Kim Possible:Dragonborn: Chapter 1: Deliverance by Dragon Fire

DOVAHKIIN DOVAHKIIN
NAAL OK ZIN LOS VAHRIIN
WAH DEIN VOKUL MAHFAERAAK AHST VAAL
AHRK FIN NOROK PAAL GRAAN
FOD NUST HON ZINDRO ZAAN
DOVAHKIIN FAH HIN KOGAAN MU DRAAL

AHRK FIN KEL LOST PRODAH
DO VED VIING KO FIN KRAH
TOL FOD ZEYMAH WIN KEIN MEYZ FUNDEIN
ALDUIN FEYN DO JUN
KRUZIIK VOKUN STAADNAU
VOTH AAN BAHLOK WAH DIIVON FIN LEIN

The Elder Scrolls told of their return. Their defeat was merely a delay. In the time after Oblivion opened, when the sons of Skyrim would spill their own blood. But no one wanted to believe; believe that they even existed, and when the truth finally dawns, it dawns in FIRE!

But there is one they fear. In their tongue he is Dovakiin; he is Dragonborn. The body of a mortal man, the soul of an immortal dragon, the Dragonborn will stand against the World Eater, the black dragon. And it will be through his courage, and strength of arms that will see Alduin, the World Eater cast down and slain. For without the Dragonborn, this world will burn, meeting its end in fire and ash.

Kimila Possiblus did not know what had awoken her at first. Perhaps it was the sweet smell of pine and hemlock mixing with the cold, crisp air. Maybe it was the roughly hewed wooden cart bench, or the feel of the tight leather straps binding her wrists together, and cutting uncomfortably into her skin. Or maybe, and most likely, it was that insufferable blond man on the bench across from her, who just wouldn't shut up.

"You know, you would think these Imperials would be a little more polite wouldn't you?" the blond man asked, seemingly to no one in particular. "I mean they could at least feed us. I'm not even all that picky or asking for much, maybe a hunk of bread, a bowl of stew, a lovely wedge of cheese, and ooooh, a nice bottle of mead to wash it down with..."

Kim silently glared at the man as she blew a long auburn lock from her face. It was his fault that she was being carted off to only the Divines knew where; it was his fault that she had been lumped in with these blue clad brigands and bandits. If he hadn't stolen her horse, and with it, her Imperial papers of safe passage, when she had stopped to purchase supplies, Kim would have had no reason to track him north and into that ambush at Dark Water Crossing.

In all honesty, Kim had been impressed by the man's boldness, the thief had waited only long enough for her to dismount and enter the store, before making his move. Kim had only just opened the shop's door, when her horse had whinnied, alerting Kim to the thief who had leapt on to her back, and was now galloping out of the small, ramshackle village where she had stopped.

To say Kim had been furious would have been an understatement, and she had immediately set out to catch the man. Though the blonde thief had put a great deal of distance between him and her, she had managed, mostly through sheer luck, to stay on his trail, and within two days Kim had manged to catch up with him, aided mostly by the unfortunate fact that her horse had been injured and had become lame, forcing the thief to abandon the poor beast on a farm. But not before stripping the saddle bags of everything of value, including Kim's papers of safe passage, as well as her finer garments, and her money.

Kim's anger had only inflamed by this revelation. The man had stolen her horse, almost everything that she owned, and then had injured the poor beast to the point where she would most likely be put down. Kim had quickly interrogated the couple who owned the small farm, who told her that they had spotted her thief heading northwest, towards the small mining outpost of Dark Water Crossing, probably to acquire another horse before he made off towards Skyrim's border.

By the Eight, Kim was not about to let him get away.

She tracked her thief to the outpost, and was surprised to see a group well armed; blue clad men riding into the small outpost, a group of miners had already moved to greet them. At first she had thought them brigands and bandits coming to sack the isolated mine. Kim had drawn her sword and was prepared to leap to the miners' defence, when all hell had broken loose.

A dozen arrows fell into the group of blue clad men, several finding their marks in the bodies of man and horse. The miners screamed and ran into their mine, while a large number of Imperial legionnaires broke cover and charged from their positions in the bush, rushing to attack the men in blue. The men in blue drew weapons and fought back, but they were heavily outnumbered. In the confusion of the melee, over the screams, and the clash of metal, the curses and the cries, Kim spotted the horse thief, who was using the cover of the battle to sneak towards a small padlock, where the miners kept their two cart horses.

