Work Text
“Talking”‘Thinking’“Dragon or other higher beings”“Thu’um”
17th of Last Seed, 4E 201
Bump bump! Clank!Bump bump! Clank!Neigh!The rhythmic shaking slowly brought Jon out of the realm of unconsciousness. A familiar chill against his face as a bitter wind blew. He attempted to open his heavy eyelids only to be blinded by the bright sunlight.“Hey, hey you! Boy!” A voice called out. Jon finally forced his eyes open to face the owner of the voice. He was greeted by a blond haired man in blue fur armor. “Finally awake I see. You worried us when they hauled you up here unconscious. Don’t know why you are in the same boat as us and that thief over there.”When Jon followed the other man’s gaze, he found two other men sitting in the cart with him. One was dressed in fine furs, clearly marking him as a man of great wealth and influence, but was gagged for some unknown reason. The other man was dressed in nothing more than rags covered in filth and hands bonded together. Actually, all their hands were bond, inducing his own.“What!? Why am I …?” It didn’t take him long the realize someone was missing. “Wait, where is Ghost!?”“Ghost? Is that the name of your little friend there?” The still unnamed man before him asked while gesturing down at Jon’s feet. And to the boy’s relief, the albino dire wolf was laying at his feet fast asleep. Though he too was tied up with rope. “The imperial soldiers had a lot of trouble getting that young wolf of yours up here. Nearly took several fingers and one mans eye out before they managed to subdue him. He is very protective of you lad.”“Aye. I couldn’t ask for a better friend.” Jon carefully lifted the sleeping wolf up and onto his lap with some difficulty due to his bond hands. “But, where are we?”“We…”“We’re in big trouble because of these damn Stormcloaks, that’s where!” The thief in rages interjected. “The Empire was nice and lazy before you rebels brought Skyrim into a civil war! I wold have been half way to Hammerfell with that horse had it not been for you!”“We are all brothers and sisters in bonds now, horse thief. Although I do hope they spare the boy at the very least.”“And risk him being a young rebel? Unlikely.” The angry thief turned to face Jon at last. “You and I, we don’t belong here. So curse your death upon these men.”At long last, the man driving the wagon called back from his place at the front. “Shut up back there! We have arrived at our destination.” Stone walls appeared through the dense forest and a large wooden gate opened as they neared.“Helgen, huh. I use to be sweet on a girl from here. I wonder if Vilod still makes mead with juniper berries in it?”“Does it matter!? The only reason they wold bring a bunch of Stormcloaks and their leader, Jarl Ulfric anywhere, is to meet the headsman’s axe!” The thief once again shouted. “Divines, help me!”“Think of home, horse thief. Sovngarde awaits.”Jon silently prayed to every god he could think of to let him live this day as he tried to figure out what was happening. Last thing he remembered was running away from his ‘home’ in Winterfell. Not that he ever truly felt welcome there as he was nothing more than a lowly bastard. So late one night he gathered his few things and ran off with his faithful dire wolf with hopes of finding a place he could belong.That was until that wired storm hit. A clear peaceful night turned into a desperate fight for survival. He couldn’t tell how long he fought through the wind and snow before losing consciousness. But now he finds himself tied up in a cart with other prisoners in a land called Skyrim, a place he has never heard of. Neither has he heard anything about an empire anywhere near Westeros.He had to get out of here, and fast.But all too soon, the carts entered the small city.An authoritative voice from the front of the convoy called out to the guards on the walls. “Get the headsman ready! Let us finish this rebellion once and for all!”“Tsk! General Tullius the military governor. The lap dog of the Thalmor. I bet those damn elves had something to do with this.”‘Elves?’ Now that brought Jon out of his head. H quickly followed the rebels line of sight to see the man in question talking to a hooded figure. It was too far to clearly make out but the supposed elf was tall and thin with what looked like yellowish skin. ‘Okay, definitely not in Westeros anymore.’The line of carts slowly made their way through the streets, passing wooden homes and stone towers as they did before coming to a stop in an open space before one such tower. And waiting in the center was a man wearing a black hood and a large axe. The headsman.One by one they were taken off the wagon and made to stand by till called. One imperial soldier stood before them with a list while another, higher ranking soldier by her armor, stood next to him.“When your name is called, head to the headsman one at a time!” The one in charge shouted before gesturing at her subordinate to start.“Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Windhelm.” The gagged man stepped past the soldiers with his head held high. Not showing even a moment of weakness despite his looming death.“Ralof of Riverwood.”The man he chatted with soon followed his leader in a similar way. Though he did stop to speak briefly with the imperial solider. “See you in Sovngarde, Hadvar.”“...Lokir of Rorikstead.”“No, no no! I’m not a rebel!” Lokir shouted before suddenly taking off, trying to run away. “You won’t kill me!”“Archers!” The captain shouted before the thief was hit by several arrows. He fell to the ground, dead almost instantly. “Anyone else want to try!?”Hadvar turned his back from the fallen man and focused on Jon. “A lad? Who are you?”“J-Jon. My name is Jon.” Faint words tricked out of the boy’s mouth. His fear and stress was starting to get to him.The man gave a gentle smile. “Interesting name there lad. How old are you?”“Four and ten winters, sir.”“Four and ten? Do you mean fourteen? Where are you…”“Hadvar! Quit chatting with the prisoner and send him to the block!” The female captain ordered.“But he isn’t on the list! He’s also a mere boy.”“I said, send him to the…”“Hold it!” A new voice cut her off. An older man with graying hair and much finer armor stepped up.“General Tullius!”“I was speaking with some of the prisoners when one spoke up to say ‘Do not execute the boy’.” He gave the captain a hard glare. “Now as far as I knew, the empire didn’t kill innocent boys, nor did I know we even had one prisoner. So I came back here to investigate and what do I find?”“G-General! I-I can explain!”“Enough! Go with the others, I will deal with you later.” Tullius turned to look at the boy and his wolf, who happened to awake now and glaring holes in the captain. “So that is why my men were grumbling about a wolf while covered in cuts and bite marks. Your name is Jon right? Where are you from?”“I’m from the North in Westeros, sir.”“Westeros? Never heard of such a place.”“Well I’ve never heard of Skyrim before either.”“Hmm. You don’t have the look a liar about you.” He turned to give an order to the imperial soldier. “Hadvar, free the boy and his hound. Take them off to the side for now. I’ll see to him myself after the executions are done with.”“Yes sir!” Hadvar unsheathed a dagger from his waist after the general returned to his place by the headsman block.“Grrrr!” Ghost made a sound for the first time during the whole trip.“Shhh. Calm down boy. He’s a friend.” Jon did his best to comfort the young dire wolf.“So your beast can make a sound.” The friendly soldier commented while slowly cutting the ropes in a way not to offend said beast.“There is a reason I named him Ghost. He’s silent like the dead.”That got a strange look from Hadvar. “You really aren't from Tamriel are you?”Before Jon could respond, a strange faint sound flowed through the air.“...Rrooaarr…!”“What was that?” Hadvar looked around in surprise before motioning to him. “Come, let us join the general. Have you ever seen an execution before lad?”“Aye. I was made to witness a few in my years. F-Father said it would make me use to death before I must take one myself.” The boy answered as he followed Hadvar to stand near the older man from before. Tullius seemed to be talking to the gagged man from before. He didn’t know if he imagined it or what but he could have sworn he saw relief in his and Ralof’s eyes when they saw him no longer in bonds. “But In the North, we believe that ‘The one who passes the sentence must swing the blade.’”Every Nord within earshot seemed interested in that last bit.“Priest, you may begin.” Tullius gave the order.A woman in brown robs stepped forward at the generals order. “As we commend your souls to Aetherius, the blessings of the eight divines be upon you…”“Oh shut up!” one of the Stormcloak rebels shouted as he walked up to the block. “Let us get this over with!”