Creed of Honor: Skyrim

Subject: Creed of Honor: Skyrim Mon Dec 05, 2011 10:37 pm

"And the Scrolls have foretold, of black wings in the cold,
that when brothers wage war come unfurled!
Alduin, Bane of Kings, Ancient Shadow unbound,
with a hunger to swallow the World!"

-Song of the Dragonborn

The cart hit a slight crag in the road, jostling it's passengers and shaking Aeonar out of unconciousness. He slowly opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings. As he looked around, he felt a slight pressure against his wrists. Instinctively, he looked down, only to see that his hands had been bound together. Aeonar glanced around himself once more, finally piecing it together.

"A prison cart." he muttered. "Gods..."

"Hey, you! You're finally awake!" The blonde Nord across from him said. "You were trying to cross the border, right?"

Aeonar nodded.

"Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there." the Nord said, indicating the skinny Nord man sitting next to him.

Aeonar looked around the cart. While the cart looked as though it could seat four comfortably, there were six in the cart. Three other Nords (one with some type of binding around his mouth), a blind Wood Elf, and a large Orc with a nasty scar on his cheek.

"Damn you Stormcloaks!" the skinny Nord spat. "Skyrim was fine 'til you came along. Empire was nice and lazy."

Stormcloaks...Aeonar had heard the term. It was what the rebels in Skyrim were calling themselves. No wonder the Empire snatched him up. Probably thought he was a rebel.

"If they hadn't been looking for you, I could've stolen that horse and been halfway to Hammerfell. You there!" the Nord thief said to Aeonar. "You and me, we shouldn't be here. It's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants."

The blonde Nord chuckled. "We're all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief."

"Shut up back there!" the driver demanded.

Aeonar looked back to the other prisoners. The blind Bosmer was mumbling something about "rueing the day" and "vengeance", while the large Orc sat quietly, lost in his thoughts.

"What's wrong with him?" the thief asked, looking at the Nord with mouth bindings.

"Watch your tongue!" the blonde Nord barked. "You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King!"

The thief's eyes widened in surprise, as did Aeonar's. Ulfric Stormcloak was the most infamous man in Skyrim right now, having killed the previous High King Torygg. According to the stories Aeonar heard, Ulfric had "shouted" him to death...whatever that meant.

"Ulfric?" the horse thief asked. "The Jarl of Windhelm? You're the leader of the rebellion!" he paused for a moment, his eyes widening further in shock. "But if they've captured you...oh gods! Where are they taking us?!"

"I don't know where we're going..." the blonde Nord said resignedly. "But Sovengarde awaits."

"No, this can't be happening!" the thief cried, his voice revealing his panic. "This isn't happening!"

Aeonar looked away from the two prisoners to the lush landscape of Skyrim. It was a crisp day, but the sun shone brightly. The sky was a light blue, and few clouds dotted the sky.

"Well, if I am going to die..." Aeonar mumbled to himself. "At least I got a nice day."

There was a slight, awkward silence in the cart, now that everyone's death had been confirmed by Ulfric's presence.

"Hey," the blonde Nord said, breaking the silence. "What village are you from, horse thief?"

"Why do you care?" he asked.

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

Home. Aeonar could remember his home, far east of here, a small village called Riften. That's where he earned his reputation as a thief, and where he also got mixed up with the Imperial Legion. He had released some rebels from Imperial custody and was arrested. The only thing that had spared his life was the intervention of the Legate, Lanius, who had seen his potential and drafted him into Imperial service. He had been able to travel to the other provinces and deal with uprisings there.

Aeonar chuckled. He was tracking some Stormcloak soldiers when he got caught in this little ambush.

"Rorikstead." the thief finally muttered. "I'm from Rorikstead."

"General Tullis, sir!" one of the Imperials called out as they drew near the gates of Helgen. "The headsman is waiting!"

"Good." came the response. "Let's get this over with."

"Shor! Mara! Dibella! Kynareth! Akatosh! Divines, please help me!" the thief begged in a last minute prayer. The blind Bosmer snickered at the thief's desperate pleas.

