Skyrim and the Journey of Cerise Ch. 01

"Damn, this gate must be locked on the other side," he said as we considered the only other way out—back into the courtyard with the dragon.

After slipping on the leather boots—thankfully fitting and extending over my knees for protection, I gave the axe a few swings. It was heavier than a sword; however, at this point beggars could not be choosers as sounds on the other side of the gate caught our attention.

"It's Imperials, take cover," Ralof whispered, pointing to the side of the iron gate as the sounds of running footsteps came closer.

"Get this gate open," I heard from the other side, recognizing the voice of the female captain.

The gate slowly began rising as the captain and another guard entered the room. Upon seeing us, she immediately cried, "Kill them!" as they drew their blades and moved towards us.

I had no time to think as I crouched into a battle stance, the position coming as familiar to me as breathing. I had little time to think about how I knew it as I uttered a Word of Power, my free hand glowing as a streak of flame—similar yet smaller than that from the dragon—erupted from my palm, hitting the soldier.

My awareness of magic startled them as much as I, but only for a moment as survival instincts took over. Ralof and the captain attacked each other while the guard came towards me, my hand still shooting flames at him.

I no longer thought as I let my body take over, deftly blocking his sword's thrust to my mid-section, parrying his blade and bringing the back of the axe into his shoulder in one movement. He grunted in pain as I again pointed my hand towards him, flames erupting from my palm as he screamed.

The fire was not enough to thwart him long as I felt my energy ebbing, weariness entering my body as he charged again, slashing with his sword. I barely jumped back as he moved forward, my axe and his blade meeting each other several times as we both tried to get the other.

As the guard made another thrust towards me instinct once more took over as I deftly stepped aside and spinning around, the momentum of my body strengthening the swing of the axe, hit him directly in the back, the axe sinking into his spine.

Uttering a bubbled cry as blood filled his lungs he collapsed as I looked across the room. Ralof was holding his own against the captain, but it was an unarmored man against a fully armored woman. I also noticed Ralof having many cuts on him, his weariness showing.

Without a thought I leaped across the body of the soldier I had slain, bringing the blunt end of my axe down upon the guard captain's helm as she crumpled to the floor.

Ralof nodded to me, out of breath as we both gathered our composure. Seeing a large slash along his arm, I moved towards him. He made to move away but I grabbed his arm and uttering another Word of Power, felt a healing balm flow through me.

As we both watched, the cleft between his damaged skin drew together, his muscle and flesh healing before our very eyes.

"By the gods," he muttered, "you truly do have the gifts of a priestess," he said.

I simply smiled as I leaned against the wall, the magic causing me to be more tired than I remembered. As I thought about why I should remember something in the past like using magic, the thought again left me. I shook my head as if from a dream, the stray thoughts of no consequence as we quickly searched the bodies—the guard captain apparently dead from the blow to the head I gave her.

I switched out the axe in place of her sword; however, her armor was too heavy for my small frame as I instead settled on the leather armor of the man I had slain. The lower half of the leather cuirass was soaked in blood, so using his dagger I cut the tunic in half and put it on. The cut top exposed my midriff just beneath my breasts, and I wondered at the small size of warriors as I laced up the front. Due to my large breasts, the lacings left a gap a couple inches wide in the front, showing off considerable cleavage. Based upon the appreciative looks of Ralof, if it were not for the current circumstances, the outfit would almost look sexy.

I put on the leather skirt the guard captain had worn beneath her plated one and felt more adequately protected than the quilted fabric of the Stormcloak tunic.

Ralof was able to put on the bracings from the guard captain; however, he elected to not wear her cuirass, the obvious shape of a woman's breasts more than he could handle, muttering how he would take his chances dying like a man than dressed as a woman.

"Come on," he said," we need to find a way out of here before that dragon brings this tower down on our heads."

As if to put emphasis on the statement, the entire ground shook as we heard the dragon roar outside.

Attired as well as we could be, we made our way out the way the guards came, finding a set of stairs leading deeper into the keep. Moving cautiously, the recent fight with the Imperials proving there was more to be wary about than mythical creatures, we made our down.

As we came to the bottom of the stairs we heard voices, so moving as silently as possible we approached. Upon turning around the corner we came upon several Imperial guards down the hallway. They immediately saw us and started running towards us when suddenly the ground once again shook, the roar of the dragon echoing through the keep as the hallway collapsed upon the soldiers, barely missing us.

We looked at the pile of rubble before us and realized we could not get past it.

"Damn, that dragon doesn't give up easily," Ralof said, trying the handle of a door in the hallway. "Come, it's unlocked," he said, moving into the room.

