Not on the List - A Hero's Tale

Not on the List - Chapter 1

I slowly awoke to the bumping of a moving cart. I shook and opened my eyes. "Good" I heard someone say, "You're finally awake."

"Where am I?" I asked, looking around.

I began gathering my wits. Sure, I had had my fare share of trouble with the law in the past, but I couldn't remember why I was in the back of a cart, bound by my wrists to the seat."You were trying to cross the border, weren't you?" The voice said. I nodded, "So were we- and that that thief over there."

"I could've stolen that horse and been halfway to hammerfell" the thief said with a hiss of anger, "Empire was nice and lazy until you Stormcloaks came about. Damn it!" He turned to me, "You and I- we shouldn't be here, it's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants."

"Who are the-" I was cut off by a bump of the cart.

"Shut up back there" The cart driver said.

"Damn Empire." One of the Stormcloaks on another cart said.

The four of us on the cart were packed in tight. With a stranger next to me who hadn't said a word, wearing a Stormcloak uniform, I shuddered. Where are we going? I couldn't help but think. The man across from me looked at me with a grim face. He was the Stormcloak speaker. "Where are you from, thief?" He asked, staring at me.

"Why?" The thief responded.

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

"What?" He exclaimed. "Who says we're dying?"

"You see that man there?" I looked next to me. A strange cloth was covering his mouth. "That's Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Windhelm, leader of the Stormcloaks, and the true High King of Skyrim!"

I tensed up. The thief spoke, "If that's Ulfric then- Oh Gods where are we going?"

"I said shut up!" The driver shouted.

I sat with my eyes wide open. The man across from me whispered, "Where are you from?"

I mumbled.

"Huh?"

I froze. "High Rock. I- I'm from High Rock."

"That far?" He whispered questioningly, "You look like a nord, no way you're an elf!"

"I'm a- uh... Half elf. And half nord." I said, a little hesitant to tell him.

I had heard about the racism and hatred against elves in Skyrim before, and I wasn't willing to fall victim to it now.

Our cart approached a city. As we passed under the gate, I noticed a familiar face in the crowds of people. It was my sister! Dressed in her elven Thalmor armor, but still present. Did she know about this? About me? I tensed up. The Thalmor and the Empire were allies. Taking away the rights of Stormcloaks. Their religion. Their Gods. The Stormcloaks believed in a God called Talos. He was a hero-mortal who ascended and became a God. The elves disagreed. But I was loyal to the Thalmor. My only problem was that I'd never signed up back home. I could've. I should've. I wouldn't have, though. My skull was thick and I was young. What can I say? The ale was just calling my name in those years. But at that moment, 12 years later, at age 35, I just couldn't say why I wanted to weep at my sister's presence. It had been years since I saw her last and-

"Woah!" The driver said, stopping the cart.

He stepped out of his seat and released our bindings. Prisoners from at least twenty other carts stood up and filed out. We followed their example. An Imperial soldier stopped us and lined us up. "Ralof of Riverwood" He said. The man who sat across from me in the cart took his place around the chopping block, awaiting death.

"Jarl Ulfric of Windhelm" The Jarl took his place.

"Lokir of Rorikstead" The thief stepped up.

"You can't do this! I'm not a rebel!" He blurted. An Imperial captain came over.

"What's all this chatter?" She asked. "Hadvar, tell this prisoner where to go."

Hadvar started to speak but was cut off by Lokir, "You're not gonna kill me!" He said running away.

"Archers!" The captain commanded. "Fire!"

Almost twelve arrows immediately flew at Lokir. He dropped like a rock. "Anyone else feel like running?" She shouted.

"Wait." Hadvar said. He pointed at me, "You there- step forward."

I cautiously stepped forward. "Who are you?" Hadvar asked.

"I'm Mikeal" I said nervously.

"Captain." He called, "Come here a minute."

She looked up. "Just send him to the block already!"

"But captain, he's not on the list!"

"I don't care! He's rebel rubbish and needs to die!"

"I'm sorry, Mikeal, but I have no choice. I'll make sure your remains are returned to your home. Where are you from?"

"High Rock" I uttered.

"I'll make sure they're sent there, then."

I slowly walked to my place. "General! We're ready!" A soldier said.

"Ulfric Stormcloak. Some here in Helgen may call you a hero- but a hero doesn't use a power like the voice to murder his king and usurp his throne." When did Ulfric kill the high king? Why did he use thu'um to kill him? "It's finally time that the Empire put you down. You can't use the way of the voice now, though, can you? We're smarter than that. Now that your mouth is covered-" A noise erupted from the West. "What was that?"

"It's nothing" Said the captain, "Continue"

Ulfric mumbled angrily. It seemed he was concerned. "Priest" The General said. "Give them their last rites."

"Very well." She said, "As we commend your souls to aetherius..." The nords don't believe in aetherius, they believe in Sovngarde. "Blessings of the eight divines upon you-"

"Oh shut up and let's get it on with it." A Stormcloak said, stepping to the block. "I haven't got all morning." He said, his head on the block.

The executioner raised his axe. I looked away. A sickening noise crashed in his direction. "As fearless in death as he was in life." Ralof said.

Another boom erupted from the West. "There it is again" someone said.

"Next!" The Captain said. "The Nord in rags!" She was pointing at me.

I looked around. "Lucia! It's me!" I wanted to say. My sister must have been somewhere. The noise erupted again. "What was that" Hadvar said.

"It's nothing" The captain said, "Come on prisoner, nice and easy."

I walked forward to the block. I froze. Someone kicked my knees out and I fell on my side to the block. The noise erupted again.

A strange shape emerged from over the mountains. The executioner raised his axe. The noise erupted again, louder than before. "What's that?" Someone said.

It was a giant bird. No? "Dragon!" Someone shouted.

The executioner started to bring his axe down. Everything was in slow motion. The creature screeched and pushed the executioner over with his thu'um. His axe was falling at an odd angle and came down on my head sideways. "Mikeal!" I heard before blacking out. "Luci" I mumbled, "Lu-" I passed out.