A Question of Fate Options

[ThatSkyrimGuy]

Brief Intro By The Author

A Question of Fate would be the title of my piece.

I have been back and forth about trying to start and post a fan fic piece. The idea has always intrigued me, but I never considered myself to be a writer, let alone a good writer. I have read a sampling of some of the works that are posted on this site, and quite frankly, it is intimidating. The material is amazing. I must say say that despite the intimidation, it is also inspiring. So I am willing to throw caution to the wind and go for it. There are a few provisos. I work for a living. Often times, the hours I work are long. There may be periods of dormancy in this thread. I will apologize in advance for that. Life outside the internet does have it's restrictions. Also, I am sure that there is an unspoken etiquette that states, "You read mine and comment, and I shall do the same". This is also where I could run into trouble, for the same reasons that there may be dormant periods in this thread. There are stories on this site that I could never hope to read all the way through, with triple digit page counts, while I try to keep posting my own story and work through everyday life. So, with all that being said, I will wait to start posting chapters until I get a sense of what the audience demands. Please let me know if I should start posting a fan fic piece, based on what you have just read.

Thanks.

EDIT - This was originally posted in "General Discussion"

This post has been edited by ThatSkyrimGuy: May 4 2013, 04:41 AM

[ThatSkyrimGuy]

Wow. We have new readers! Thanks to you all for joining in and taking the time to read and comment on Valrimor's tale.

@SubRosa - Great call on your well appreciated nit. The devil is in the details, and that was good one. And yes, Val's Nordic half does love his ale!

@Acadian - Thanks again for the shock spell suggestions. Very helpful. Fears of eye loss while running with sharp objects...what mother hasn't fretted over this? Good thing Hadvar didn't have a Red Ryder BB gun!

@McBadgere - I am glad you are enjoying my take on the opening tutorial. A neurotic part of me worries about readers saying under their breath, "It's a tutorial...three chapters already?...get to the meat already!" But it is a perfect setting to develop Valrimor, so I'm running with it.

@Darkness Eternal - Thanks for joining in. Val's father is indeed a mystery to him, so he doesn't know what the man actually did for a living. This will come out in future writes (I'll not give up more than that ). Val's fighting skills shall soon be evident...

@mALX - Welcome back! I laughed out loud when you told of not being able to activate anything. The exact same thing happened to me! Many have commented on the incineration scene and the wounded soldier scene. I was really worried that they may have been too "over the top" with horrific descriptions. I am relieved that this doesn't seem to be the case. I was trying hard to convey how devestating an attack by such a beast would really be, something the game kind of glosses over.

@jack cloudy - Thanks for joining in as well. Val's thinking process is a bit twisted at times, much like his author's. He has a tendency to use sarcasm and humor as a defense mechanism against fear. Regarding the details - In the game, it is entirely likely that Haming is not Hadvar's son, and it is entirely likely that "Imperial bastards" was yelled by a Stormcloak. I wrote the way I did to suit the way I wanted the story to flow. I will confess early here that I do intend to change actual game facts however I may see fit to meet my ends. I was glad that you were ok with both instances, but rest assurred, there will be others.

I want to thank all of you for your interest, comments, and critiques. They are most appreciated!

Now, the next installment...when we left, Ralof and Val were at an impasse in the vestibule of the keep...

Chapter 4 – In the Bowels of Helgen Keep

17th Last Seed, 4E201 - Continued

The sound of activity echoed in the hallway. Footfalls and clanking armor found our ears well before a familiar female voice ordered a soldier to get the gate open. By then, Ralof and I had secluded ourselves in the shadows on either side of the gateway, crouched and prepared to strike with our axes. Ralof gave me hand signals, raising one finger then pointing it at me, then raising two fingers and pointing to himself. It was a simple plan. The first through the gate would be mine, and the second, his. I would wait until both Imperials were all the way into the room before making my move, insuring that Ralof could cut off any retreat by the second.

It happened quickly. As soon as the second Imperial entered the room, I jumped out of the shadows and slashed into the sword shoulder of my target. Due to my injury, the blow was not as effective as it could have been. It glanced off his armor and did little more than alert him to my presence. The Imperial yelled and spun to face me, pulling his sword back for a thrust. He never had the time to complete his move before my axe reversed course and laid his throat open. He dropped his sword and grasped the wound with his hands while falling to his knees. My axe looped back again to the top of his head, splitting the leather helmet and his skull. He was dead before he finished hitting the floor. Ralof had just as quickly disposed of his opponent. It was the same female Captain that had ordered us to our deaths before a dragon had flown out of myth.