Angry and now fully convinced that the blue clad men were indeed brigands; Kim resolved to help the legionnaires as soon as she caught her thief. Kim sheathed her sword and charged into outpost and tackled the blond thief to the ground. She immediately took the advantage of his surprise and rolled on top of him, but was surprised herself when the thief threw a handful of dirt into her eyes, planted his foot into her stomach, and pushed her into the building behind them. Kim hit the wall of the hut and was momentarily stunned, as she gasped for breath, trying desperately to wipe away the handful of dirt that had blinded her.

Finally, with tears streaming down her cheek, Kim manged to clear her vision just enough to find herself surrounded by half a dozen legionnaires, all of them with either swords drawn or an arrow notched and pointed at her heart. Carefully and slowly she raised her hands, opened and palms out, showing that she had no weapon, other then her sheathed sword at her side.

"I'm..." the word had barely left her throat when she was cut off.

"Silence and surrender Stormcloak!" One of the men shouted, "We will not hesitate to kill you if you make any damned move."

"But..." Kim tried to protest, but was again, immediately interrupted.

"I told you to shut up!" The large man, obviously an officer, barked, cutting off any protest. "I will not warn you again, you scum! Now reach down to your sword, and slowly toss it on the ground. Any sudden moves and we will kill you."

Kim hesitated for a moment. This was a mistake, she was not whatever a Stormcloak was, and she was sure that once the legionnaires' commander showed up they would be able to get this straightened...

"I said toss your sword on the ground. Do it NOW!" The two legionnaires holding their bows drew the arrows back, making it clear that this was no time to hesitate or try to protest.

Slowly Kim unbuckled her belt, and slid the sheathed sword from her side. The sword was a going away gift from father and mother, and Kim was loath to part from it, as it was now the only that she now had from home, but her choice right now was her sword or her life.

Besides, she told herself, as she set the blade on the ground, I'll get it back as soon as this... mess is cleared up.

The two archers allowed the tension on their bowstrings to slacken slightly, as their officer, and another man moved in on her. The officer picked the sword up, drawing the sword slightly from it sheath admiring the cold steel and craftsmanship, while the second man roughly turned her around, grabbing her wrists and slammed her against the side the hut, the rough wood scrapping her against cheek as the man quickly, and tightly bound her wrist in tough leather straps.

Unable to move and obviously no longer an immediate threat, the soldiers sheathed their weapons, and the man who had bound her wrists dragged her off to the outskirts of the mine. Kim was surprised to see that only six of blue armoured men had survived, and were likewise bound. She was even more surprised to see a well dressed and powerful looking man cloaked in well trimmed and expensive looking furs, was not only among those bound; but had also been gagged with a white cloth.

There was a commotion behind them as two soldiers dragged another bound man from behind the miners' hut, and pushed him towards their small group of prisoners. The man unable to balance with his arms bound behind his back, tripped and fell to ground. The legionnaires laughed uproariously as the man struggled to pick himself up, as he coughed up dirt and spat up blood.

Kim growled as she recognized her blonde horse thief, as he pulled himself onto his knees. The man was obviously a Nord, which surprised her; she had always been told the Nords were a proud warrior people, large, strong and tough. The young man on his knees in front of her was not overly strong looking, nor particularly tough looking, the thief himself was lanky and thin, and only a few centimetres taller then her. His face, dirty and scuffed from the ground, had no real trace of whisker, unlike many of the other Nord prisoners around them, who either had a large amount of stubble or proudly displayed a full beard.

Kim glared at the thief, who merely grinned back, with a wink as the legionnaires brought two horse drawn wooden carts towards their group of prisoners and quickly, with punches, kicks and curses, loaded their prisoners up before heading up the trail to where only the gods knew.

"Ah I see that you're awake." Kim turned towards the Nord in front of her surprised by his show of concern. Not something she expected from a bandit. "I never thought those Imperials would be so willing to brand one of their own a Stormcloak."

Kim arched an eyebrow over an emerald green eye. "You say that like I should know what in Oblivion a Stormcloak is."

The Nord's eye widened slightly in surprise, and then shook his head. "It doesn't matter anymore. We are all brothers and sisters of the headsman's block now. You, me, that horse thief over there." The Nord said grimily, as he jerked his head towards the blonde thief.

