, bare feet stinging from the hot rock, and saw the collapsed roof of what he had thought was the villager boy's home. He looked back at Ralof incredulously.

"Go! We'll follow when we can!"

The tower shook once more, and while Kunda hated the idea of jumping into a burning building, the dragon already showed particular malice toward the building he was currently in. He tried to pull his hands apart once more, cursed at his powerlessness, and leapt from the tower.

He fell onto a supporting beam that shifted under his weight. It snapped, and he was swept into a nearby fire, neatly singing his back and tail. He rolled away, shouting out in pain, but stood up after a moment. He looked over his shoulder, and while his body stung from the heat, it appeared the moisture that covered him all morning had kept his fur from igniting.

Small mercy.

He looked further along the building, and saw that he had landed into the second floor. He ran to escape the burning building. He passed a bed and a desk, along with some shattered bottles that he was surprised to find that he could smell something sweet over the ash in the air.

He jumped down another hole to the main floor and realised the scent was the mead Ralof had mentioned.

Stepping out of a doorway, he saw an Imperial soldier standing in the road with his sword drawn. It was the captain's subordinate, who still had the book tied to his waist. Kunda stopped, but saw that the soldier had no interest in him.

Ahead of them, a man was laying in the street, with the same boy he had heard earlier trying to pull him up.

The soldier stepped towards them, but a shadow overhead stopped him. "Haming! You need to get over here, now!"

The boy saw the beast above them, coming down to land in the street. He cried out and ran to the soldier before being led to the back of a burnt out husk of another home. He looked back, calling out his father's name as the dragon landed in the street. It stood hunched over the man, who stared into its eyes fearfully. It only took a second for the beast to incinerate the man, instead, and it only took a single beat of its wings to make it airborne once again.

Kunda watched it rise, and was surprised to see the soldier step directly towards him.

"Still alive, prisoner? Keep close to me if you want to stay that way." The soldier turned back to the burnt house, saying, "Gunnar, take care of the boy. I have to find General Tullius and join their defense."

Kunda saw a bald head peek out from between a wall and the rock face behind the home. He told the boy, Haming, to stay close, before adding, "Gods guide you, Hadvar."

Hadvar looked up to see where the dragon went before moving down the street. Kunda followed. A roar sounded out above them and they sprinted to a nearby alley.

"Stay close to the wall!" He shouted.

As they crouched next to the structure a gust of air was the only warning they got before a massive wing claw smashed down between them. The dragon had landed on the wall itself, and they were in its shadow. There was a scream from around a corner, and the dragon blew its fiery conflagration at the source of the sound. Satisfied, it leapt up again.

Hadvar moved forward, but when he turned back and saw Kunda hesitate, he took a firm grip of his arm and pulled him along. They moved past a charred corpse, which may have been a villager or an Imperial soldier, it was impossible to tell, through a roofless house and out into another street. There were more Imperial soldiers surrounding General Tullius, and they were taking cover under the massive exterior gate of the town. Most were armed with bows, but a few had fire in the palms. They all were firing at the beast as it swooped around Helgen, toppling towers and killing everyone.

Tullius saw them and shouted out, "Hadvar! Into the keep, soldier, we're leaving!"

Hadvar shouted the affirmative and ran down the street, "It's you and me, prisoner. Stay close!" Kunda followed.

They moved through another wall and into a courtyard. Another tower sprouted out of a squat fort, and Kunda was hoping it could withstand the beast's assault.

Hadvar suddenly shouted out, "Ralof! You damned traitor. Out of my way!"

Ralof stood ahead, axe in hand. "We're escaping, Hadvar. You're not stopping us this time." Behind him, Kunda saw the dragon snatch a soldier off a wall and throw him into the center of town, viscera raining down over them.

"Fine. I hope that dragon takes you all to Sovngarde."

Hadvar shoved past Ralof and moved around to the side of the keep. Ralof ran to the closest door, shouting, "You! Come on, into the keep!"

Kunda heard the roar above him and dashed to the nearest entrance. As Ralof opened the heavy wooden door, Kunda watched as the dragon landed on the ground behind them. Its growls almost seemed like words. When the door shut and the sound grew muted outside, Kunda realized he was just going mad.