As the prison carts rode into town, Aeonar could see General Tullis speaking quietly to some darkly dressed High Elves. Aeonar furrowed his brow angrily. What were THEY doing here?

"Look at him!" the blonde Nord spat angrily. "General Tullis, the military govenor! And it looks like the Thalmor are with him! Damn elves. I'll bet they had something to do with this." the Nord looked around and sighed. "This is Helgen. I used to be sweet on a girl from here. I wonder if Vilod is still making the mead with juniper berries mixed in."

Aeonar chuckled at the Nord's reminiscence. "Funny," the Nord continued. "When I was a boy, Imperial walls and towers made me feel so safe."

The carts rode into the town, coming to a slow stop near the city wall.

"Why are we stopping?" the horse thief asked.

"Why do you think?" the Orc finally piped up. "End of the line."

The cart pulled to a stop, and prisoners on the other cart began to file off.

"Let's go." the Orc said. "Shouldn't keep the gods waiting."

The Orc and Elf were the first to disembark the cart, with Ulfric Stormcloak behind them.

"No, wait! We're not rebels!" the thief cried in despair.

"Face your death with some courage, thief!" the Orc growled, obviously growing irritated with the cowardly thief's outbursts.

"Please do." the Elf said, rather menacingly.

"You've got to tell them! We weren't with you! This is a mistake!"

"Step towards the block when we call your name." the Imperial captain barked. "One at a time!" The captain nodded to the young soldier next to her holding a ledger. The man flipped it open and began reading. As he did, Aeonar began to look around the small village. The townspeople had gathered to watch the executions, but one in particular stuck out. An Argonian in a dark cloak, watched the prisoners with an odd curiousity.

"Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Windhelm."

As the bound man walked toward the executioner's block, the blonde Nord next to Aeonar said "It has been an honor, Jarl Ulfric."

"Ralof of Riverwood."

The blonde Nord stepped towards the block, standing next to Ulfric.

"Lokir of Rorikstead."

"No, I'm not a rebel!" the thief Lokir shouted. "You can't do this!" The skinny Nord ran past the captain towards the hills where they came from.

"Halt!" the captain barked.

"You're not gonna kill me!" he cried.

"Archers!" the captain demanded.

The archers drew their bows and fired, the arrows embedding themselves deep into Lokir's back. Lokir fell to the ground, dead.

"Anyone else feel like running?" the captain asked, gazing at the rest of the prisoners.

The young man continued to look at the ledger. "And now, the new additions..." he read.

"Ryi of Morthal."

The blind Wood Elf stepped forward. "And just what did I do wrong?" he asked, though Aeonar could sense a venom in his voice. "I'm no rebel. I'm just a poor, crippled Bosmer."

The man chuckled. "Nice try, but we know you, Ryi. Ex Poisonmaster for the Dark Brotherhood. You've killed plenty of people, and it's time you answer those deaths."

Ryi laughed, walking next to Ulfric and Ralof. "Fair enough, I s'pose. To the Void I go then..."

"Urygg of Marcarth."

This time, the Orc stepped forward.

"For Assault, Murder, and Attempted Murder." the soldier said.

"I'm aware." Urygg said quietly, walking next to the elf, Ryi.

The man read the ledger, then looked to Aeonar. "You, step forward." Aeonar obeyed. "Who are you?"

"Aeonar Tempest-Wing...sir." Aeonar said. "From Riften."

"You picked a bad time to come back to Skyrim, brother." the guard said meekly. He turned toward the captain. "Captain, what should we do? He's not on the list..."

"Forget the list." she ordered. "He goes to the block."

"By...your orders, captain." he said. He turned to Aeonar. "I'm sorry. At least you'll die in your homeland."

Aeonar sighed, and walked up to the other prisoners. As he did, he saw General Tullis talking to Ulfric.

"Ulfric Stormcloak," he said, addressing the Jarl by full name. "Some here in Helgen call you a hero. But a hero doesn't use a power like the Voice to murder his king and usurp his throne."

Ulfric gave a weak grunt in reply. The bindings across his mouth ensured he could not speak.

"You started this war!" Tullis continued. "Plunged Skyrim into chaos! But now the Empire is going to put you down, and restore the peace!"

