"Fus-Roh Dah!' the dragon bellowed, sending out a thunderous quake that shook the ground and knocked Magnus's head right into the disposal basket for the severed headS. Magnus let out a grunt as he felt the basket tip and he watched as the severed head of Olaf Windwaker rolled out and towards the tower.
*Sorry dear brother.* Magnus thought. He was still stunned by the whole situation. Was this real or was this one of those dreams that one had right before they died. Was he really now coming face to face with a real live dragon? Had he finally lost it?"
His thoughts immediately snapped back to reality as the dragon took another deep breath. "Yol Toor Shul!" Magnus rolled out of the way as a blazing jet of flame barreled towards him, completely consuming what was once the unconscious body of the headsman that moments ago was in the position to kill him.
Magnus watched as the headsman's body was reduced to meat and ash and the iron ax was reduced to slag. Magnus could not help but wince as the smell of burnt flesh, cloth, and hair filled his nostrils. He was no stranger to the foul aroma but it was a distinct odor that one did not just get used to no matter how many one had experienced it. Still, he could not help but be relieved that now there would be no headsman after his head, but with the ax. now useless, Magnus had to find away to cut his bounds. He then looked at the jagged rock where he head was once placed, and began cutting the ropes. Then he felt in. The ropes snapped in two and his hands were unbound once more. Joy filled Magnus's heart as he wriggled his fingers and felt the sheer freedom of movement as he did so. This freedom however would be short lived as he looked and saw the Captain trying to escort children out of a burning schoolhouse.
"Come on hurry!"
She shouted as she got the children into one of the keeps. The dragon circled around the keep snorting, the hot steam from it's nostrils burned hot, and smelled foul. "Archers!" The captain Cried out.
The imperial archers drew back their bows aiming it at the dragon as the Captain raised her arm. Once she swung her arm downward the archers fired, but it was all in vain. One by one the iron arrows just bounced off the dragon. It's skin was too hard to seemingly be pierced by iron arrows. The dragon let out a deep guttural cackle.
"Sahlo joor! Nikriin Ahkr Dir! Yol Toor Shul!"
The Captain desperately tried to block the flame with her shield. The thing about armor is that normal steel when face to face with dragons fire tends to met. So one must only imagine the pain the Imperial captain felt when she felt her armor fuse and cling to her like as it melted. She let out a blood curdling scream as the flames engulfed her. She fell and began to writhe in agony, and either to her credit or to her curse, she somehow still clung to life. The Dragon amused by the woman's situation merely cackled and went back to his rampage.
It was this that snapped Magnus out of his daze and he immediately sprung into action running to the captain's side, he wrapped his arms around her chest. "Just stay calm! I got you!" he shouted to the Captain. She looked at Magnus in with wide eyed shock and even fear. Just minutes ago, she had sentenced him to be beheaded. Now the roles were reversed and it was she who was at his mercy.
Still Magnus cared not what happened moments before, he only cared about the here and the now, and in the here and now the captain was a woman that needed healing, and if she did not recivie it she would suffer a painful agonizing death. So he grabbed her and carried her over her shoulders, carrying her and taking her behind one of the towers. As he sat her back down she again moaned in agony. The burns across her body and face mixed with the fused steel armor made her look more dead than alive. But how…he had no potion on hand, and he neither had the time nor the ingredients to make one. Magnus's heart grew grieved, No woman, no person deserved to die like this no matter what they had done. As he tried to continplate what to do he was once again met with that dreaded voice.
"Well isn't this another fine situation we have found herself in."
Magnus grumbled under his breath as he gave her a sideways leer.
"You're mad!" he hissed
Auntie Naine scoffed. Though the sideways smirk never left her face.
"*Gasp* What an unbelievably astute observation! I suppose next you'll reveal to me that water is indeed wet and that the moon is in fact not a giant cheese wheel in the sky. Please great sage Invoke unto me more of your insightful observations
Magnus rolled his eyes. "It's not enough for you to torment me? You now wish to torment all of Skyrim by releasing a dragon?"
"You mean Big, Black, and ugly? Oh pish posh. Just because I knew the dragon was coming doesn't mean I had anything to do with releasing it. Besides, How could I? According to you, I'm just a figment of your own delusional Imagination.
Magnus rolled his eyes. "Look this woman is going to die if I can't heal her, so unless you can teach some spell that can save her life, bugger off."
Auntie Naine once again scoffed. "Well that's just rude. You know, you used to enjoy my presence once upon a time. Whatever happened to that wide eyed innocent boy whom would give his Auntie Nanie a proper Nordic bear hug when she would bring him sweet rolls and Cheese wheels as big as his head when that nasty old woman would try to starve him?
Magnus winced as an old he was reminded of memories of time gone by. He remembered when she would come and bring him food, meats and cheeses sweets, pies and cakes, but none of it was real. It couldn't have been…could it?"