“Very well.” By her tone, it was clear she did not like being interrupted. Jon watched as the axe fell. He could here somebody talking but couldn’t make out the words. For some reason he felt his blood start to boil as his breath sharpen. Something was coming.“Rrrrrooooaaaaarrrrr!!”“What was that!?”The air became electrified as the sound became louder. To Jon everything started to move in slow motion as his eyes were drawn to the sky. Or more accurately, the dark shape descending the mountain.“RRRROOOOOOAAAARRRR!!!!!”The massive creature flew over head, nearly knocking everyone off their feet. The massive wings of the beast blocked out the sun as it did.“By Akatosh! Is that a dragon!?”Jon’s eyes were glued to the winged beast as it slowly hovered in the sky above the city, watching the puny humans scramble around beneath. The dragon was truly a wicked looking thing with it’s pitch black scales, eerie red eyes, and many jagged horns. It didn’t help that the beast was larger than any wall or tower Jon has ever seen. It even looked to be of a similar size as Balerion the Black Dread himself if not larger. (1)But some part of Jon knew, somehow, that even Balerion would flee from the dragon before him.The unknown dragon fell upon the tower near the town square, which was not only small next to the beast but was also crushed to half it’s original height by it’s weight.“Sahlo muz.” *1‘It speaks!?’“Jiid So Daan!” *2A great sound like thunder than erupted from the dragon’s foul maw right before the sky turned red. Balls of fire soon fell from the storm like rain, crushing and burning all in its path. Screams of fear and panic filled the air as lives were lost to the flames.Jon fell to the ground as he became disoriented. Ghost, never one to be distracted when his life was at risk, grabbed his sleeve in attempted to drag him away from danger despite his small size.“Hey! Hey, lad! Eyes up!” Jon looked at the owner of the voice, finding it to be the rebel from the cart. Ralof if remembered correctly. “We need to get out of here! Now!”He was motioning for Jon to follow as he ran towards another nearby stone tower. With little other choice, Jon scooped up his companion and gave chase. Dodging debris, fire, and even other people as he did so. Passing the dead and dying as well.At long last he made his way into the, most likely not safe, tower. Inside he spotted a few other rebel soldiers that escaped in the chaos alongside their leader. Ulfric turned to the young boy. “Good to see free of bonds, lad. Although I doubt that is what is truly maters at this moment.”One of the still unnamed Stormcloaks asked. “My Jarl. Was that truly a dragon? Bringers of the end times?”“I don’t know.” Ulfric’s deep voice answered as he carefully studied everyone within the tower. “But we can’t remain here.”“Rrrraaaooorrr!!” The tower shook as the massive dragon flew by. Dust and small bits of stone fell upon their heads as it did so. The structure would not last a second should it become the dragon’s next target.They had to get out of the city, now!“Through the tower! Now!” The rebel leader shouted as he helped his men to their feet. Ralof took Jon by his shoulders as he was practically dragged up the stone stairway. Why they were heading higher up the tower instead of out was beyond him. But they didn’t make it far up before they were met with a roadblock as great blocks of stone fell upon the stairway, preventing them from climbing any higher.“Hurry! We need to…” One of the rebels was already attempting to move the stone in their way. It was becoming very evident that these rebels weren't all that intelligent. Not that it would be any help as the wall was suddenly blown in by a great force before a small sea of flames filled the hole.Without hesitation, Jon handed Ghost to his companion before shielded both from the flames using his own body.“LAD!” Ralof shouted as the fire consumed Jon. The Nord man looked on in shock as the flames slowly died out, fully expecting to be met by Jon’s burnt corpse. He was not prepared for a lightly singed, but still fine, living boy. Though Jon’s shirt was beyond saving. “L-Lad? Your okay? How?”Jon turned to the flabbergasted man. “Long story. One best left to when we’re not being attacked by a massive dragon.”“RRRROOOAAARRRR!!!” And as if on cue, the sun was once again blocked out by the dragon still having its fun destroying the city around them.“Oh! Right!” Ralof took a moment to assess their choices. He then pointed down to a large hole in nearby building. “Do you see that building? I need you to jump to it’s second floor, alight?”“What? Are you crazy!?”“Look, we can’t go back the way we came. To much open space, we will be seen.” The man handed Ghost back to Jon before heading back down the stairs. “I got to go help the wounded. We’ll be right behind you. Now go!”“W-Wait. Damn it!” Jon watched as Ralof disappeared before turning to the hole in the wall.Boom!Boom!“Damn it! No choice! Hold on buddy!” Jon took a few steps back to take a running leap.He flew though the air as the city burned around him. He rolled as he landed in the half destroyed building that might have once been an inn, before dropping down another hole to the bottom floor. His second landing was far less graceful as the first that left him winded for a moment.When he finally did scrap himself off the ground, he stumbled out of the slowly collapsing structure. When he did so, he found three other people huddling in the shadows of destruction. An old man with a young boy and…“Hadvar! You’re still alive!?” The imperial soldier turned to Jon in surprise.“I can say the same about you, lad. I tried looking for you in the chaos but…” He was interrupted by another sea of fire on the nearby street. The flames nearly turning the gathered group to ashes had it not been for the stone wall they huddled under.“We can talk latter, we need to move!” Jon shouted as the flames died.“We need to split up. A large crowd will only draw that unholy beast’s attention.” He turned to the old man. “Gunnar, can you get Haming to safety?”“Aye, gods with you Hadvar.” Gunnar ran off through an ally with the young boy. Jon prayed to every god from his land and this one that they survive this day.Jon, Ghost, and Hadvar made their way through the burning remains of the city while dodging fire balls and avoiding the dragon’s sight as they did so. There was several close calls when the dragon decided to be a dick and blow up large parts of the city, and when it decided to land mere feet from them to burn a group of soldiers.He watched in horror as flesh was melted away and bones scorched black by flames so hot even their weapons melted into molten slag in an instant. And the screams. Oh, the screams. They came from everywhere as people burned or was crushed. Then there was the smell of burning flesh and blood and smoke. It was so thick it made him sick.Then he saw a young child, maybe a few winters younger than himself, stumbling across the road ahead of them and covered head to toe in blood. As they neared each other, Jon saw the boy holding a severed arm...wait...that was his own arm!He tried to yell out to the boy but the smoke was making it hard to breath, let alone speak. Not that it would have changed much. Jon locked eyes with the small boy, noticing he was dazed and unfocused. He doubted anything could break through to him at this moment. But before they could reach out and grab the boy, a blazing boulder fell from the sky, crushing the boy into mush and covering Jon’s face in his blood. Jon felt something else land upon his head, so he reached up to snatch whatever it was off his head. He would forever wish he didn’t. It was an eyeball. A small eyeball.It was only thanks to Hadvar that he didn’t fall to his knees then and there to throw up his guts and stay there in his own vomit.Jon didn’t know how long they ran after that or even where they were going. His vision started to darken as he desperately gasped for air as smoke filled the sky. When he finally did shake the dizziness off, he found a new member had joined their merry band of survivors.“General Tullius!”“Hadvar, boy!” He ran up besides them before leading them in a new direction. “To the keep! NOW!”Jon didn’t know why heading deeper into the city would help them, but he had no choice but to trust the elder man. Hoping he knew something they didn’t.But right in front of the keep’s doors, they ran into a couple of familiar faces. Ulfric and Ralof.“Damn you rebels.”“Imperial bastards.”It didn’t take long for both sides to start throwing insults and, if Jon didn’t stop them soon, punches. He looked around the sky, trying to find the dragon. It didn’t take him long to do so as the hellish beast had it’s unnerving eyes set on them.“SHIT! You all can fight later! We need to move!” Jon shoved Tullius and Ulfric towards a side door to the keep. The party of 5, plus Ghost, dived past the archway right before another blast of fire scorched the land they were once at.