As we entered, we saw the area was split into two rooms, the room we were in being a mess hall of some sort, a large fireplace burning on one side. Through the opening to the other room we saw a pair of Imperial guards their backs to us. We crouched down, quietly moving towards the Imperials.

"Quick, grab anything important and let's move, that dragon is burning everything to the ground," the one soldier said.

We only made it halfway across the room when they spotted us, shouting in alarm as they drew their swords and came at us.

This time both came at me, apparently thinking a woman was the easier target as I raised the sword in my hand. I quickly uttered a Word of Power as once again fire erupted from my palm, scalding the two men, although their armor protected them from the heat as they continued their charge.

I blocked the attack of one, quickly moving to the side as the other attempted to cut my bare midriff. In an instant Ralof was upon the one to my side as I defended myself from the other guard. It was instantly apparent I was the better swordsperson as the guard went completely on the defensive, desperately fending off my thrusts and slashes hoping to wear me down.

Too soon he realized he was outmatched and turned to run; however, that was his worst mistake as I took three steps, plunging my sword into his back, as he fell to the ground.

Turning around to Ralof, I saw him quickly dispatch his opponent as well, bending down to search the corpse for anything useful.

"A storeroom," he said looking into the other room. "See if you can find anything useful," he directed as he put on some of these guards' armor—the obviously 'maleness' of the gear more to his liking.

Searching the storage bins, I found several potions, immediately recognizing them as healing elixirs, which we put in one of the saddlebags from the dead soldiers. We found several food stores as well, filling the bag with what we could—potatoes, cabbage, and a few leeks—taking as much as we could fit as we did not know what or where the future would lead us, but being prepared just in case.

After I finished Ralof beckoned me over to another door. "This seems to open into the hallway on the other side of the cave-in," he said, slowly opening the door in case any more soldiers were about. Seeing the hallway clear, we moved down it coming to another set of stone stairs leading down. With nowhere else to go, we slowly made our way down.

Ralof was ahead, and as he entered to room, he muttered, "Trolls blood, it's a torture room."

The sounds of fighting erupted as we saw two Stormcloaks fighting the headsman and another man. Without a thought we rushed in to assist. Coming from behind, the second man was dead before the first was aware of our presence. As his attention was drawn towards us, the Stormcloak woman he was fighting took the opportunity and ran her sword through his throat, the flood of blood splashing her and the ground as his body crumpled.

"Was Jarl Ulfric with you? Have you seen him?" Ralof asked his fellow warriors as we searched the bodies for anything of use.

"No, I have not seen him since the dragon came," the woman answered, recognizing the Stormcloak female I had seen in the courtyard.

Searching the rest of the room, Ralof suddenly said, "Wait a second, there's something in this cage." As we looked through, we saw a body with several potions scattered around it.

Immediately without knowing how, I sensed magic. "He was a mage," I said.

Not doubting me, Ralof said, "See if you can find a way into the cage, he might have something useful while I look for a way out."

Searching around we could not find a key; however, I did find several small lockpicks and crouched down to the lock. My body unconsciously knew what it was doing as the lock flew open after only a few seconds.

"There's more to you than meets the eye," Ralof said, as I searched the body of the mage. To the others he said, "Grab anything useful and let's go."

As I felt through the mage's robes, I again sensed magic, realizing the robes themselves were enchanted. Giving a quick prayer to the gods, I took the robe and stuck it in the saddlebag I was carrying, the sense of needing it in the future coming to me too hard to deny.

I also found several potions and some gold, which I quickly gathered up, then followed the Stormcloaks out into a passageway leading through a dungeon, the cells empty of occupants as we made our way deeper into the bowels of the keep.

Soon we came upon another torture room, several desiccated skeletons in holding cages hanging from the ceiling. At first we thought the room was no longer used until we came across a somewhat recent dead body in one of the cells. Making our way further into the room, we saw one wall with a hole in it leading further underground.

"This way," Ralof said, "we need to stick together," he said.

"What is this place?" the other male Stormcloak asked.

"If my thoughts are right, I'm hoping it's a way out, now be quiet," Ralof said as we made our way through the rough-hewn cave.

As we rounded a corner we heard voices.

"Our orders are to wait until General Tullius arrives," a voice said, immediately identifying them as Imperial guards.

Before anybody could act, the unnamed male Stormcloak let out a yell and ran into the room, attacking the guards. We immediately followed, the thought of how many guards barely registering as we came upon a granite room, a small stream running through it.

I was immediately set upon by an Imperial guard as I barely raised my sword in time. Shouting a Word of Power, the soldier screamed as lighting shot out of my other hand, causing him to convulse as I moved in and swung my sword.