An echo could be heard from across the mountains. Aeonar looked around. It sounded like...a roar. Similar to a bear's roar, but it sounded...much, much larger.

"What was that?" the soldier with the list asked.

"It's nothing." Tullis said. "Carry on."

"Yes, General Tullis." the captain said, turning towards the priest of Arkay. "Give them their last rites."

The priestess stepped forward, raising her arms into the air. "As we commend your souls to Aetherius, blessings of the Eight Divines upon you-"

"For the love of Talos, just shut up and get this over with!" a young Stormcloak soldier said, bravely striding up to the headsman's block.

"As you wish..." the priestess said, slightly miffed that her speech was cut off.

"Come on," the soldier taunted. "I haven't got all day!"

The captain walked up behind him, and shoved him onto his knees, pushing his neck into position on the block.

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

The captain nodded at the headsman, who lifted his axe into the air and...

THUNK!

With one swing, the soldier's head was cleft from his shoulders. The head rolled off the block and fell into the basket below it.

"You Imperial bastards!" one Stormcloak shouted.

"Next, that Nord in the rags!" the captain pointed to Aeonar, as another roar echoed from the mountains.

"There it is again..." Ryi mumbled.

"Did you hear that?" one Imperial asked.

"I said, next prisoner!" the captain reiterated.

Aeonar slowly walked up to the block. "Well," he mumbled. "I guess this is it..." The captain shoved Aeonar onto his knees and positioned his neck on the block. As he was placed into position, he could see what appeared to be a massive black shadow flying over the mountains.

"What in Oblivion is that?!" Tullis cried, as the large black dragon landed on top of the tower next to the block.

Aeonar's voice was lost in his throat, as was with most of the others. The large black dragon eyed Aeonar with it's sparking, red eyes.

"Fus Ro Dah!" the dragon shouted, loosing a force that threw the headsman across the yard. The sky immediatly darkened in the creatures presence.

"Quick!" Aeonar heard Tullis cry. "We have to get the townspeople out of here!"

Aeonar fell to the ground as the dragon let loose another blast of pure force, and tucked his head under his arms. Before he even knew what was going on, Helgen was in flames.

Subject: Re: Creed of Honor: Skyrim Tue Dec 06, 2011 3:10 pm

Whoo! Great first chapter Billeh! Can't wait to see what's next :D

Subject: Re: Creed of Honor: Skyrim Tue Dec 06, 2011 7:20 pm

Woot! :D
Nice start to the story, I like the additional characters, I'll picture them when I next start a new game!

Subject: Re: Creed of Honor: Skyrim Tue Dec 06, 2011 7:49 pm

lol, dudes, we totally should. like play the character you made as bill writes the story. epic

Subject: Chapter 1: Helgen in Flames Mon Dec 12, 2011 7:58 pm

Aeonar fell to the ground as the dragon let loose another blast of pure force, and tucked his head under his arms. Before he even knew what was going on, Helgen was in flames.

"Hey, kinsman!" Ralof called to him. "Get up! Come on, the gods won't give us another chance!"

Aeonar shook away the dizziness he felt after being hit with...whatever the dragon had done, and hastily climbed onto his feet. Ralof grabbed Aeonar by the arm and quickly led him to the nearby watchtower. Once they were inside, Ralof slammed the door shut behind him. In the watchtower with them were a few Stormcloaks, the Orc and Elf from before, the cloaked Argonian, and Ulfric Stormcloak, now unbound.

"By the gods, what was that?!" Ralof asked. "Could it be a dragon...are the legends true?"

Ulfric's stern face matched his simple answer. "Legends don't burn down villages."

Ralof rushed up the steps of the watchtower. "We've got to find the way out!" he cried.

Aeonar paused for a moment, looking at the other prisoners. The cloaked Argonian had drawn a small knife and had cut loose the Orc's and the Elf's bindings.

"Much obliged." Urygg said, rubbing his wrists.

"I suppose a 'thanks' is in order..." Ryi remarked. "Not that I would ever really need your help. It is appreciated, though."

The Argonian grunted. "Not even blindness can tame that attitude, eh, Ryi?" he turned, eyeing Aeonar. "Nord! Get over here and let me cut those bindings loose."