"I stole those things from the market stalls. I was just a dirty little urchin."
Auntie Nanie's face dropped and Magnus could almost swear that he saw a tear flow from her eye, but he knew better than to swear by anything this time around. After a brief moment of silence, she shook her head and sighed.
*look, you know how a healing spell works right?"
"Yes, its one of the most basic form of restoration magic. Every adventure I know of knows it."
"Good, now here is a novel idea, use that healing spell, while touching the imperial Captain. It's called healing hands. You can thank me later."
Magnus let out a sigh of his own. As much as he hated to take Nanie's advice on…well just about anything at this point in his life. He had to admit, it was always suprisingly effective. So, he placed his hands on the Captain's ribs and began to concentrate. His eyes widened in amazement as the spell did its work wounds began to close as burnt flesh began to sluff as new healthy flesh and muscle replaced it. Metal that had melted and fused into her skin was soon pushed out.
When the process was finished Magnus collapsed. The use of the spell had temporarily exhausted him, but he was left satisfied with the results.
"Well what do you know. Hey thanks…" he turned around only to find Auntie Naine was again nowhere to be seen. He was once again shaking his head
"By Shor I really am losing my mind."
The captain looked at her hands baffled by what she was feeling. Mere moments ago she was writing in agony. Now the pain she felt was merely a dull throb if even that.
All she could do for the next several seconds was look at her savior In bewilderment.
"Why? I.. I mean I ordered you to the.. "
Magnus held up his hand to halt her from speaking and merely gave her a gentle smile. "Do you have a name imperial?
The Captain was once again to stunned to speak at first. "Minerva," The captain said in a voice almost like a timid child. Magnus, though he thought it was awful, could not help but be amused at her sudden change of demeanor. Where was the Captain that seemed to take pleasure in the power over others? He had a pretty good guess actually.
"Well Minerva, how old are you?"
"20."
Magnus chuckled."mighty young for an imperial Captain."
"I was the top of my class at the imperial academy, top in combat and in strategy. I was actually the one that planned the ambush."
There was a hint of pride in her voice when she mentioned the ambush. By the look on her face one thing was pretty clear. Once again the Wheels in Magnus's mind began to turn.
*That was most likely her defining moment. In fact, that ambush is probably what got her promoted to Captain in the first place. Certainly explains some things.*
Magnus turned his head as he heard noises from a distance. He rushed to follow it only for Minerva to grab him by the shoulder. She pulled at an amulet form her neck. It was the half amulet of Talos that she had taken from him earlier. Instead of taking it however, he again held up his hand.
"You can give it back to me if we both survive this. Until then, Talos guide you."
"Haming, you need to get over here. Now! That a boy, you're doing great. Torolf! Your Majesty get back!"
When Magnus reached the source his eyes widened in shock as he Saw Elisif the Fair standing in front of the wounded Torolf staring face to face with the black dragon. Hadvar desperately tried to call her back but she would not budge. The dragon arched it's back as it readied it's fiery breath before it spread it's wings and lifted off.
"Yol Toor Shul!"
The dragon flames jettisoned towards the Jarl of Solitude but before it could reach her she felt herself tumble and roll, before ultimately landing on her back. When the world around her stopped spinning. She found the fair looking form of Magnus on top of her. The two blushed as they realized they were heavily in each other's space personal and Magnus quickly got off of her and offered a hand.
"My apologies your majesty.' Mangus apologized in a rather sheepish manner
"Oh, none required. Thank you for saving me."
It took everything she had to hold back another blushing smile and to be honest to the gods the feeling was mutual. Elisif's voice sounded like rich butter, milk and honey given physical form. To Elisif, the equally tall brown haired green eyed stranger, had a voice like a mighty war horn that could cut through any fog. The two stared at each other awkwardly until Hadvar interrupted.
"Still alive prisoner? Stick close if you want to stay that way. Gunnar, take care of the queen, the boy and His father. I have to find General Tullius and join the defense."
"No!" Elisif declared. "I'm coming with you!"
"Y-your Majesty you can't!" Hadvar protested. "It's too dangerous! Skyrim can't afford to lose its High Queen!"
"I'm just as much in danger staying here as I am going out there, not to mention the fact that there may be more wounded that need help. As your High Queen Iorderthat you take me with you."
Hadvar's eyes widened. "You do know what's at stake if something were to happen."
"I am aware, lieutenant. My order still stands.
Hadvar clinched his teeth. While as a member of the he technically served the empire above all else, as a Nord he had a loyalty to his homeland and the High Monarchy that represented its will. Ironically, she represented both Skyrim and the Empire. It would be one thing if she were not in her right mind and/or was not aware of the risk. But she was not and she had. He could not refuse her without breathing his oath.
"By your orders, your Majesty." Hadvar looked to Gunnar and nodded goodbye.
"Talos guide you." Gunnar said softly.