“Rrooaarr!”They all took a moment to catch their breath as the dragon raged outside.“Are we all that made it here?” Ralof asked.Hadvar turned to answer. “Looks like it.”“A dragon. Dragons haven't been spotted in Tamriel in a thousand years! Why now!? Why here!?” The general muttered loudly.The Stormcloak leader interrupted the man’s monologue.“A better question is, how do we get out of Helgen? We can’t go back out there.”“...I have half a mind to cut you down here if I thought we could. But we shall work together, for now.” The oldest member of their group growled out before turning to the only other door in the room. “In the deepest part of the keep, a wall fell down exposing an old part of the keep within a large cave. If the reports I received is correct, that cave leads outside.”He then turned back to them with a deep frown. “To get there we will need to pass the dungeons and the guards of this keep locked up a large number of bandits down there.”“Sir, do you think they could have escaped?” Hadvar asked.“Possible. Most of the guards would have come up the moment they heard the chaos, leaving a skeleton crew. The dungeon lays directly below the city so parts of it could have collapsed by now.”“In that case.” Ralof turned to one of the chests lining the wall. After a few moments he turned back with some armor. “Lad, try these on. They might be a little large but it’s better than that scrap of a shirt you’re wearing now.”Oh, right! In all the excitement, Jon forgot his shirt was burned off. A fact that brought a slight shiver up his spine as he suddenly felt the chilly air on his exposed skin. “T-Thanks.”“Son, ah. Jon, was it? Can you use a sword?” Tullius asked.“Aye.”“Have you taken a life?”“...No.”“Sigh. Well you may have too.” He turned to his subordinate. “Hadvar, find the boy a sword.”“Aye sir!”“The first kill is never easy, lad. Even the greatest of warriors struggle with it. But you must be strong.” Ulfric knelt down to his level to help secure the armor around his chest. All the while giving words of comfort. “Focus on the thrill of combat instead of the bloodshed.”He gave Jon a pat on his shoulder before Hadvar returned.“Here, Jon. It’s only an iron sword but it should do in a pinch. If we get out of this I’ll have my uncle make you a better one.”“Rrrroooaaarrrr!!!”BOOM!The keep shook violently as the black dragon assaulted it.“Shit! This way! Hurry!” Tullius shouted as he threw the door open. Jon charged after him after he took the sword from Hadvar. The others not far behind. On their way they came across a room of dead Stormcloaks, their blood pooling upon the stone floor. All covered in burns and cuts too rough to come from any weapon. A closer look showed massive splinters embedded deep in their exposed flesh. It appeared they all succumbed to their wounds they received from the dragon.“By Talos.” Ralof knelt next to the fallen. “See you all in Sovngarde.”They then made their way down a stone stair case with Ghost in front, using his keen sense of smell to alert them of danger.BOOM!CRASH!BANG!A cloud of dust met them when they reached the bottom. When it finally cleared they found the way forwards blocked by the collapsed ceiling.“Damn it! This place is falling apart!”“It wasn’t built to hold off a freaking dragon.”“Clearly!”Jon ignored them in favor of peaking through a gap in the rubble. He spotted a door on the far left wall that was unblocked. When he checked the wall on their side, he saw another door along the same wall. “That door. Does it lead to the one over there?”Tullius answered. “It does. Is it unblocked on the other side?”“Aye.”“Then we cut through.” Ulfric pipped up while heading to said door. But he stopped when he reached it. “Quiet. Voices.”Jon brought his ear up to the door as well. And there was indeed voices, but they were to faint to make out. “Any luck they Imperials or Stormcloaks?”“Possible, but no way to tell from here.” Hadvar answered. “Well have to risk it.”Jon swallowed the lump in his throat as the others readied their swords and axes. The group of 5 and Ghost entered the room. That was when his heart dropped. In the room was a group of six dirty men dressed in rags and furs with weapons so poorly maintained they barely held together. Bandits. They did escape in the chaos.It didn’t take long for the criminals to notice them. “Hey! Get them!”A violent and bloody melee then took place. The four men charged the bandits, easily tarring though their weak guards and shity skills.But one did manage to get behind them and came for Jon. His foe wildly swung his large iron great-sword in hopes of cutting him in half. Jon easily dodged the blows despite his fear slowing him down and making him hesitate. He rolled under another swing before returning blows with his own sword, managing to give him a small cut on the leg that was no where near deep enough. He managed to just parry the next attack but it did break his balance. Jon watched as the bandit raised is sword again. This time he wouldn’t be able to dodge, nor did he have the strength to block it.Luckily Ghost came to his rescue. The small wolf pup tore at the man’s ankle off with his teeth, giving Jon an opening to strike.Jon’s sword cut through the air before meeting the crook’s neck in a shallow cut. The bandit dropped his weapon as he griped his wound in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding. Jon watched the fear and desperation in the mans eye slowly fade away along with his lifeas he fell to his knees before finally passing from blood loss. His haunting expression and bloody hands forever engraved within his memory.“...j...Jo….Jon...JON! Snap out of it lad!” A voice suddenly snapped him back to reality. It was Ulfric. “Sorry but we must continue.”Jon was helped back to his feet, when he fell was unknown to him, and out of the room. After another flight of stairs, they came across the dungeon. Or the remains of one as much of it was caved in. Jon managed to spot an imperial soldier crushed under the rubble with another cut down not far away. Cut down by another, larger, group of bandits. After another short skirmish, where Jon got few more kills that he was trying not to dwell on, the room was cleared.They stopped for a moment to catch their breath among the dead and Jon could feel his stomach lurch again in attempt to void what food he had in him. It was then he finally noticed a smallshallow cut on his leg. He couldn’t recall when he received it but it needed patched, and soon.“Oi, that looks bad.” Hadvar spotted him binding his bleeding leg and rushed over. “You know any healing magic?”Magic? What the hell was he talking about? His expression must have been clear as the older men gave him strange looks. But it was Ralof that spoke up. “Do you not know any magic? Even us Nords at least learn some basic healing and fire magic. And we are openly very distrustful of the art.”“W-Wait. Are you saying magic exists here?” Jon was beyond bewildered at this point. “Magic has been extinct from Westeros for so long that many believe it to be a mere myth.”“Well it’s very much still around here, unfortunately.” Ralof answered.“Hey! There are some spell tomes in this cell!” Tullius shouted out. “They seem to be basic novice level spells too. Perfect for the boy.”Ulfric tried to opened the door to the cell but it was locked up tight. “No good. We need the key but…”Hadvar spoke up next. “In this mess? Good luck.”“I-I might be able to pick the lock.” Jon pipped up, visible nerves.“And how do you know how to do that?” The others gave Jon small looks of suspicion.“Growing up I would be...accidentally locked in rooms. So I learned how to pick simple locks.” Jon quickly found some simple lock picks on a dead bandit.“How do you get ‘accidentally’ locked up enough times that you would need to learn such skills?”Jon paused before answering. “Sometimes I needed to...get away...from everything so I would find a quiet place to be alone. But these places were often times rooms such asstorage that ended up locked with nobody bothering to check if anyone was inside.”Jon started picking the lock. Despite it being on a cell made to hold prisoners, it was poorly maintained. The interior started to rust but not enough to fully compromise it’s locking mechanism, yet.“Even so young man, don’t bother. We don’t use poor steel for our…” Tullius boasted before being cut off.“Got it.”“What!? How!?”“Who ever was in charge here poorly maintained their equipment. This lock is starting to rust, same with those...torture equipment.” Jon pointed to a nearby wall. “I may not be familiar with torture but even us warriors know rusted blades kill faster. Not something you want happening before you get the information you are after.”Everyone could see the general getting angrier and angrier as his blood boiled. Jon was silently glad the torturer was already dead because the older man looked like he was going to test his hypothesis on the deceased man. “Is that so. After we get out of this alive, I will personally insure all imperial prisons in the province are up to standards.”It probable didn’t help that Ulfric and Ralof were off to the side giggling like crazy.