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Navigating Fate	By : Resident-Dovah Category: +A through F > Elder Scrolls - Skyrim Views: 3109 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Elder Scrolls or Skyrim universe and make no money from it or this fiction.

Chapter List
- 1-An Inch of Death
- 1
I'll be totally honest, I am writing this character in a way that may alter some events in the main continuity of Skyrim, but considering the game has no real continuity but that which the player makes, I feel the way I'm establishing it makes sense for the character. You'll see why when you read!
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I woke from a dreamless sleep to a pain in my back and my leg having fallen asleep. As I half opened my eyelids, I attempted to stretch to alleviate it, but found myself quite unable to do so. Immediately, my eyes opened wide and I remembered that I needed to be very much less relaxed than I had allowed myself to become. I was exactly in the situation I had been in when I had dozed off, in a cart being transported with three other prisoners of the Empire. I quickly checked my bonds and was disappointed that my time asleep had not rendered them any less secure. Resigned, I leaned back in my seat to wait out the rest of the ride. That was when the Nord across from me took notice of my roused state.
"Hey, you, you're finally awake!"
I remained silent, I had no interest in conversation at the moment.
"You were trying to cross the border right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us and that thief over there," The Nord continued, clearly not taking the hint.
"Damn you Stormcloaks..." The Thief began to speak and I immediately shut off my ears for the rest of the ride. Most people in my situation may have been more interested in what my three companions had to say, but the truth was I already knew anything I had to know. I knew the man to my right was Ulfric Stormcloak. I had pieced it together from his noble apparel, the gag on his mouth while every other prisoner was free to speak which would prevent the use of his infamous Voice, and the Stormcloak across from me having referred to him as "Jarl" before. In my line of work, being informed sure does pay off, so I already knew about the civil war in Skyrim and all parties involved. In this case though, the payoff was knowing that where-ever we were headed was not going to be good.
Up ahead, a pair of gates hung open, beckoning our forsaken souls inside. Perhaps it was merely my mental state that day, or maybe it was my knowledge of civil war policy, or maybe it was just the way the gates reminded me of the books I read about the Oblivion Crisis, but at that moment I knew I was coming to my death. For most of my life I've thought I would fight like a cornered Sabre Cat when this moment came. But here, I just sank a little more into my seat as a strange calm came over me. When the cart stopped, I knew it was time to hold my head up and walk to my death. I would be lumped in with the Stormcloaks most likely, even though my crimes likely far exceeded theirs, and treated as such. I would get the block, and my life would end. I was ready.
The gate on the cart lowered and we were beckoned to step down. The Thief began to protest even as he stepped down, but of course no one listened. Why would they? I sat in a daze as Ulfric Stormcloak, then Ralof of Riverwood, the talkative Nord, were both called to the block by the man with the list. Then it came to Lokir of Rorikstead, the thief. I had to hold back contemptuous laughter as he began to make a scene.
"No! I'm not a rebel, you can't do this!" He yelled as he tried to take off running.
The female Imperial Captain yelled for him to halt, but made no move to chase him.
"You're not gonna kill me!" He yelled back.
The captain merely called "Archers!" and a single arrow immediately pierced the man's back.
"Anyone else feel like running?" The captain addressed to the other prisoners. At this point, my facade cracked and I had to smirk. Classic display of power from an over-zealous authority figure. Trying to foster fear with that kind of example is exactly the type of absurd policy that got the Empire into this mess and keeps them in it. The captain seemed to catch me smirking and gave me a steely gaze she must have thought was quite intimidating, but merely widened my smile. I secretly hoped she stepped within reach.
"Wait, you there, step forward."
After no one else moved, I realized the man with the list was addressing me now. So I did as asked, and held my head high, just in front of him.
"Who are you?" He asked.
"My name is Eran Hei, from Black Marsh."
"Are you related to one of the dock workers Argonian? Visiting family?"
I had to smile again, "Not quite."
The list man raised an eyebrow, but then returned to his previous formal state, turning to his captain, "Captain, what should we do? He's not on the list."
"Forget the list, he goes to the block."
The list man looked genuinely dismayed at this, and turned to me, "I'm sorry. We'll make sure your remains are returned to Black Marsh."
Well I knew that was coming. I simply shrugged and silently complied, walking towards the block, briefly catching the man I gathered to be the famous General Tullius lecturing Ulfric Stormcloak about the Empire "putting him down." The Empire sure loves their examples. Mid-speech, he was interrupted by a noise in the distance resembling nothing I had heard before.
An Imperial soldier voiced the question on everyone's mind: "What was that?"
"It's nothing, carry on," Tullius assured him, but I could hear the confusion in his voice as well, even a little fear.
At this point the Captain got back into form: "Yes General Tullius!"
The absurd emphasis she put on that phrase made me have to contain my laughter again as she turned to the yellow-hooded priestess instructing "Give them their last rights."
"As we commend your souls to Etherius, blessings of the eight divines be upon you..."
"For the love of Talos, shut up and let's get this over with!" A gruff Nord interrupted as he stepped toward the block. "Come on! I haven't got all morning!"
When he stood before the block, the Captain pushed him down and he laid his head down looking up at the executioner. "My ancestors are smiling at me, Imperials. Can you say the same?"
Those were his last words before the axe rendered him forever speechless. Among the varied reactions of the crowd, I heard Ralof refer to him as fearless. I wouldn't exactly have picked the same word, but before I could think of another one, it was apparently my turn. As I moved to step forward, the noise that interrupted General Tullius echoed through the skies again.
"There it is again, did you hear that?"
The Captain made sure to maintain control "I said 'next prisoner!'"
The soldier composed himself and instructed me "To the block prisoner, nice and easy."
I stepped forward to the block and was pushed to bend over it, extending my neck far enough to make sure the headsman didn't miss. As the headsman raised his axe, it was then that it actually hit home, I was about to die. I closed my eyes as I accepted fate.
I heard the noise from the sky again, and someone yelling "What in Oblivion is that!?"
With a loud crash, it became clear that fate had other plans for me than death. My eyes shot open and beheld a sight I would never have believed if anyone described it. A large reptilian creature sat perched on the stone tower before me, black as ebony and larger than anything living I had ever seen. Before I could fully comprehend the sight the Captain finally lost her composure.
"Dragon!"
With a roar, the dragon staggered everyone still standing and storm clouds began to mass in a circle above it as it continued to spit thunder and storms from its maw, one of which finally knocked me off the block, and sent my head crashing to the ground.
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Let me know what you think, and I look forward to continuing!
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Navigating Fate