The inside of the keep was filthy, with brown moss growing over the gray floor and walls. They moved into a larger room, where someone had placed an elaborately designed rug to give a sense of civility. There were Imperial banners hanging from the walls, the red dragon on a black background. Kunda thought there was something ironic about that.

Laying at the furthest wall, underneath a stuffed elk between the banners, there was a dead Stormcloak. Ralof ran to him. He whispered a prayer before looking up at Kunda.

"Looks like we're the only ones who made it. That thing was a dragon." He glanced at the Imperial insignia. "No doubt. Just like the children's stories and the legends. The harbingers of the End Times."

Kunda grinded his hands together, trying to get a claw loose to cut the rope. The bastards tied his hands palm-to-palm. He was stuck. Ralof finally noticed.

"We better get moving. Come here. Let me see if I can get those bindings off." He pulled a dagger from his belt and sawed through the rope. "There you go. You may as well take Gunjar's gear. He won't be needing it anymore."

Kunda muttered his thanks and went to the body. He didn't like defiling a man like this, but he liked rag-wear even less. As he stripped the brown headed corpse, he figured he could probably wear the padded tunic, but the gloves and boots were less likely. He pulled over his head, a tight squeeze, and his tail stuck out underneath him like a third leg. Looking at Gunjar's boots, they were clearly not wide enough for him. He groaned in frustration as he snatched a handaxe off the floor..

"Get this gate open." A woman's voice ordered.

Kunda whipped his head towards Ralof, but he was looking towards a hallway that led into their room, where a wooden gateway stood. Kunda scrambled from the floor, and they both moved to the walls beside the doorway, waiting in ambush.

A grinding sound came from the wall, and the wooden barrier receded into the floor. The Imperial captain stepped through. Ralof shouted out as he attacked. The captain pushed into the room, her armor deflected a blow from Ralof's axe, and Kunda held out his palm. He released a stream of flame that blinded the soldier following after her. There was a scream as he fell back into the hallway, and Kunda turned and released another gout towards the captain. She tried to charge at him, but Ralof smashed his axe into the side of her helmet. She stumbled forward and Ralof ran into the hallway after the soldier.

The captain recovered and swung her sword at Kunda, He stepped back releasing another gout of flame to block her vision. He followed it up with a swing to try to catch her in the crook of her neck, but her random movement meant he only hit her shoulder plate. A wild swing from the captain struck him on his side, but he was saved by the gambeson and the poor angle of her strike. She lowered an arm to see him properly, but all she witnessed was an axehead careen towards her neck.

The meaty crunch was followed up by a raspy breath, but even as the captain swayed to the wall she still managed a weak swing to try and catch Kunda off guard. He took a single step backwards.

She leaned against the wall, her sword fell, and she just looked at Kunda.

He grabbed the top of her helmet, leaned her head back, and slammed his axe into the center of her throat.

Ralof came back through the doorway but stopped upon seeing the blood that pooled all around Kunda's feet. He rallied and crouched down to rummage through the captain's pockets.

"Didn't think you were a mage." He said distractedly.

"Making fire is always useful." Kunda said as looked at the captain's boots. They had straps to adjust the fit.. "Did the soldier have big boots?"

"No." Ralof pulled a key out of a pocket. "This should get us through the gate."

He went across the room and tried the lock, swinging it open after a moment. Kunda pulled the boots off the captain and loosened them for his own purposes. He did the same with her bracers. Once he felt adequate, he looked down the hallway where the Imperials had come from. That direction was where Hadvar had tried to take him.

"Did you get Hadvar?" Kunda asked his cohort.

"It wasn't him. I don't know who that was." Ralof wiped some blood off his axe. "Let's go."

Kunda wasn't sure if he believed him, but it didn't matter.

Stepping through the metal gate, Kunda saw a small cart leaned against a wall. Ralof strolled by, down a staircase leading underneath the keep, but Kunda stopped when he saw heads of cabbage in the cart.