“Hahaha...Let us see...giggle...what tomes he had...giggle.” Ralof patted the boy on the shoulder as he passed Jon to enter the cell. “Let’s see here. A few septims, a couple potions, enchanted robes, and... aha! Spell tomes!”“Give everything to the lad. He will need them.” Ulfric bellowed in his deep voice. “What accursed spells are in the tomes?”“Oakflesh, Healing, Sparks, and Flames my Jarl. Seems like the poor bastard was a rich idiot just starting out before being captured. Doubt he finished reading the first one.”“Huh, fool.”“Stormcloaks encouraging someone to learn magic. Now I’ve seen it all.” Hadvar muttered loudly.Ulfric turned to the imperial soldier. “Just because we distrust it and its users, doesn't mean we don’t see the benefits. I even have a court mage back in Windhelm.”Jon ignored the bickering men to further examine the supposedly magic books that Ralof handed them to him. It was only when they were in his hand could he feel...something from them. It felt similar to what he felt when the dragon appeared but a LOT weaker.“Rrroooaaarr!”Boom!Before he could open the first book to read, the keep rattled from the dragon’s rage.“Shit! Head that way! Now!”Jon shoved his new loot into a discarded sack he found nearby and chased after the men. They passed several larger cells in a dark hallway before coming out to a large room of similar size to the one before. And on the far wall, was a hole. Beyond was a cave system. Just as the general said.The group clambered though the gap and ran down the damp tunnel. They passed barely lit braziers and stone columns before emerging into a large cavern. The hollow had a stream of water passing around and under old man-made stone structures. Clearly this cave was once a greater part of the keep before being sealed a long time ago by the age and wear of the stone. Oh, and there was a lot of bandits.“Huh? Hey!” And they just noticed them. Great. “Get them!”They were greatly outnumbered by the crooks yet not overpowered. They were no match for the group of well trained warriors. Even Jon, after pushing his queasiness as far back in his mind as he could, was cutting through the scum one after another with the assistance of Ghost.When the last of their foes were slain they found their way blocked by a wooden draw bridge. Luckily there was a lever to lower it. Unluckily it was stuck.“Move damn you!” Ralof and Hadvar unsuccessfully pushed and pulled the rusted lever in a desperate attempt to get it moving.“We don’t have time for this. The ceiling could fall on us at any time.” Ulfric growled before pulling the two men back. “Step back. I’m I’ll use my Thu’um.”“Hm.” Tullius muttered. “Finally found a worthy use of your gift I see.”“Shut up and stand behind me.”Jon, meanwhile, was very confused. But can you blame him? In a single day he is attacked by a dragon, witnessed so many brutal deaths,learned that elves apparently exists, had his first kill, found out magic is real before being handed spell tomes for him to learn, and now Ulfric was going to use this Thu'um thing to unblock their path. It has been a long day.His confusion turned to astonishment when Ulfric shouted in a voice like thunder…“FUS!” *3And the whole bridged was hit by a great force, easily breaking the mechanism holding it up.“W-What in the world was that!?” Jon shouted.“We’ll talk later. That dragon is still out there.” Hadvar said as he ran past. Once they all crossed the bridge, said dragon made itself know again.“Rrroooaaarrr!”Boom!CRASH!Massive rocks collapsed upon the wooden bridge behind them, destroying it and blocking them from turning back. Not that they wanted to. Even if the dragon left, the keep would still be unstable for some time afterwards. Guess everyone else would need to find their own way out.The room they came out to also seemed to be the last of the stone work and end of the keep. From here on out it would be nothing but natural cave. They followed the stream as far as they could before having to follow a different side path when they had no choice. Jon wished they didn’t as the next cavern they found was covered top to bottom in monolithic webs. Then came the massive fuck off spiders. And Jon would deny to his dying day he didn’t scream like a girl.“AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!! WHAT THE FUCK ARE THOSE!!”“Hahahahahaha! Come on lad! Never seen a frostbite spider before?” Ralof asked while laughing his ass off.“Clearly not!”“It’ll be fine. Just don’t get hit by their venom!” Ulfric yelled while charging the monsters. The others followed suit with Jon lagging behind before accepting he was in a strange land with strange oddities and started killing spiders.It took him a few minutes to get use to the spiders form but he was able to find a few weak points in it’s defenses. After that, they went down fast. After they got out of here, the older men had a lot of explaining to do.After that. The rest of the journey out of the cave was uneventful. Sure there was a cave bear, but after the giant spiders it wasn’t a challenge. And at long last they emerged into the light of day.Jon briefly relaxed right before the hair on his neck stood on end as the air suddenly felt heavy again. Ghost too tensed up as Jon looked in the sky towards the city they escaped. “Get down!”The seasoned warriors did so in an instant. Not even a moment of hesitation from their battle reflexes they honed over many years of fighting. And those reflexes probably saved their lives as the dragon flew right past them, not seeing them through the trees and rocks they hid behind. The flying snake with legs flew higher in the sky, pass the clouds as it headed towards a mountain nearby.“..It’s gone. Finally.” Jon at last sat down to rest. The sheer chaos that was today was enough to drive him mad. But they survived all of...them…Ulfric and Tullius were staring each other down while Ralof and Hadvar stood by with weapons ready. He forgot during the dragon attack that these men were in active war against each other.“H-Hey…” The young man almost yelled out for them to stop yet couldn’t. He didn’t know why they were fighting in the first place nor did he have skin in this fight to begin with. No matter how much he wished they wouldn’t fight, he couldn’t stop them. Luckily he didn’t have to worry.“In respect for the boy, how about we extend the ceasefire for a while longer?” The ever diplomatic general asked.“Aye. But only for the day.” Ulfric agreed before settling down on the ground to rest. “We’ll stay here for moment before we go our separate ways.”“Agreed.”Hadvar and Ralof sheathed their weapons as everyone sat around a small fire they whipped up quickly. Jon let out a sigh of relief. He had enough excitement for one day.“So lad, why don’t you tell us who you are and where your from?” Hadvar asked out of the blue. The other men turned to stare at Jon, waiting for an answer.“I told you, I’m Jon.”“Uh uh, that’s not gonna cut it. You claim to be from a place I’ve never heard of and you’ve apparently aren’t from Skyrim. Or Tamriel for that matter.”Ralof chose this moment to pipe up. “Not to mention you apparently can not be burned.”“What!?” The others shouted.“Yeah. Back in Helgen I saw the lad consumed by fire and walk out completely fine.”“Okay enough!” Jon yelled. “Ill tell you what I know.”Jon took a few breathes before beginning. “To begin with, my name is Jon Snow. I think. It’s complicated and will get to later. I was raised in the North, a place similar to Skyrim by climate if nothing else. And I am supposedly the….”“Supposedly what?” Ulfric asked.“A-a…”“Come on lad, you can tell us.” Hadvar pushed.“A bastard, okay! I’m a bastard!” Jon yelled out all of a sudden.“Wow lad! You are not a bastard! Nor should anyone call you such.” Ralof exclaimed.Tullius shook his head before speaking up. “He didn’t mean it like that you Nordic imbecile. He means he is an illegitimate child. His parents weren't married.”“Oh!” The three Nord men answered with understanding.“Wait.” Hadvar suddenly inquired. “Is that a bad thing sir?”“Of course not. Every now and then noble families around Tamriel would put out the idea that which side of the sheets your born to matters. But such thinking dies out quickly due to the harsh nature of our land.”“Hmmmm. I suppose it doesn't matter much when being attacked by wild beasts, undead hoards, vampires, daedra or other foul creatures.” Ulfric declared.‘...What? Did he say...undead hordes?’“Exactly. In fact, the only place that looks down on bastards is the Aldmeri Dominion.” That name seemed to enrage the Stormcloaks immensely. “But that is because they practice selective breeding. In fact they view any birth from an unsanctioned marriage as illegitimate. I don’t think I need to tell you lot what they would then do to those children, do I?”