The thief chuckled humourlessly. "You know if it wasn't for you Stormcloaks and that red headed Imperial, I could have stolen that horse and been half way to Hammerfell by now. Oh well, amazing how life just seems to get in the way of our retirement plans eh?"

There was a muffled groan from the well dressed and gagged man beside Kim, whether it was in disagreement or agreement, she didn't know. Neither it seemed did the thief.

"What's with him?" The blonde thief asked, with a nod at the gagged prisoner.

"Watch your tone!" The blue clad man snapped. "That's Ulfric Stormcloak; the True High King of Skyrim!"

The thief looked shocked for a moment before nodding to himself. "Heh. Ulfric Stormcloak eh? Must be taking us somewhere special."

The other man shrugged. "Wherever it is, only death and Sovengarde await us." He looked over at the thief. "Where are you from, Horse thief?"

"Hey! Shut up back there!" Their cart driver snapped over his shoulder, annoyed by the prisoners' constant chatter.

"Hmm? Why? Why do you want to know?" The thief asked ignoring the command for silence.

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

The thief was silent for a moment, and Kim caught an uncomfortable shift in his body. "... I'm from..." he hesitated again, "from... Falkreath. You?"

The other man smiled wistfully. "Riverwood. My sister runs the mill down there. Funny never thought I'd die this close to it."

The man turned back to Kim. "And how about you Imperial? Where's your home?"

Kim was silent for a moment, as she lost herself in the memories of the estate. The rolling hills and open plains. The leaping deer and the crystal clear water of the river that ran beside it. When Kim had been young she had dreamed of nothing else then escaping the estate to roam the wider world, from the deserts of Hammerfell to the costs of Morrowind she had wanted to see it all.

When Kim had left home, she had been overjoyed. She was free, and on an adventure like she always had wanted and although she did miss her family, she was glade to finally be free of the estate. But now, with hands bound, and being carted off to the headsman's block, she couldn't think of anything else but how much she really missed it. She missed the harsh acidic tinge of her little twin brothers' alchemic experiments gone horribly wrong, she missed her overbearing father, and his zealous guards. Yes she missed it all; the oaken door on the second floor that never shut properly, the chair in father's study that always squeaked, and, yes, even the window in her old bed chamber, that rattled with the wind.

Kim looked back up at the blue armoured man. "I came from was my family's estate, north of Kvatch in Cyrodiil."

The man laughed. "An Imperial noble, accompanying us rebels and thieves to the block! The Empire must be desperate in trying to crush our rebellion."

Kim glared at the man. She hated when people underestimated her solely on the status of her birth. Yes, Kim had been raised in luxury as befitting a noble; but she was by no means soft. Her grandmother had trained her in the way of the sword before Kim had even learned to read properly, and she had spent most of her days training with the estate's guards and wandering sell swords who occasionally passed by. When Kim had grown older she frequently left the safety and comfort of her family's estate spending many afternoons on the plains of Cyrodiil, learning to hunt and track. It was one of the reasons her parents had sent her north to Skyrim to oversee their newest investment, a large iron mine south of the city of Whiterun.

There was also another less... pleasing reason. Many of the posh nobility of Cyrodiil considered Kim unmarriageable. She was tough, strong, spent much of her time with the estate guards and was suspected of hunting down bounties on bandits and other criminals. Many of the eligible suitors felt... well... threatened by her, even Kim had to admit on the occasion, wild ways.

Not that she ever planned on changing. Kimila Possiblus was happy with who she was. And even if she had wanted to change, it didn't look like she was going to get much of a chance to do it, as the first cart rolled into a walled village, bustling with the movement of soldiers and cavalry.

"General Tullius, sir!" A legionnaire shouted, interrupting her thoughts. "Prisoner's for the block!"

"General Tullius." The Stormcloak spat with contempt. "The military governor of Skyrim. And look! He's here with his Thalmor handlers. I should have known those damn elves would be behind this. Craven Imperial bastards!"

Kim stretched her neck in order to get a look at the man who was condemning them all to death. Though she couldn't get a very good look, she did see the general as he sat on his horse, a soldier rode to his left, bearing the banner of the Empire, the Diamond Dragon, snapping proudly in the wind. To the general's right three Thalmor justicars sat impassively as they watched the procession. Kim glared hatefully at the black robed elves, and their gold armoured retinue that spread out behind them.