Aeonar stepped forward, stumbling as the tower shook slightly. "Aeonar." he said. "My name's-"

"Don't much care right now." the Argonian cut in, slicing the bindings off Aeonar's wrists with deadly efficiency. "We need to leave. Now."

"Orc!" Ralof called. "We think there's a way out. We need help moving rocks!"

Urygg nodded, running up the stairs. The Argonian grabbed Ryi and led him up the steps. "I'm blind, not helpless!" Ryi protested.

Aeonar would have laughed if the situation they were in didn't seem so dire. With his hands free, he followed the former prisoners up the steps, where a large amount of the tower had collapsed onto the second floor.

"We just..." Urygg panted, throwing himself against a rather large boulder. "Have...to move these...rocks..."

Before anyone could react, the dragon's black maw came crashing through the side of the building, sending rubble and Urygg flying into the opposite wall.

The dragon peered inside the tower, then inhaled. "Yol Toor Shol!" it cried, releasing a massive gout of fire from it's maw. The fire rolled over several Stormcloaks, the heat from the flames so intense that their armors were fused into solid pieces. Those that didn't have the good fortune of dying immediately felt hot metal and chainmail cling to and burn their skin.

The dragon released itself from the tower, flying back towards the already burning village. Aeonar rushed to the rubble, pulling a pile of rubble off of the dazed Orc. "Hey, Orc, you alright?" he asked, extending a hand.

The Orc shook himself out of his daze. "Name's Urygg." he said, grabbing Aeonar's outstretched arm and pulling himself up. "That damn dragon just saved my life, from the looks of it."

Aeonar looked out the newly created hole in the wall, eyeing the remains of a burning building. "Look, down there!" he pointed to the hole in it's roof. "It's not much of a jump. We can jump down there and escape the tower."

"Good plan!" Ralof said. "You go on ahead. I have to tend to Jarl Ulfric. I'll catch up."

Aeonar took a step back, then launched himself out the opening, landing in a roll on the burning building's second floor. He heard a thump! next to him and turned, to his surprise to see the blind elf had followed him.

"Blind, not helpless." Ryi reiterated.

"I see that." Aeonar said.

Two more thumps could be heard from behind. "Let's get going!" the Argonian said, leaping from the second floor to the first and rushing out the door. Aeonar and the others followed the Argonian's lead, rushing outside.

"Haming!" an Imperial soldier cried to a child standing in the middle of the village. "Get over here!" The boy looked at the soldier, fear stamped on his face. He obeyed, rushing to the soldier.

Just as the black dragon dropped behind him with a loud crash.

"You're doing great!" the soldier said, though the fear he felt was obvious. The boy rushed to the soldier, who grabbed the boy and ducked behind the remnants of a burning building, just as the dragon shouted "Yol Toor Shol!".

White hot flames rolled through the village, just missing the soldier and boy by several feet. The dragon took to the air once more, circling overhead.

The soldier looked behind him, glancing at the now freed prisoners from earlier. "Still alive, prisoners?" he asked. "Stay with me if you want to keep that way." The soldier turned to the older man next to him. "Gunnar, take care of the boy. I have to regroup with General Tullius and the defense."

"Gods guide you, Hadvar." Gunnar said.

"Prisoners, with me!" the soldier, Hadvar, called, rushing into the burning village.

"Are you crazy?" Aeonar asked.

"No time for that!" Urygg and the Argonian said at the same time, following the soldier without hesitation. Aeonar gave a quick shrug and rushed after them, Ryi bringing up the rear.

"Stick close to the walls!" Hadvar called, hugging a nearby stone wall. The prisoners obeyed, hugging the wall while following Hadvar. No sonner had they done so, however, the black dragon landed on the stone wall with a mighty crash. Aeonar and the others held their breath in anticipation. So far, this had been the closest they had been to the creature, and it was massive. Aeonar guessed that this thing could pick up several giants with absolutely no effort whatsoever.

The dragon loosed a blast of fire at a patrol of Imperials, apparantly not taking notice of the people just below it. The dragon took off once more, circling overhead.

"Move!" Hadvar commanded, leading the group away from the wall and to the keep nearby.