“Damn elves.” Ralof angrily muttered. He turned to the boy again. “At least that explains why you often hid yourself. So how did you end up here, lad?”“I...would like to know that myself. I ended up in a storm, then I’m here. No idea how.”“Could be you were teleported here by magic. A summoning spell gone wrong perhaps?” The general deduced. “But why were you outside in a storm.”“...I...ran away…” Jon looked down in shame. “Remember how I said I think my name is Jon Snow? And how I was unburned? They are all connected.”“How, lad?”“For as long as I can remember, I’ve been the bastard son of Lord Stark. Till one day I discovered I did not burn. In Westeros, there is only one family that was ever said to possess that ability. The Targaryen’s. They were the royal family of the Seven Kingdoms before the rebellion.” Jon continued. “Long story short, the Targaryen’s went mad due to prolific inbreeding.”“Ewww!”“So, how are you connected to them?” At this point Jon didn’t even know who was asking as he was almost lost in thought.“...I...Thought about it greatly. The main reason I could pass as Lord Stark’s son was because I have his coloring. That means I am half Stark and half Targaryen. But…”“You don’t need to say it if you don’t want to lad.” Ulfric said after seeing the pain in the boys eyes.“No, no. I-I need to say it. There is only one pair that could be my parents. Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. But the stories say he kidnapped and…”“...Oh.”“…”Nothing else needed to be said as they could all read between the lines.A memory suddenly popped up in the boys head. “But...Now that I think about it...Fa...I mean, Lord and Lady Stark always told us kids to never trust the stories.”“You think it is a lie?” Tullius asked.“I...don’t know. Nor do I care to find out right now.”“Lad...”“No. You said that here being a bastard didn’t matter, right? I will create a new life here. Away from Westeros and its game of thrones.” He looked the men in the eye with fiery determination.“Hahahahahahaha! Well said!” Ulfric bellowed.Suddenly, footsteps were heard closing in on their position from two sides. They were on their feet with weapons drawn in an instant. The steps grew closer and closer before...Legionaries and Rebels emerged from the trees on each side.“General Tullius!”“Jarl Ulfric!”Upon seeing each other, the two sides drew their weapons. They nearly came to blows before they were stopped by their respected leaders standing in their way.“Soldiers halt!”“Sons of Skyrim stop!”“General, they are the enemy.”“I said, stand down!” Tullius ordered.Ulfric then bellowed. “We have came to an agreement to halt our fight this day, and for this day only. Do not make me a lair.”Seeing their leaders staring them down quickly took the will to fight out of them. They all put their swords and axes away as ordered. Now waiting for new orders.“Ulfric, may I speak with you for a moment?” Tullius asked out of the blue. And despite his suspicion, Ulfric agreed and the two men spoke in whispering voices for a short while. Whatever they were speaking about, Jon felt it might be about him if the occasional glances his way said anything.Finally the two men seemed to come to an agreement as they turned to face Hadvar and Ralof, who were still next to Jon. It was the general who spoke first. “You two. Your both from Riverwood, right?”“Yes. We grew up together there.” Ralof answered with very little respect for the older man. Despite the seize fire they were still at war with each other after all.“Good. We have a task for you.”Ulfric spoke up next. “We need the two of you to escort the lad there and help him get settled in Skyrim before returning to us.”“W-Wait a moment! There is no need for that!” Blurted Jon. “I can manage on my own!”“No lad, you can’t.” Tullius sternly advised. “You are in an unknown land. Besides, it’s the least we can do for you. You saved our lives back in Helgen. We owe you.”The Jarl nodded in agreement. “He’s right you know. If you hadn’t pushed us towards the keep we would have died.”“It will be our honor to guide him.” Hadvar exclaimed with happiness.It seams he had no choice but to relent. “Sigh, fine.”“good.” General Tullius rummaged through his bag for a moment before finding something. “Now have this. I always keep one on me sense I’m not from here either.”Jon took the folded up paper he was handed. After unfolding it he found it to be a map of Skyrim. “Thank you!”“Don’t mention it.” Tullius gave him one last smile before turning to his soldiers that were standing awkwardly to the side. “You lot! We’re returning to Helgen! We must find any survivor we can! Move it!”Ulfric turned to his men as well. “That is our cue to leave. Let’s go!”The smaller group of three watch as everyone left. Saying nothing till the last sounds vanished over the snow covered hills.“Well then, lets go.” Ralof declared. “We’ll have to stop and make camp for the night but we should be in Riverwood by tomorrow.”“If we hurry, we should make it to the river’s edge by nightfall. I would prefer to rest there.” Hadvar pipped up.And so the party made their way down the mountain. Jon found the rolling hills of snow and ice reminding him of his homeland. But after a few hours the snow gave way a lush landscape full of healthy trees, flowers, and animals. Ghost looked excited as he ran through the brush, chasing the butterfly's.After walking for many hours down the winding road, Jon heard the sound of flowing water. A lot of water. The river was within reach and not a moment too soon as the sun started to set. It didn’t take them long to see the river emerge over the cliff. But right before the river stood three stones of clear cultural importance.“Ah, the guardian stones. I nearly forgot they were on this trail.” Hadvar marveled. “Three of the 13 ancient standing stones that dot Skyrim.”“Go on lad, give it a try.” Ralof lightly pushed Jon to the stones. He could feel a lot of power from the obelisks.The stones in question stood taller than he did and three different images were carved upon them. The first was an old man with a long beard dressed in robes and holding a staff. The next one showed a hooded figure holding a pair of daggers. The last one was an armored man holding a large axe and shield. Mage, thief, and warrior. It wasn’t much of a choice to be honest.Jon stepped up to the warrior stone and placed his hand upon the warrior stone. The stone started to glow with ethereal light before a beam of the light shot into the sky. Jon felt power course through his veins.“By the divine...it...it gave you a blessing!?” Hadvar and Ralof looked on in pure awe.“What was that!?”The Nord men shared a look before Ralof answered. Kinda. “No one truly knows. Similar stones can be found all over Tamriel. But it is said that they will give blessings to worthy heroes. That means you…”“We can worry about that later.” Hadvar cut in after taking a moment to collect his thoughts. “Night is upon us.”This place was absolutely crazy. They quickly searched nearby for good place to set up camp. They managed to find an abandoned fishing camp at the river’s edge they chose to rest for the night.Jon sat down with Ghost in his lap while Hadvar and Ralof went off to collect firewood and meat to eat, though he thought he heard them discussing something in heated whispers as they left. He used what remain of the sunlight to read the first of the spell tomes he was given.He decided to start with Flames due to him being fireproof so there shouldn’t be any danger. The first half of the book was all about basic magic theory and how to use magicka. A quick look into the other books reveled they all contained the same information before the actual spell. He studied the book through a dinner of rabbit till time to turn in for the night. By then he could feel the magicka flowing through him but couldn’t cast the spell yet.That night, Jon dreamed of the large black dragon burning Winterfell to ash. He woke with a start, right before dawn broke. He allowed the other men to sleep a bit longer while he went to wash his face in the river. As the first rays of the day appeared over the mountains he got the map Tullius gave him out. A brief look revealed that, just like the North, Skyrim was sparsely populated.After the others woke up they fished for breakfast. Luckily their was a fishing pole was left behind in the camp. Jon finished reading the spell tome as the fish cooked over the fire. He was mesmerized as flames emerged from his palm and licked his fingers. He shot his hand towards the river and the flames shot forth. The wave of weak flames landed harmlessly upon the water surface, but Jon still felt an imminence rise in excitement well inside him.