She could imagine their smug, smiles of superiority as they watched the prisoners. Kim had seen that smile before, and burned her blood to even think about it. The fact that it was another Thalmor that would be presiding over the execution of another Possiblus...

"This is Helgen." The Stormcloak sounded wistful. "I was sweet on a girl here once... I wonder if Vilod is still making that mead with the juniper berries mixed in."

"He was the last time I was here." The thief chimmed in. "Always wondered why the mead here was so much better then anywhere else."

"Funny, as a boy Imperial walls used to make me feel so safe..." The man continued, talking as much to himself as his three companions in binds.

"Well at least we got a good view." The thief chuckled grimly as he leaned forwards.

Though Kim was loath to agree with the blonde haired, brown eyed Nord, she had to agree. Helgen was quite beautiful. Built on the slop of a mountain, against the backdrop of the Jerall Mountains, that jutted up from the earth like the great stone teeth of some beast of legend. The village was surrounded by a large of forest of pine and hemlock mixing the dark green with the fresh white of the early morning frost. It was beautiful, awe inspiring. And yet it overwhelmed Kim with melancholy. This was to be her last sight, her last breaths of fresh air on the mortal plain.

"Who are they papa? Where are they going?" Kim took a glance over her shoulder, catching sight of a boy, no more then ten, pointing at the sad procession, while glancing up at his father.

"You need to go inside little cub." The father said, as the carts drove past. His head hung, deliberately not looking towards the condemned.

"Why?" The child asked innocently, "I want to watch the soldiers!"

"Inside the house. Now!" Came the stern reply. As Kim's cart passed his dark timber house, before coming to a slow stop next to one of the large stone watchtowers that dominated the village.

"Yes papa..." the boy sighed as, he walked dejectedly towards his family's house.

"So this is the end of the line, huh?" The Stormcloak said as the cart pulled to a stop. "Let us face death with the dignity as befitting true sons of Skyrim."

"What about me?" Kim asked humourlessly. "Should I die like a craven Imperial then?"

The man shook his head. "No. Do not give these Thalmor elves the satisfaction of seeing you frightened, there girl. Face death like a Nord."

"I'm not too interested in dying Stormcloak." The thief quipped, as he stood up unsteadily. "But you are right. By the way... Do you think this armour works for me? Maybe they'll let me change into something more dignified."

Both Kim and the Stormcloak looked at the thief with stunned disbelief.

"What?" Was all that Kim was able to manage.

The thief shrugged, as he gestured at his scarred and worn leather armour. "Well I just don't want to die looking like an idiot is all."

Any rebuttal that Kim had was cut off by disgruntled shouting of an Imperial officer. "Get those prisoners off those carts and line them up! Come on you laggards, move it!"

Kim stood shakily, her legs had fallen asleep during the long ride. She shook them experimentally as her companions jumped to the ground, forming a rough line, in front of the officer, and Nord in the armour of an Imperial legionnaire, holding a large book and a quill.

"When we call your name step forward and make your way over to the tower and the block. If you try to run we will cut you down!" The officer shouted over the din, making sure that she was heard by the rabble in front of her.

"The Empire loves its damn lists." The Stormcloak beside Kim whispered to her.

The legionnaire beside the officer cleared his throat. "Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Windhelm!"

Ulfric stepped forward, with muffled curse, or protest, Kim wasn't sure, as he made his way over to the tower.

"Goodbye my Jarl." The Stormcloak said to Ulfric as he passed. "It has been an honour."

"Ronman of Falkreath! Step forward!"

The blonde haired thief strode forward, stopping in front of the two soldiers. "You should know that neither me, nor that red headed Imperial are Stormcloak rebels. This is all a misunderstanding..."

The officer coldly stared at the thief. "Move prisoner, over to the block. Now!"

Ronman, however, didn't move and continued to ramble, much to the officer and the man next to her dismay. "Can we at least get a last request, or a meal? I'm I have eaten in two or three days, can't you at least feed me?"

The officer raised a hand, "Archers!"

Three legionnaires behind her, who had been seemingly relaxing, quickly drew their bows, and notched arrows to the strings.

Ronman chuckled nervously, as he moved towards the tower. "Can't even ask for a final favour... What is becoming of this Empire...?" Ronman was asking himself as he walked off towards the slowly growing group of the condemned.

"Ralof of Riverwood! Step forward!" The Imperial clad Nord shouted.