"What does it take to kill this thing?!" an archer shouted, just as the dragon swooped down and snatched him up, tossing him into the air.

As the group neared the keep, Ralof's familiar form rushed from the side.

"Ralof! You damned traitor!" Hadvar growled. "Out of my way!"

"We're escaping, Hadvar!" Ralof growled back. "You're not going to stop us this time!"

The dragon roared as it flew overhead, causing the group to involuntarily flinch. "Fine!" Hadvar said. "I hope that Dragon takes you all to Sovngarde!"

"By Sithis, we don't have time for this!" Ryi shouted, running past the feuding soldiers. "Come on!" he called to the other prisoners. Reacting on instinct, the others followed Ryi, rushing into the keep.

*****

The Argonian slammed the door behind him. Just outside, they could hear the dragon on it's rampage.

"Anyone else make it in?" Aeonar asked.

"No." the Argonian said. "Of course, that doesn't mean they didn't make it."

Aeonar eyed the Argonian. He was poised for combat, but there was definetly an air of calmness around him. Whoever he was, he was someone who had experienced combat before and came out on top.

"What's your name?" Aeonar asked.

"Kadile." the Argonian said simply. "But now is not the time for idle chatter. Now, we must figure out how to elude this dragon."

A dragon. Aeonar could hardly believe it. Dragons were thought to be long dead. According to an old tale, when the dragons would reappear, it would signal the end of the world. Could that mean...

"Anyone know the way out?" Ryi asked.

Urygg grunted in response. "Imperial strongholds like these sometimes have secret escape routes." he explained. "In case soldiers were about to be routed. Orc strongholds have similar designs."

"Where?" Kadile asked.

Urygg pointed to the floor. "Down below." he said. "I'd wager there's some kind of tunnel or cavern out of here."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Aeonar said. "Let's get a move on."

Urygg chuckled, and moved over to a supply chest. "Not without a weapon. I didn't escape a dragon just to be thrown into an Imperial prison." The Orc flipped open the chest, grabbing a suit of heavy Imperial armor and an iron sword. Aeonar shrugged, stepping over to grab some leather armor and sword as well.

"Here, Ryi." Aeonar said, throwing a suit of Imperial leather his direction. The blind elf caught the leather as if he had seen it coming his way.

"Kadile?" Aeonar said, grabbing another suit of armor, but the Argonian interrupted him.

"I'm already prepared." Kadile said.

"All right, then." Aeonar said, dropping the armor in his hands. "Let's get moving."

The group made their way out of the room, Aeonar at the head and Kadile at the rear. The corridors shook as the dragon continued its rampage outside.

"Come on," an unfamiliar voice said from the room up ahead. "We need to keep moving."

"Give me a moment..." another voice replied. "I'm out of breath."

The corridor and the circular shaped room where the voices were were blocked by a small gate. Aeonar peeked through the gate.

"Stormcloaks." Aeonar whispered. "Maybe we can help them out?"

Before anyone could object, Aeonar pulled the small chain mechanism next to the gate, lowering it. The Nord stepped into the room.

"Hey, Stormcloaks!" Aeonar began. "We could use-"

The Stormcloaks jumped at Aeonar's presence. Regaining composure, the pulled their axes from their sheaths. "Die, Imperial pigs!" the Stormcloaks shouted, rushing into battle.

"Imperials?!" Aeonar asked, bewildered, fending off the rebels' vicious strikes with his sword.

"The armor, you dolt!" Urygg growled, jumping into the fray. The Orc blocked one of the Stormcloaks frantic swings, then shoved himself forward, using his weight to knock the rebel to the floor.

Aeonar parried his opponent's downward strikes, allowing his foe to tire himself out. The Stormcloak raised his axe and swung, though this swing was noticably slower. Aeonar sidestepped, the lunged, driving his blade deep into the rebel's belly. He looked up from his kill, just in time to see Urygg finish off his opponent.

"The armor." Urygg reiterated. "We look like Imperial soldiers."

"Ah." Aeonar said meekly.