What an odd twist of fate.

Ralof searched the Captain’s body while I searched her aide and cursed the pain coursing through my arm. It was Ralof that met with success, and he walked to the opposite gate that was still closed. The sound of tumblers falling into place and a slightly squeaky hinge proclaimed success. There was a thunderous crash somewhere on a floor above us, declaring the keep was no longer undamaged.

“Come on,” he said, “let’s get out of here before the dragon brings the whole tower down on our heads.”

I did not need to be told twice. We sprinted through the passage and down a set of stairs. When we reached the next level and turned a corner, we narrowly averted a bone-crushing death as a large section of the stone ceiling crashed to the floor in front of us. The roar of the dragon punctuated our near demise as a grim reminder of our dilemma.

“Damn, that dragon doesn’t give up easy,” said Ralof.

“Did you expect it to?” I retorted sarcastically. Ralof started to reply when we both heard voices coming from just beyond the only doorway available to us.

“Grab everything important and let’s move!” one voice commanded, then added, “The dragon is burning everything to the ground.”

Both of us drew our axes and Ralof went through the door first. It was a fairly well lit and apparently well stocked storeroom. Ralof never slowed down, sprinting to the next door and attacking the first Imperial he saw. Within seconds, we had sent two more Imperials to meet their makers.

“I’ll guard the door. Check the room for potions and supplies. We’ll need provisions once we’re out of here,” Ralof said.

My shoulder was throbbing with pain, so the first thing I did was discard my axe and procure a sword belt from one of the dead Imperials. I would need to add a notch to the belt, but that would come later. After a quick but thorough search, I was able to find several vials of healing potion, some bread and a couple bottles of wine, some rabbit meat, and a few apples. My shoulder barked again as I raised a wine bottle and drank deeply.

Oh Gods yes, that’s good…

Then I opened a vial of healing potion and downed that as well. I relished the instant warmth and soothing exhilaration of its healing powers. With a large grin, I raised the wine bottle to show Ralof and tossed a vial of potion to him. After placing all of the provisions into an empty burlap sack I had found, I joined Ralof at the door.

“Ready?” he asked.

“No, I would rather stay here and finish this wine,” I replied, “but lead on sir.” I replied with a flourishing gesture toward the door.

Ralof grinned and proceeded through the door, down another passageway to another descending set of stairs. He was a few paces ahead of me when suddenly he yelled, “Troll’s blood! It’s a torture chamber!” and ran ahead, drawing out his axe.

By the time I arrived, he and another Stormcloak were standing over yet two more Imperials that would be late for supper. I surveyed the room for any other possible assailants, and then resheathed my sword. As I looked around, I realized that there was far more blood than there should have been from the recent skirmish.

“Was Jarl Ulfric with you?” Ralof was asking the other Stormcloak.

“No,” she replied, “I haven’t seen him since the dragon showed up.”

Then a backpack on a small table caught my eye. I went over and opened it. Lock picks and a small slim dagger! The picks went immediately to my breast pocket, the dagger to my belt. I added the burlap bag to the backpack and slung the straps over my shoulders. Ralof had started searching the chamber also. The woman kept a watchful eye on both exits.

“Wait a second. It looks like there is something in this cage,” Ralof said as he walked over and checked the cage door. “There is a dead prisoner in here, and coins on the floor near him, but the cage is locked. Can you pick this Valrimor?”

Nodding and grinning, I pulled a pick from my pocket and walked over to the door. A few pokes with the pick and a twist of the dagger took mere seconds to pop the lock. I looked at Ralof as I shoved lightly on the cage door with my finger, and said, “Child’s play.”

The door swung in and I quickly rifled through the dead man’s pockets. I was rewarded with a coin purse. I grabbed the loose coins from the floor and then saw the book. It was a mage’s spell tome with a one word title, Sparks. I recognized it immediately for what it was and recoiled. A childhood memory flooded through me.

"I didn't mean to Ma!" cried a blond Bosmer child...

I closed my eyes and shook my head to clear the memory, then left the book where it lay when I exited the cage.

“I got it all,” I said to the others, “let’s keep moving.”

EDIT - Fixed some punctuation issues, added date, changed some wording.

This post has been edited by ThatSkyrimGuy: May 21 2013, 12:36 PM