The man beside her, Ralof, gave her a smile, and marched off, casting a withering glare at the two soldiers, the Nord in particular refused to meet the man's gaze.

As Ralof, made his way to the block, the Nord glanced at her, then down at his book in confusion, flipping through several pages as he searched.

"Lieutenant Hadvar, what are you waiting for, who is this?" the officer asked, gesturing at Kim.

Hadvar continued to flip through as he searched for the information. "I... I don't know Captain. Prisoner! Step forward."

Kim, without hesitation, took several steps forward, towards the two officers.

"Who are you, prisoner? Where are you from?"

Kim took a breath. "I am Kimila Possiblus, of Cyrodiil. I am an Imperial noble, and I demand to know the charges against me."

Hadvar looked shocked, the captain less so. "What shall we do Captain? She's not on the list."

The captain snorted. "It doesn't matter. Kimila Possiblus, you like these Stormcloaks have been charged and found guilty of treason, and inciting rebellion against the Empire. Hadvar, she goes to the block as well."

It was like a punch to the gut. Kim had always been a proud Imperial citizen and had hoped that her status as a noble in the Empire would have helped her out of this situation. Unfortunately this officer cared more about eliminating these Stormcloaks, and would rather have them all executed then risk allowing a supporter being set free.

Hadvar nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry prisoner. We'll make sure that you are returned to family for burial."

"Well at least I'll die knowing that small comfort." Kim's voice dripped with sarcasm, as she turned and moved towards the small crowd of rebels who gathered around the execution grounds.

As she joined the rest of the condemned, standing beside Ralof and Ronman, Kim noticed that General Tullius was waiting for them. Surrounded by guards, he stood in front of Ulfric, sizing up the bound and gagged man, as though trying to gauge the man's worth.

"Ulfric Stormcloak." Tullius said at last. "There are some in Helgen who would call you a hero. But a hero does not murder his king with a power like the Voice, nor does he plunge his land into a bloody civil war. For your acts of murder and treason, the Empire sentences you and your followers to death. May the Divines have mercy on your soul."

As the general finished his speech, there was a sudden echo of a distant roar. That sent shivers down Kim's spine.

She wasn't the only one.

"What was that?" A nervous soldier asked.

"It was nothing." Tullius answered as he turned to the captain. "You may continue captain."

"Yes General Tullius" The captain saluted, as she turned to a robed woman who stepped out from beneath the tower. "Give them their last rights."

The priestess cleared her throat, and gestured to the crowd before her. "As we commend your souls to Aetherius, blessings of the Eight divines upon y-"

"For the love of Talos shut up and let's get this over with." One of the Stormcloaks interrupted, as he pushed his way forward to the axe man's block, "I haven't got all morning."

The priest huffed irritably. "As you wish."

As the Stormcloak stopped at the block, the Imperial Captain, forced the man to knees, and bent him over the block, facing the executioner. "My ancestors are smiling at me! Can you say the same, Imperials?"

Kim watched with horrid fascination, as the axe came down with a swish and sickening thunk as the head fell from the body in spray of blood.

"Imperial bastards!" A Stormcloak shouted.

"Death to the Stormcloaks!" an Imperial yelled right back.

"As brave in death as he was in life." Ralof whispered to Kim, who watched in horrified silence, as the Captain causally pushed the headless body aside.

As silence fell again a distant roar echoed throughout the mountains surrounding Helgen. The soldiers who where milling about glanced nervously around, looking for the source of bone chilling sound. And again Kim was filled with sense of dread.

"Next! You! The red headed Imperial! Your next." The captain shouted.

Kim took a deep breath, and slowly but surely stepped forward, calming her pounding heart and making an effort to reign in her racing thoughts. She didn't want to die, not like this, she wanted to fight; to kick, to punch, to bite, scratch, and claw her way out of this. Every fibre of her being, of her soul; told her not to die like this. Submissive and weak. Being forced upon the headsman's block, like a common criminal.

It was Kim's rage that gave her the strength to move forward to the block, rage that drove out the fear, rage that kept her back straight and head held high.

Again the roar echoed loudly, and the valley seemed to shake with the power of that roar.

Kim stopped at the block, and was forced by the captain's foot to kneel before it.

The roar echoed again. Closer, closer. A dark, winged shape, blocked out the sun for a moment, passing before anyone really took noticed.

A hand forced Kim to lay her head against the blood stained stone. She glared up at the executioner, not giving him the satisfaction of terror. He would only see rage dancing in her green eyes.