After the battle the group continued on. Apparently, escaping into the keep hadn't been just their idea, as the sound of steel ringing on steel could be heard throughout the keep's halls. As they passed or ran through various rooms, battle had begun against Stormcloaks attempting to escape and the Imperial force that was already inside.

"It's amazing that these people can continue to fight, even with a dragon about!" Ryi said, nimbly dodging the wayward shot of an arrow.

The group ran past the Imperials and Stormcloaks in battle. If they stopped, the Stormcloaks would attempted to kill them, or perhaps the Imperials would attempt to arrest them. As they continued further down into the keep, the fighting became more and more sparse.

Ryi stopped for a moment, his head cocked slightly.

"What is it?" Kadile asked.

"Hear that?" Ryi replied. "Water. As in, rushing water. I think we might be close to that escape cave."

"Over here!" Urygg called, walking ahead of the group to a small, cavernous passage. The passage was blocked by a raised wooden bridge. Urygg looked about, spotting the lever for the bridge. With a quick push, the lever shifted, causing the bridge to drop. "There's our way out." Urygg said, running across the bridge.

"Ah, sweet freedom." Ryi said, with just a hint of sarcasm in his voice. As the group passed the bridge, the cave shook, dislodging a large boulder from the ceiling and smashing the wooden bridge to pieces.

"No going back that way." Aeonar said. "Come on."

The cave was dank and wet, with a small stream rushing through it. Urygg led the group this time, as he had the most experience with these kind of tunnels.

"Remember to stay on guard." Urygg warned. "No telling what kind of creatures have holed up in here over the years..." Urygg stopped, and looked down. "Oh, gods..."

"What?" Aeonar asked, but soon got his answer. Urygg had stepped into a cavern filled with webbing. No sooner had Aeonar asked the question had the inhabitants of the cavern revealed themselves.

"Frostbite spiders!" Kadile shouted, pulling his sword out of his scabbard and readying a fire spell. As the giant spiders drew near, Kadile showered them in flames, finishing them off with his sword. Ryi protected Kadile from behind, slashing any approaching arachnids that drew too close. In the center of the chamber, Urygg and Aeonar fought the spiders head on, hacking and slashing with their blades. The spider's exoskeletons were tough, but they couldn't withstand the sharp bite of the group's steel.

"Hate those things." Urygg muttered, finishing off the last one. "Creepy little bastards, always skittering around..."

"Let's go! Before more show up!" Kadile said.

After a few more turns, the cave opened and the group rushed out into freedom.

"Thank the gods!" Aeonar said, sheathing his bloodied weapon. "I was afraid-"

"Shh!" Ryi shushed him. "Get down!" The warriors ducked behind a nearby boulder as a roar split the air. Aeonar looked up, glimpsing the massive black dragon as it flew to the north.

"I think it's gone for good this time." Aeonar said, standing up. He looked to the others. "Thank you for your aid. I don't think I would've made it without you."

"You have our thanks as well." Kadile said, giving a slight bow. The Argonian's face grew stern. "But what are we going to do? We might be the only survivors...who is going to warn the Holds?" Kadile glanced at the group. "We need to get a message to Whiterun Keep."

"No, no, no." Ryi said, standing up. "If the Imperials know who I am, Kadile, they will arrest me. I really don't want to just offer myself up on a silver platter."

"Whiterun's independant, Ryi." Kadile said. "No one would be looking for you."

"Perhaps, but-"

"Enough!" Urygg bellowed, causing everyone to jump. "We'll warn the Jarl of Whiterun. After that, we can go our separate ways. Agreed?"

Ryi was silent for a moment, but then shrugged nonchalantly. "Sure."

Aeonar looked out to the vast landscape of Skyrim. Just as beautiful as he remembered it. He felt Kadile's hand clasp his shoulder.

"Not quite the homecoming you were expecting, eh, Nord?" he asked.

Aeonar chuckled and shook his head. "No," he said. "But it does feel good to be home at last."

Subject: Re: Creed of Honor: Skyrim Tue Dec 13, 2011 3:37 pm

Wewt! Just the beginning and it's already epic! Can't wait for moar Billeh :D

Subject: Re: Creed of Honor: Skyrim Wed Dec 14, 2011 1:48 pm

This is pretty sweet >:D
Moar!

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