"Hungry, eh?" Ralof said as Kunda bit into its leaves. Kunda nodded distractedly, unhappy with the taste.

"This one has not eaten for a time." He swallowed and looked at the nord.

Ralof smiled as they descended the stairs side-by-side. "I understand that. Very true. Well, don't eat too much or you'll tear that garb open." Kunda nearly commented on its poor fit, but seeing Ralof's smile fall looking at his clothes he held it back. There was a bloodstain and a tear under his left armpit.

Wearing the clothes of Ralof's dead friend was likely a sensitive subject.

The stairwell ended and they moved into a hallway, at the far end of which were two silhouettes of men. Before Kunda could identify them there was a loud crash from above them. The ceiling started collapsing, blocking the hallway with great blocks of stone. Ralof shouted out and they dove into a nearby open doorway. They laid on the ground as the quaking stopped and dust drifted into the room.

"Damn," Ralof cursed, "that dragon doesn't give up easy."

Kunda turned and saw that they were in a kitchen, the stove roaring with flame. He saw another soldier and brightly-armored Imperial captain by some barrels. The captain was an older man, without a helmet to cover his balding head. They stared at each other for a second before the captain frowned and drew his sword, ordering the soldier to kill the Stormcloaks. Ralof and Kunda scrambled to their feet. The two men weren't as capable as the Imperials they fought just a few minutes prior, and though Kunda thought the captain's armor may very well fit him, he was fully clothed and didn't want to waste time dressing any more than he already had.

That chestpiece does look sturdy, though.

Ralof looked into the barrel the imperials were scrounging in and tossed Kunda a crimson bottle, a health potion. They left through another doorway.

They were back in the hallway, past the collapse, and found a straight stairway descending further. They heard the sounds of combat and moved quickly.

In a dimly lit room, they saw man-sized cages across from them and splotches of blood, old and new, covering the floor. There was even a skeleton with its wrists chained to a wall. Two imperial soldiers, one with a bloody hood, were fighting two Stormcloaks. The hooded Imperial swung at a female Stormcloak, who took the hit and fell to the floor. Before he could finish her off, he heard Ralof running from behind. He held up his sword in defense, but was cut down by Ralof's twin axes.

Kunda leapt at the remaining Imperial and landed a perfect blow into his spine with his handaxe. He fell, but Kunda saw the Stormcloak he was fighting collapse to the floor simultaneously, beaten and bloody. He crouched down, an amber light emanating from his hand, but as he directed it towards the Stormcloak it flowed around his body and dissipated in the air. He was dead.

Kunda frowned.

Not much point in knowing how to heal people if they drop dead before one can help.

He stood and looked towards the woman, who was standing once more. He went over, glowing hand raised, but she flinched back and raised her sword.

"Stop!" Ralof called from next to the cages. "He just wants to help."

"Don't touch me with your magic, cat." The woman winced and cradled her stomach, but stepped away nonetheless.

Kunda shrugged. "As you say."

Not much point if they're scared of it, either.

"There's something in this cage." Kunda followed where Ralof was pointing. There was a robed man, clearly dead, laying in the cage. As he scrutinised it, he noticed a book and some coins laying under him. Ralof handed him a pin. "We might need that gold."

Kunda nodded and quickly opened the locked cell. He collected the coins and dumped them into a pocket. He reached across the body for the book, and his skin tingled from subtle magic. The man's robes were enchanted. He pulled the clothes off the corpse and shoved them into his tunic. He put the hood on himself.

He wasn't happy with his ears being compressed, but the lighter feeling in his soul made him confident his magic was stronger. He snagged the book as well and followed Ralof, who had waited for him while the woman ran ahead.

She hadn't gotten far.

Another room with more cages, ones hanging down from the ceiling, greeted them. The skeletons had surely died unpleasantly. Kunda moved quickly, finding that the only exit was a natural looking cavern that the builders had decided not to build into. There were sconces on the walls, but the shadows hid the uneven floor and Kunda moved carefully.

The cave walls transitioned to older, more decrepit stone blocks. They turned a corner, into a room that looked to be constructed before the Empire itself, and were greeted by Imperials that immediately started shouting and charging at them. The assorted Stormcloaks returned the challenge.