And then she caught sight of it. Larger the barn, black as the void, with eyes a bright fiery red. Its leathery wings stretched out like a bird in flight, it was terrible, and yet strangely beautiful.

Kim's eyes widened in shock, just as the axe man raised his axe to administer the fatal chop, when the beast, when the dragon, landed on the tower, shaking its' very foundation.

"What in Oblivion is that?" An Imperial soldier shouted, as he and his comrades drew weapons.

"DRAGON!" A Stormcloak screamed, as all hell broke loose.

"YOL... TOOR... SHUL!" The dragon yelled and fire blasted from its' mouth.

The shockwave from the blast, knocked the executioner off his feet, and tossed Kim off the block, causing her to hit her head on the ground.

Her vision swimming, Kim struggled to remain awake and conscious, finally she struggled to her feet, and then the smell hit her. Cooked flesh, burnt hair and smouldering leather. She took a quick glance and threw up.

The charred remains of human bodies lay scattered around her, some with their flesh still sizzling and splitting open from the heat of the fire. Above her, the dragon roared, and scorched the earth with blasts of fire.

"ZU'U ALDUIN. ZOK SAHROT DO NAAN KO LEIN!"

"Imperial!" It was Ralof, now free from his bounds, screamed over the sounds the battle, as he ran over to her. "Come on! We need to get out of here, follow me!"

With her only other choices being either burn and die, or getting eaten, Kim took off after the Stormcloak. Fire exploded around her, engulfing several legionnaires in the white hot flame, their screams dying amid din of the slaughter.

The two of them leaped into a stone tower, slamming the heavy wooden door behind them. Kim didn't know what that was going to do to stop a rampaging dragon, but it was probably better then nothing. The other Stormcloak rebels had regrouped here, several were wounded, blood staining their blue uniforms as others tended to them.

"I thought dragons were only in stories. Legends..." One of the Stormcloaks said as she gasped for breath.

"Legends don't burn down villages." Ulfric Stormcloak, free from his gag and binds, retorted as he stepped out from behind the door.

"We cannot stay here long," he continued. "Ralof, find us a way out of here. Hogni, Jokul do what you can for the wounded, and strip the dead, we're moving as soon as Ralof finds us a way out."

"Yes my Jarl." Ralof acknowledged with nod, before turning to Kim. "Imperial you're with me. I'll get those bindings off as soon as we get somewhere safe."

"I have a name you know. You can start calling me it Ralof!" Kim growled at him, as the two of them ran up the tower's stairs, looking for another way out of the tower, that wouldn't lead back into the killing grounds outside.

As Kim and Ralof reached the first level, they saw the way blocked by debris, and a Stormcloak frantically trying to clear away the rubble that had pinned his friend beneath it.

"Stay here, Imper... Kimila, I'll help him free this man and then-"

Ralof was cut short, as a chunk of the wall was blasted away, and sunlight streamed in from the outside world, before a massive head blocked the sun's rays. Kim caught sight of a pair of red eyes, before the dragon opened its' massive maw.

"FUS... RO... DAH!"

An unseen force hit the Stormcloak, and threw him into the wall behind him with such force that he was splattered against the cold stone, his body torn apart by sheer force. A second later, a hole was created as part of the wall was blown out, sending chunks of rock, pieces of timber, and broken shattered pieces of armour and bone, flying into Helgen.

The dragon's eye took a quick look in the chamber, before flying off, turning its' attention to a group of Imperials who rallied around the burning inn.

"Quick, Kimila , here's your chance! Jump out that hole, into the inn beside the tower! I'll catch up when I can."

Kim didn't hesitate and ran for the opening, leaping as she reached the edge. Her legs treaded the empty air, as she sailed forward, trying to clear as much of the distance as possible before she was inevitably brought to the ground. As Kim fell into the burning inn, she instinctively rolled forward, trying to minimize injuries. It still hurt and she grunted in pain.

Ignoring it, she leaped to her feet, glancing around. Part of the inn had already collapsed, creating a convenient exit into Helgen. Ignoring the pain that spreading throughout her body, Kim again ran through the smoke and fire of the burning building and leapt from the second story, and into the middle of a group of Imperial soldiers.

"Haming! Get over here, and stay low. That's a good lad you're doing great." Kim immediately recognized Hadvar, as he called to a child, who seemed frozen in fear at the sight of the monster that destroying his village.

