Lorkhan's Eclipse [A Skyrim Fanfiction]

3. Unbound

The ground shakes as something slams down around me, on either side. The boot is gone from my back as someone screams horribly and I twist to look up, seeing the thing basically crouched over me, almost... Protectively?

The dragon roars, the sheer force of it knocking most of the people back.

"Look out!"

Someone is grabbing me again, pulling me away from the dragon. I feel the metal of their sword brush against my arm, and then the cloth bindings around my wrists are loose, pulled away—

"Come on!"

It's List Guy. He pulls me away from the dragon as it roars again, this time at the sky. He cries out, shoving me sideways with him as he dives aside to avoid a sudden flaming rock falling from the sky.

"Are you okay?" He asks, pulling himself up and looking me over quickly. He nods, mostly to himself, before handing me his dagger. "We have to get out of here. Stay close,"

"Killian—"

"He's following Ralof - we have to keep moving!"

I don't want to go with this guy, but he grabs my arm and hauls me to my feet, not really giving me much choice.

Before I can react, he wrenches me away from the spot where we were, just before burning heat tells me another fucking meteor just landed there.

I don't have a choice.

I follow as he pulls me with him, racing across the open space as the dragon tears a hole into the side of one of the towers. Call me crazy but it sounds like the damn thing isn't just roaring when it spouts flame - it sounds like it's talking.

We're barely inside the door of the largest nearby house when the lieutenant tackles me to the floor, covering me with his own body as a fireball races past over our heads. It hits the back wall, and the place starts to burn as he rolls off me, pulling me with him. There's a side door that he kicks down and we rush out into an overgrown garden where a few civilians are huddled.

I drop to my knees in the dirt beside one of the civilians, who throws an arm around my shoulders - leaning on me or trying to hug me, I don't know. The dragon is screaming gouts of fire everywhere, but thank fuck the meteors have at least stopped. There's a little boy running for List, and another middle-aged guy. The dragon drops in front of us, heavy enough to make the earth shudder. I pitch myself and the civilian sideways as List scoops up the kid and does the same. Fire blasts through the spot where we just were. The dragon takes flight again, leaving behind a burnt corpse.

"Still alive?" List asks, as someone drops into the overgrown weeds beside me, "Keep close if you want to stay that way."

I look up to see Killian, and throw myself at him. His hands are still tied, but he has his head and he's not injured, not from what I can tell.

I have my brother. Everything will be fine.

"Gunnar," the soldier drops to one knee with us, addressing the older bloke in this collection of survivors. "Take care of the boy. I have to find General Tullius and join their defense. You pair, with me," he adds to us.

"Gods guide you, Hadvar," the old man croaks. Hadvar; finally I've got a name for this guy.

I don't want to like him or respect him but he's dragged me away from certain death three times. Why he wants us going with him, no idea.

I stagger to my feet, Killian with me as we lurch after List Guy, Hadvar. We cut across the roadway and in between a couple of houses and the stone wall of the keep. Killian is behind me, scanning the skies.