The combat was chaotic. Blades sung and blood was spilled. Kunda found himself drenched in water from a stream flowing down the center of the room, and the sparks from an arrow striking stone next to his head made him run under the platform that archers were shooting at him from. He stayed crouched, out of their line of sight, and got to the stairs rising where they stood. He summoned a streak of fire and blinded them as he ran, making them miss their shots. He killed one with a single blow, but the other side-stepped his swing and counter attacked.

The sword slammed into his upper arm, but the gambeson reduced the severing strike into merely a horrible bruise.

Kunda reached down and grabbed imperial's ankle, flinging him to his back. Caving in his chest with the strongest swing he could muster was the followup.

He spun around to scan for threats, but saw that it was just Ralof left, breathing heavily on the other side of the room. He approached, his offer of healing accepted. They caught their breath for a minute. Ralof pulled some bows off the imperials and took their arrows. Kunda accepted a bow after a moment's thought. They continued down another ancient hallway.

Another wooden barricade, this time with a lever rising from the floor just ahead of it. Ralof went and pulled it without prompt. The gate swung down, revealing it to be a small wooden bridge. The Stormcloak and Khajiit crossed it before another roaring crash came from above. They stopped on a short set of stairs leading into a cavern, and another stone block dislodged from the roof. It smashed into the bridge, kicking up dust that had Kunda coughing covering his face. When he looked once more, the entire path they had just come from was filled with stones larger than he was.

"No going back that way, now." Ralof said solemnly. He turned towards the cavern, where the subterranean stream continued, carving a natural walkway into the stone. "We'd better push on. The rest of them will have to find another way out."

There weren't any sconces in the tunnel, but a fork in the path had a lit lantern next to another skeleton. They had obviously died long in the past, but someone had found their body and decided to leave it there. Kunda was surprised at the disrespect shown by the Imperials. He was regularly rebellious, current events notwithstanding, but such disregard really sullied the Imperial Legion's reputation.

Ralof took a few steps down the left fork, but upon seeing how it tightened and allowed only the water to pass through he quickly returned and went to the right. The lamplight illuminated webs clinging to the walls and ceiling.

A lot of webs.

Moving deeper within, the lamplight faded but the cave brightened anyway. They entered a room cautiously, and a chittering sound alerted them to the three dog-sized spiders advancing on them. Kunda shot flames at the arachnids, their many eyes reflecting the light. One reared back and spat a green mucus that landed on Kunda's hand. It stung painfully and he made to draw back into the tunnel, but the sight of two much larger spiders rappelling from tunnels in the ceiling stopped him.

Ralof didn't see them, distracted as he was with their minions.

Kunda shouted out a warning and swung his axe at the bug that spat on him. Its shell easily gave way under the stiff steel, and he severed the leg of the surviving child attacking Ralof. The nord finished it by splitting it nearly in two.

They shared a look as the parents landed on the floor, much too gently for their size. Kunda did most of the work, sending small bursts of flame to distract and blind the beasts while Ralof took out their legs. Immobilized, the monsters were still terrifying. Ralof was happy to finish them off.

They looked towards the ceiling where sunlight streamed in through the spider's tunnels, but they had no way to reach that exit. They left through another alcove.

The stream appeared once again. They followed it to where they saw a bear sleeping. A massive one. Ralof suggested sneaking past it, and while Kunda hated to seem cowardly, he had also almost died too many times today.

Besides, it was polite to let sleeping bears lie.

They moved quickly and quietly. Further on, they passed the bones of half a dozen deer that had fallen prey to the grisly creature. Ralof called out that he could feel a breeze and after a few turns they saw the glorious light of day just ahead of them.

"I knew we'd make it!" Ralof exclaimed.

They stepped out into the much-welcome cold, happy to be free from those terrible tunnels. A bellow above them made Kunda's heart skip a beat. Crouching behind a rock, they watched as the black dragon roared out in apparent satisfaction. It glided through the sky freely, and they lost sight of it in the clouds surrounding the Throat of the World.