As the boy ran past them, and took shelter by a destroyed hut, Hadvar turned to Kim his weapon drawn, but no there was no hostility. In fact he looked almost grateful.

"Didn't expect you to survive, prisoner." He greeted as Kim crouched beside him.

"Well, I'm finding that I'm quite difficult to kill."

"I can see that." Hadvar agreed. "I need to find General Tullius, and join the defence. If you want to live prisoner, I suggest that you follow me."

Kim shook her head in disbelief. "So I should follow you, knowing that I could very well end up on the block again? That sounds like a great idea."

Hadvar shrugged. "It's either that, or you can stay here and get eaten."

Kim nodded, and took a deep breath. "Good point. Alright, I'm ready."

With that Hadvar leaped from their hiding place with Kim close behind. Smoke was already making it difficult to see and breath, but all around her, she could hear the dragon roar, and men scream as they were torn apart by the monster.

"NUST WO NI QIILAAN FEN KOS DUAAN! YOL... TOOR... SHUL!"

A jet of flame cut through the smoke, and washed over a group of soldiers who were trying to hold the beast back with arrows, which seemed to only annoy the dragon. The screams died, as the fire reduced them to ash and bits of melted metal.

The smell hit her, and Kim had swallow back the bile that built in her throat, as she followed the Nord in front of her. Above them there was the beating of wings as the Dragon swooped down, and landed on a wall.

"Hug the wall!" Hadvar shouted, "It wont see us if we stay close to wall."

Kim slammed her back against the wall, and tried to not even breathe as the dragon loomed just above her. Its' powerful neck sweeping its' head back and forth, as it killed almost at leisure, fire erupting from its' massive jaws in sporadic bursts of deadly all consuming fire.

Hadvar continued to move along the wall, waving his hand, urging Kim to follow.

"I'm impressed prisoner, just a little farther!" He yelled to her, pointing at a large stone keep just a scant hundred feet in the distance. That's were Tullius ordered us to regroup. On three we'll make a break for it! Ready?"

"Ready!" Kim called back.

Hadvar nodded as he took a deep breath.

"One..."

Kim glanced around, trying to catch sight of the dragon.

"Two..."

She slowed her breathing, and dug her boot into the ground to give herself a push and a boost in momentum. Silently cursing the ragged dress she wore. It wasn't easy running in a dress.

"THREE!"

She and Hadvar took off, like arrows from a bowstring, their feet pounding against the ground, as they ran. Closer, and closer, the keep loomed a head of them.

We're going to make it! Kim kept telling herself. We are going to mak-

THUD

Kim was blindsided, and painfully tumbled to the ground. At first she thought the dragon had grabbed her, and quickly tried to make peace with the Divines.

"Damn it! I'm sorry! Come on get up!"

She looked up and saw the horse thief, also freed from his bindings looming over her.

"You!" Kim cursed as she struggled to her feet.

"No time!" The thief yelled, pointing at the dragon, which was now making a pass over them. He quickly looked around, looking for an exit.

"In there! Come on we gotta move!" The thief shouted, as he grabbed Kim by the upper arm, and pulled her to a large stone building.

Charging the door he slammed it opened with his shoulder and tossed both her and himself into the shelter of the building, just as the dragon torched the open space where just a moment ago, the two of them had been standing.

Picking himself off the ground, the thief, Ronman; Kim now remembered, rushed over to the oaken door, and slammed it shut, before barring it. Silencing the screams of the massacre that raged just outside.

Safe for now. Kim thought, as she struggled to her feet. But for how long?

Translations:

"Yol Toor Shul": Fire Inferno Sun

"Zu'u Alduin. Zok sahrot do naan ko Lein!": "I am Alduin. Most mighty of any in the World!"

"Fus Ro Dah": Force Balance Push

"Nust wo ni qiilaan fen kos duaan.": "Those who (do) not bow will be devoured."

Here's another story that has been bugging me for ages. Good God I'm turning into Classic Cowboy, and all his unfinished stories! Oh well, whatcha going to do?Anyway I hope that you all enjoy this fic, and who knows maybe I'll finish it, or just leave it and hope someone else takes up the cause.

If you are interested in hearing the song at the begining of the story the its right here at: youtube .com/ watch?v =UsnRQJxanVM. Just make sure you delete the spaces.

Again please read and review!