“I did it! I used magic!” He cheered into the morning air. The two Nord men clapped for him with small giggles on their lips. After his short celebration they continued down the road to Riverwood. Jon spent the next few hours reading the Healing spell tome as they walked. They finally arrived at their destination around noon.Riverwood was a small settlement, maybe three dozen buildings made of wood, built on the banks of the White River. It had a large sawmill built on a small island in the river itself, probably the origin of the towns name. The group passed through the towns stone wall that circled the village. Jon couldn’t help but wonder why there were so few guards as could only see two manning this side of the wall. And even then they looked half asleep at best. He doubted they even noticed them enter the village. (2)“It’s nice to see this place still in one piece. I was worried it would get caught up in the war.” Hadvar beamed.“Aye. But where to now?” Ralof asked. It was then Jon noticed the rebel had covered his armor to hide it’s color.“My uncle’s place. It’s close to the lumber yard so you can easily grab your sister. Better we chat indoors than outside. Can’t have the whole town in a panic over you know what yet.”Ralof nodded his head in agreement. “For the best. I’ll run and get her. Meet you there.”Jon watched as he ran off across a wooden bridge heading towards the sawmill. Hadvar motioned down the street. “C'mon, my uncles house is over there.”Jon marveled at the sights of the town as they walked pass. These Nords seemed to be as hearty as the North-men yet a bit more friendly. Though that wasn’t saying much if he was honest.“Hadvar? Is that you?” A voice called out from a nearby building. They had arrived at the towns blacksmith without him realizing it. “Are you on leave from...Shor’s balls! What happened to you?”Ah, right. Jon forgot about that. They were covered in soot, ash, dust, several peoples blood, and who knows what else.“Shhh! Please keep it down uncle.” Hadvar begged. “We need to speak inside once the others get here. Can we?”“Oh! Of course. But who else is…?”“Good, your here.” Ralof’s voice came from nearby. He was joined by two adults and a young boy.“Huh? Aren’t you...I don’t know what is going on. But it must be important.” The blacksmith opened his door to let everyone inside. Once they were inside he barred the door to prevent anyone else from entering. “Sigrid! We have guests!”A woman emerged from the house’s basement followed by a young girl. “Who is...Hadvar? Ralof?”“Dorthe, Frodnar. Go play down stairs.”“Awww. But I want to see cousin Hadvar father!”“Listen to you father dear. You can see your cousin later.”The young girl looked disappointed for a moment before running off with the boy. Leaving the adults, and Jon and Ghost, alone.“Okay then. Introductions are in order.” Ralof spoke up. “Jon meet my sister Gerdur and her husband Hod. Over there is Hadvar’s uncle Alvor and his wife Sigrid. Everyone, this is Jon. He saved our lives back in Helgen.”“It’s nice to meet the man who saved my idiot of a brother.” Gerdur thanked the lad before turning to her brother. “But how did he save both your lives? And what happened to Ulfric? Last we heard he was captured.”“He was.” Hadvar answered. “He and Ralof was taken to Helgen to be executed. But that was when it appeared.”“What?” Sigrid asked before anyone else could.“A dragon.”“What!?” Everyone shouted.“You boy’s aren’t drunk are you?” Alvor asked. And to be fair, was a good question to ask had their roles been reversed.Ralof answered. “We couldn’t believe it either. But it destroyed Helgen. Left it as a smoking ruin.”“By the divines.” Hod muttered in horror.“Aye. And the two of us, along with General Tullius and Jarl Ulfric, would have been turned to ash had Jon not shoved our stubborn asses into the keep in time.”“And in return for saving our lives, we were ordered to escort Jon here and help him settle in Skyrim.” Hadvar continued their tale. “Once we’ve done that we must report back. Though I don’t see the fight continuing again for some time.”“Aye, I imagine not. Too risky with a dragon flying around.” Gerdur reasoned. And Jon fully agreed. A large force would be easy pickings for that monster. “Where did you see it go?” (3)“North.” Jon answered, speaking for the first time. He spent the time feeding beef to Ghost.“Damn. That put’s Riverwood at risk.” Alvor growled in anger.“I’ve been meaning to ask. Why are there so few guards?” Jon inquired.“The Jarl of Whiterun is trying to remain neutral in the ongoing civil war. Falkreath to the south sides with the empire so having too many guards here could be seen as a threat. Or at least that is what that fucking Jarl down there has been moaning about.” Sigrid answered, clearly frustrated. “That bastard is little more than a bandit himself.”“If that dragon comes here…” Hod fretted.“…”“We can worry about that later.” Hadvar cut in. “Right now the three of us need to clean up.”“Right. I’ll fill the tub.” Sigrid walked off.“Don’t forget Jon here needs better gear as well. Can’t leave him with mismatched armor and an iron sword now can we.” Ralof pointed out.“Well I can easily whip up some better gear for my nephew’s savior.” Alvor answered as he eyed up the way too big armor Jon wore.Gerdur also volunteered. “You do that and we will gather other supplies. Potions, rations, etc.”“Thank you all.” Jon gave them a smile.
19th of Last Seed, 4E 201
The group had gathered outside the north gate the next day. Jon was now dressed head to toe in warm leather armor with a steel sword hanging from his waist. On his back was a hunting bow, a quiver full of iron arrows, and a large backpack with a bedroll. In his bag he had food and water, a fishing rod, skinning knife, books about Skyrim and his unread spell tomes, and potions. Apparently alchemy also existed here. He had potions of healing, stamina, and magicka. Very useful.More than enough supplies to last him the trip.“I wish we had more time to prepare you lad. Skyrim can be dangerous during times of peace, let alone war.” Hadvar moaned.“Someone has to tell Jarl Balgruuf about the dragon. And Whiterun is neutral so it can’t be you or Ralof. It has to be me.” Jon answered while fastening a small leather armor to Ghost. The speed at which Alvor made the custom armor for the two of them surprised Jon to no end.“Here.” Ralof handed him an overflowing sack. “Some septims for the road.”Ah, yes. That was something else he needed to get use to. The empire used gold coins, and only gold coins. No silver or copper like Westeros. Jon asked how much gold their land had for them to use gold coins to buy a mere apple. They looked at him like he grew another head. Jon decided to let it go...for now.Jon said his final goodbye’s before turning to the road north. The trip would be a long trek through uninhabited wilderness. If he kept a steady pace he should arrive at his destination by nightfall tomorrow. Hadvar said the road should be relatively safe with the only known threat being a stray pack of wolves. Though that may no longer be the case with not only the war but also the reemergence of a dragon nearby.He made his way across the stone bridge that took him to the west side of the river, now walking under the shadow of a cliff. He couldn’t help but marvel at the beautiful landscape. He and Ghost walked in silence for most of the trip as they kept their ears primed for threats.Right as the sun stared to dip over the horizon, Jon found himself standing before a waterfall as he spotted a vast field peeking through the tree’s in the distance. His destination would be deep in that field. He found a small clearing overlooking the waterfall and begin to set up camp. Soon he had a small fire cooking venison and a shelter made of fallen branches that he had sat his bedroll within.He sat down near the fire to read the next of the spell tomes. So far he had read Flames, Healing, and Oakflesh. All he had left to read was Sparks. The thought of using lightning, even weak, against his foes was exciting. He opened the book and skipped pass the basic magicka lesson and straight to the meat of the subject.“...Awwwooooooo!”Jon froze. He looked over at Ghost. His faithful companion and friend was silently growling into the dark. Wolves.Given the sound, they were still a short ways off, but that wouldn’t last long. He glanced at his slowly roasting meat. Irresistible to the hungry beasts.“Well buddy, looks like we may have to slaughter your cousins.” He notched an arrow while trying to pinpoint where the wolves wold come from.“Pat, pat, pat.” Ghost stomped his front paw three times in rapid succession.‘Three? Three what…? No...don’t tell me.’ Jon returned his gaze into the darkness. Jon knew for a fact that Ghost was far smarter than any known beast but this…this was something else. He was interrupted by a twig snapping nearby.Fast as lightning, Jon whirled around to where the sound originated from. A wolf was charging at him fast, but not fast enough. Jon’s arrow flew from his bow, hitting the wolf square in the head. It fell dead instantly. One down, two more to go.And as if by cue, the remaining wolves charged from behind, not giving him time to draw a new arrow. He dropped his bow before rolling out of the way, scarcely avoiding the first wolfs bite. The last one would have gotten him had Ghost not tackled it away from him, giving him time to draw his blade. In the next breath the second wolf lost it’s head as his steel meet it’s neck. Leaving one last wild beast left.Ever so slowly, the wolf circled Jon. Sizing him up and trying to figure out if he was worth it after seeing two of it’s pack mates fall to his iron. But hunger got the better of it. Jon could not help but feel a little bitter as he cut the last wolf down, they were just trying to survive. But so was he.Of course he now had to deal with the three dead wolves in his camp now. Back in the North, they believed in wasting nothing if they could. Wolves though, was an exception. Other than their fur and teeth, everything else was useless. Their meat wasn’t very edible so after skinning the dead beasts, he dragged them deeper into the woods so the other creatures could feast.He turned in for bed after he and Ghost eat their dinner. He could barely sleep that night even after the adrenaline wore off as the air was filled with the sent of blood. Honestly, he wasn’t even sure if Ghost slept at all as he wold be standing guard every time he woke in the night.He forced himself awake before dawn broke. He stretched his aching bones before rummaging through his bag. Inside he found the raw rabbit that was gifted to him and threw it to his friend as reward for his great work last night before taking out a loaf of bread for himself. Not much for breaking his fast but he was on a time crunch. As soon as the sun rose he was back on the trail. He did have an important message to deliver after all.Jon broke camp as dawns first light appeared over the mountains. Soon enough there was little evidence he was ever there to begin with. After that, he was back on the road before long. Walking through the feint morning mist that covered the land.He walked for about 2 hours before finally emerging out onto a large plains that stretched for as far as the eye could see. But what drew his eyes was the massive city built upon a large hill well within field and surrounded by many large farms.“Whiterun.” He couldn’t help but give Ghost a nerves smile. “C’mon buddy.”He passed several more small waterfalls as he walked across the now stone path. As he passed the farms he heard sounds of battle nearby. It didn’t take Jon long to find it’s source as one of the combatants stood taller than any man he has ever seen. Easily the size of two full grown men standing on top of each other. It could only be a giant.Jon watched from a safe distance as a group of men and women fought the massive being. It didn’t take long for the warriors to fell the giant with blade and arrow. A cheer erupted from the Nord warriors. Jon prepared to walk away when a female archer approached him. And can he just say it was nearly impossible for him to look at her without his face turning completely red cause her armor left little for the imagination. (4)“Well that’s done with, no thanks to you.” The female archer said. Jon could clearly see her sizing him up with a hard stare, even through her war paint.“Me? I may be armed but I’m still just a kid you know.”She raised an eyebrow in response. “We both know you are no ordinary lad. The scars on your arm show you have spent countless hours training. That haunted look in your eyes says you recently killed your first man. And not to mention…” She trailed off as she gestured at Ghost.Jon noticed his dire wolf was cautious around her but wasn’t baring his teeth. Dangerous but not an active threat then.“Not many travel with a wolf pup.”“...Sigh. So I’m not just a normal kid. I’m still not keen to get into a fight I have no no skin in, nor one I’m unsure of it’s cause.”“Most would say a giant near a settlement is enough of a reason.”“I am not from around here. Before now I’ve only heard stories about such beings. Not to mention they are intelligent, and there for I would need an actual reason other than them being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”Her eyebrow was razed again. “Intelligent? I haven't heard of many people calling giants intelligent.”Jon gestured to the fallen giant. “He wears clothes specially made for his large size and covers himself in war paint. And finally they are capable of making crude weapons. He didn’t just pick up a large stick but rather tied a stone to it. None of these things could have been looted from anyone so they must have been crafted by a giant.”“Hahahahahaha! You speak truth! The giants of Skyrim have even been observed to speak their own language. They even on occasion breed with us smaller races. Us Nords try and keep a good relation, or at least a distant one, with them since it is widely believed we both came from Atmora long ago.” The still unnamed woman gave the fallen giant a look tinged in sadness. “But just like with any race, there are a few bad apples in the bunch. This particular giant was actually fleeing it’s own kind. Why? We don’t know. All we do know is that he was causing problems wherever he went. When he started attacking Whiterun’s farms we were called to put a stop to him.”“I see.” Jon nodded in agreement. “A worthy and just cause.”“Hm. Perhaps. My name is Aela. Yours is?”“Jon. My name is Jon. Do you mind me asking why it wasn’t the guards that dealt with this giant?”“You really aren’t from around here are you? We are the companions. We were gladly hired by the Jarl to slay this worthy foe.” Aela boasted with a blood thirsty grin. Jon had a feeling the gold was probably a minor boon to them.“A ban of sell-swords. I would say the Jarl didn’t want to risk his own men but that smile of yours tells me you lot was more than happy to volunteer had he tried.”“Hahahahahaha! Now you are getting it!” After busting her gut with another laughing fit, she started eyeing him up again. “You are still young but you might make for a great shield brother. Come by our base Jorrvaskr up in the Wind District if you want to join us. I’m sure Kodiak Whitemane will see the warrior spirit I see in you.”“We’ll see. Now if you excuse me, I have an important message to deliver.”She nodded before waving him off as she rejoined the rest of the companions. “Goodbye for now. But do know I will keep an ear out for you. I have a feeling you will be great someday soon.”Jon shook his head in distress. “If we do run into each other, I hope she wears more clothes. I also hope the rest aren’t as...bloodthirsty as her.”Ghost stood on his hind legs to lick his hand in comfort. He couldn’t keep the smile off his face as he gave his friend some scratches behind his ears. “Thanks bud.”He walked for a while longer before coming to the city’s entrance that was set between a large stable and what looked like a camp for travailing caravans. As he walked through the first gate, he couldn’t help but admire how well protected the city truly was. It’s high stone walls, while starting to crumble, was reinforced with wooden battlements and towers. The gate itself was topped arrow slits and past it was a long winding path flanked on all sides by walls. A perfect killing field.Jon made his way through the winding path that lead to the second gate. This one was a drawbridge over a relativity small moat. What was of interest to him was the arrow slits on each side of the bridge. Meaning that no one crossing it was safe even if they manage lower the bridge itself.At last he arrived at the final gate. It had a large, heavy, wooden gate unlike the iron gates the others had. The walls here was higher and thicker than the other walls, and had guards stationed on the ground unlike the other gates that only had guards on the walls. Speaking of guards…“Halt! Whiterun is closed do to the rumors of a dragon! Official business only!” One of the guards shouted out as he approached the entrance.“I bring word from Riverwood! They call upon their Jarl for aid!” Jon yelled back as he was still a short ways back from the gate itself. But what he said seemed to get the two guards attention as the shared what he assumed to be startled look.“Riverwood is in danger too!?” The other guard asked in mounting horror as the first guard turned to the gate itself.“OPEN THE GATE!” He shouted over the wall. It didn’t take long for the sound of screeching hinges to fill the air as the large gate slowly opened from the other side. He then turned back to Jon. “The Jarl is up in Dragonsreach, top of the hill in the Clouds District, can’t miss it. And do try and keep your young wolf there under control.”Jon nodded to the guards in understanding as he passed them, though before the gate closed again he could hear them mutter to each other.“Things in Riverwood must be worse than we thought.”“How do you figure?”