The shock had startled him; however, his training kicked in as he expertly raised his sword to fend off my attack, his riposte nearly slicing open my stomach as I sucked in, barely avoiding his blow, the breeze from his sword caressing my stomach. Our swords met again as we each parried and counterattacked, neither of us gaining ground.

Suddenly out of the corner of my eye I saw movement and ducked, hearing the hiss of air above me. The soldier in front of me grunted in surprise and as I looked up, saw an arrow sticking out of his chest as he crumpled to the ground.

"Gods blast it," I heard across the room, seeing another Imperial guard drawing back an arrow.

I quickly ducked behind a pillar to avoid the ranged attack, a loud 'snick' coming to my ears as the arrow hit the stone. The rest of the room reverberated with steel on steel as the others fought.

As the archer grabbed another arrow from his quiver I sprinted forward to the next pillar, barely avoiding the shaft the guard hand strung and shot in one fluid motion. I felt more than saw the arrow fly by as I skirted around the pillar and ran forward, engaging the archer before he could draw again.

He fended off my first attack with his bow, which snapped in half as my sword cut through it, immediately drawing his blade. He took a defensive stance as I noted another archer further into the room drawing his bow.

I purposely kept my opponent between me and the other archer to avoid the same fate as my last opponent when the smell of oil drifted to me. Looking down, I saw the floor coated with the oily substance as I yelled back at Ralof who was closest to me, "Get back!" I shouted.

Without looking to see if he listened, I shouted another Word of Power as my hands erupted in flames. My opponent braced himself, obviously for the incoming flame when he laughed seeing I missed.

His mirth quickly converted to screams as the ground erupted in flames, the oil burning with a magical fire hotter than normal, catching both archers in its midst. Their dying screams caught the attention of the other guards fighting as the Stormcloaks quickly took advantage of the distraction.

The woman neatly decapitated one guard while the male Stormcloak ran his blade through the chest of the other, but not before the soldier awkwardly attempted to defend himself, slashing open his side even in his death throes.

While Ralof attended the wounded man, the woman and I searched the bodies, then the rest of the room.

"It looks like this passage follows the stream," she muttered. "This must be the keep's escape tunnel. I'll watch over him and help any others that may make their way through here, you two move ahead," she said.

I was about to protest when she looked at me, "You heard what they said, Tullius may be coming. This is the perfect place to ambush him, if we can kill him, this will be worth it," she said. "This is our fight, not yours, so you move ahead, Ralof will help guard you," she told us.

"Gods keep you safe shield-sister," Ralof said as he looked at me. "Come, let us find our way out of here," he said.

As the man and woman took position in the room, I wondered if I would ever see them again as I followed Ralof down the passageway.

After a few minutes we came to a drawbridge, which Ralof quickly lowered using a lever in the wall, revealing what was more a cave than man-made passageway, the loud sound of the stream flowing down the middle of the path obscuring all other sounds.

We made our way slowly, the sound masking not only our progress but anything ahead, so we moved cautiously to avoid coming across any other soldiers unexpectedly.

Suddenly the ground shook as Ralof pushed me forward, the sound of rocks falling drowning out all other sound. The dust was so thick we were coughing for several seconds before finally able to draw a clean breath. Looking behind us, we saw the passageway blocked by rubble.

"The others will have to find another way out," he said shaking his head. "Come, let's see where this leads," he stated as he made his way further into the cave, me following behind.

After a while we came to a branch in the cave, the stream running one way, another rough-hewn path angling away from it. Ralof checked the stream, telling me to wait behind, but after only a brief time came back.

"This way is a dead end, guess we try this way," he said as we made our way through the cave.

Eventually the passage opened into a large cavern; however, we stood at the entrance cautiously, the sight before us causing concern. Scattered throughout the room were various cocoon-like structures hanging from the ceiling, of varying sizes, the largest being as tall as a man. Webs were everywhere around the room as if a thousand spiders had been let loose, as we slowly entered.

Once we stepped fully into the room, the sound of continuous clicking sounded, and out of the corner of our eyes saw several shapes the size of dogs drop from the ceiling. Turning towards them, we realized to our horror they were spiders--giant spiders about three feet tall with reddened hair and beady black eyes that glared at us. Suddenly we realized the clicking sound was their chittering!

We had no time to be horrified as they suddenly charged us, two going for Ralof and the two larger ones coming after me as we prepared to defend ourselves.

The spiders confronted me side by side, and as I slashed at one, the second immediately came under my guard, the loud chittering filling my ears as intense pleasure entered my leg.

In shock I stared down at the spider which had bit me, two large puncture wounds on my thigh. I was bewildered as my mind tried to register the idea of feeling pleasure instead of pain. As I stood there, the two spiders strangely held off from attacking me, while my body was overwhelmed by lust.