Skyrim: Rise of the Dragonborn

Chapter 14: Enemy of my Enemy

As the world faded back into existence, Beric felt pain everywhere. He couldn't move much before his body screamed its plea for him to stop.

"Ugh," Beric sighed. He couldn't even grit his teeth without it hurting.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," he heard Kazim mutter beside him to his left. Beric tried to open his eyes, but it took an effort just to peer through one of them. He tried to move his hands but couldn't. He was bound with ropes.

"Are you alright?" Drake asked from his right.

"Oh, I'm sure he feels great," Kazim scoffed, "I've seen that Nord kill people with beatings like that. He's lucky to be breathing,"

"I feel like I was run over by a mule," Beric struggled to get out.

"That's because you were," Kazim responded, "He threw you around like a rag doll after you went unconscious, and then he stomped on you. You might have a few broken ribs, but who knows,"

"Quiet, all of you," a strong voice shouted echoing around in Beric's aching skull.

"What are they going to do with us?" Drake whispered after a few moments.

"They're going to kill us," Kazim answered flatly.

"Great," Beric sighed.

"Why haven't they done it already?"

"They're probably trying to think of the worst possible way to do it. These men like to see people suffer. My guess is they'll probably shove us into some of the traps they have down here,"

"Where are we?" Beric asked noticing that the air was a bit thick.

"We're further into the crypt,"

"Is there a way we can get out of here?" Drake asked.

"Not likely. Even if we did manage to get ourselves loose, we probably wouldn't get passed the guards. We have no weapons, remember?"

"There has to be a way," Drake said trying to think.

"Might I remind you that we're living in a world full of rotten luck. People in our circumstances generally don't survive,"

"I've heard many stories of people who've escaped bandits," Beric said starting to catch his breath.

"And just how many have you heard of the ones that didn't?" Kazim asked initiating a silence, "That's what I thought...I'm not saying it's impossible. There might be a moment where we'll have a tenth of a chance, but it will have to be just the right moment. To be blunt, this isn't my first predicament. If there's a good enough chance, I'll act on it, so follow my lead if you want to live,"

"How do we know we can trust you?" Beric asked starting to open his eye a little more, "You're just a bandit like the rest of them,"

"I'm not just a bandit, cub. I'm more of an Investor,"

"And what kind of merchandise do you invest in?" Drake inquired.

"Everything that doesn't keep me awake at night. Look, I know you don't have a whole lot of confidence in me at the present, but to be honest with you, your options are sort of limited to say the least," he said as the three of them heard the commotion of several footsteps coming down the tunnel, "I'm right in that boat with you, so you can trust me when I say I won't do anything to make us sink. Are we agreed?"