“They sent a young lad to deliver the message. What little fighting age men and women that remain there must be occupied defending the village. At least he has that young beast to protect him.”“Ah! That’s true. I heard the Jarl called back half the guards from there as to not be seen as a threat to Falkreath.”“First the civil war and now dragons. As if the Thalmor wasn’t bad enough.”That was the last he managed to hear as the gate shut behind him. Jon faced forwards. He thought he was prepared for the large city, he was wrong. The city was bustling with activity on a scale he has never seen, even White Harbor wasn’t this populated. The roads were paved with stone and patches of grass, and even the occasional tree, sprouted everywhere they could. Whiterun felt...alive in a way he never thought possible.Jon made his way down the main road, passing all kinds of shops as he did so. Blacksmiths, taverns, alchemists, general good, and all kinds of other shops. Which did remind him he had to sell off some of the loot he has gathered on his short journey. He had arrived at what appeared to be the city's main market as small stalls filled the square like water to the sea. Jon made his way through the crowed of shouting merchants and busy shoppers alike on his way up to the next district.Finally, Jon was at the bade of the stairs he was searching for. Though he couldn't help but look back the way he came for a moment. From what he was told, the Plains district was where the shops and lowest class of the city lived yet Jon couldn't remember seeing all that many beggars. Sure there was one or two but they were adults. No children were begging on the streets.With a soft smile, he made his way to the Wind District. The homes here were larger and better made than the ones below. They were not manors as this was where the middle class lived. But there was a few other buildings that laid here. A couple of which he came across when he reached another square. The center held a strange dying tree while a man was seen shouting towards a crowd before a large statue. Then there was the temple he was told about. Here is where people went when in need of healing. Finally there was...was...was that an upside down boat?Jon shook his head in disbelief before deciding to not worry about it and continue his mission. He soon started his climb to the final district. The Sky district was a place for the wealthy elite of the hold. All around was large manors and lavish gardens.But it was what overlooked even this high realm that was his target, Dragonsreach.The guards stopped him at the door but a quick word about his reason for coming was enough to let him pass into the palace. He emerged into the great hall with it’s high ceiling and long tables that stretched across the massive room. At the far end, on a raised platform, was a man sitting upon a throne while caught in the middle of a heated discussion of who he assumed to be his advisers.Jon made his way to the Jarl, passing the massive hearth and roasting boar. It did not take long for his presence to be noticed by a woman with...gray skin and red eyes? Oh! This was one of those elf races he heard of! A Dunmer, better know as a dark elf!“Halt!” The elf woman bellowed out as she drew her sword. “What is the meaning of this interruption? Explain yourself.”“Riverwood calls upon it’s Jarl for protection.”That seemed to take her off her guard. Though he couldn’t be sure as he couldn’t quite read the facial features of an elf yet. But it was similar enough to humans to get a rough idea. “As housecarl, it is my responsibility to protect the Jarls lands, so you have my attention.”“The people are scared of the dragon that destroyed Helgen.” Now he was sure that caught everyone in the hall’s attention. Especially the Jarl. Speaking of which… “Lad, come here.”Jon approached the powerful man as he could finally get a good look at the Jarl. The Nord man had golden blond hair and a well trimmed beard. He also wore fine fur clothes with intricate designs and a golden crown with precious gems embedded within it. The Jarls stare conveyed a man of great wisdom and strength yet Jon could see compassion and care radiating from him as well. In a lot of ways, Jarl Balgruuf reminded him of his fath...lord Stark. A true man of the people small or big.“You have word from Helgen lad? About this rumors of dragons?”He had to swallow a lump in his throat before he spoke. “Yes my lord. I was there that day. It did not take long for everything to erupt into chaos when the massive beast appeared. I barely managed to escape along side Tullius and Ulfric and a few of their men. Last we saw of it, it was flying north before we lost it in the clouds.”“By Ysmir, Irileth was right!” The Jarl muttered in shock. Jon could almost see the plans he was crafting in that moment. At least he was till…“Tullius and Ulfric worked together to escape!?” His adviser shouted in a daze. Jon and the others slowly turned to stare at the imperial.“That is what you take from this? Not the fact that a damn DRAGON was last seen heading this way!?” Irileth yelled at the man in disdain. She shook her head in disappointment before turning back to her Jarl. “My lord, we must send more guards back to Riverwood. It is in the most immediate danger.”“We can’t! The Jarl of Falkreath might…”“ENOUGH!” Balgruuf bellowed as he through himself from his throne in rage. “I will NOT stand by while a dragon, the bringers of the end times, burns my hold and slaughters my people! To oblivion with this damn war!”“Yes my Jarl!” The two advisers shouted as they fell into a deep bow.“Avenicci! Take stock of our resources and defenses! Irileth! I want more guards in every town, village, and farm. Anywhere that my people are I want men protecting them! Up the patrols as well!”“Aye!”Balgruuf took a few breaths as they ran off to follow his orders before speaking once more to Jon. “You lad, have my thanks for bringing this news. I will reward you greatly before you leave. But before you do, may I know your name?”“Jon, my lord. Just Jon”“well met, Jon.” Balgruuf simply stared at him for a silent moment as he stroked his beard before speaking. “Normally I would not ask this of someone so young, but I feel you are no ordinary lad. And I have grown to trust my instincts. Follow me.”The Jarl started to walk off with Jon running after him. “My court wizard Farengar has been looking into dragons for sometime, especially after the rumors of Helgen reached us. He has told me he was in need of help with a task of his, but I no longer have the extra men to spare. Nor can I trust any mercenary or the companions, especially those blood thirsty companions.”“I-I’m honored my lord. I am in need of income anyway.”“Oh? I take it you aren’t from Skyrim? Or Cyrodiil from your accent. Where are you from?”“Not from Tamriel. Tullius theorized I was brought here during a summoning gone wrong.”“By Akatosh. I’m sorry, but perhaps you were brought here for a purpose.”“Perhaps.” Jon scratched Ghost’s ears in thought. “For now though, I just want to earn my keep in this land.”“Hahaha! Respectful. I see great things in your future.” Balgruuf smiled as they arrived in a side room that held a hooded man overlooking many books and notes.“Farengar! I found someone capable to help you on your project.”The hooded man looked up at them. His face quickly changed from excitement into confusion when he saw Jon. Most likely do to his young age. “Him?”“Don’t let his age fool you. He may be young but I have no doubt few can match him in terms of potential.”“I see...well I suppose we can’t picky in these trying times. I’ll put him to work then.”“Good.” The Jarl turned to him again to Jon. “After you are finish here, come and see me again so I can give you your reward. Good luck lad.”The wizard sized the boy up for moment still. “Sigh. I still have reservations about this but at this point I don’t have much of a choice. Come look here.”Jon came over to see what the man was pointing at. It turned out to be map of Skyrim, like the one he was given. “Do you see this mountain just west of Riverwood? There is an ancient tomb towards the summit.”“Aye. Bleak Falls Barrow if I remember correct.” He remembered Hadvar and Ralof sharing stories of their childhood and the nightmares that place gave them. Though he still wasn’t sure what a draugr was.“You are correct. It used to belong to the old dragon cult and I recently learned it holds a very special stone.”“A stone?”“Aye a stone, a dragonstone if you will. Though it is what’s engraved upon the stone that I am interested in. Supposedly it holds a map of dragon burial mounds. So I need you to traverse that barrow and retrieve it for me. Simple right?”“Aye. I’ll head out now. But before that…”“Huh? What is it?”“Do you have any tomes for sale?”A large grin stretched across the wizards face. “Oho? As it just so happens I do have a few for those willing to learn.” End