The Dragonborn

Part 5

Hadvar looked back over his shoulder at him with an understanding look.  Nodding to him, as he opened the door wide, telling Jack hopefully.  "Aye. You have someone here in Skyrim waiting for you, Jack"?  Jack gave him a brief nod, answering softly.  "Ya, I do. You"?  Hadvar flashed him a smile, stepping out into the hall as he answered.  "Aye. A wife and a son. This way is clear. This way".  Jack stepped out into the dark dusty hall.  The stone cave in just barely missed blocking up the door.  Quickly catching up to Hadvar, he told Jack as they rounded a corner heading deeper down.  "We have to pass through the torture room just ahead. Gods, I wish we didn't need these. The place always gives me the creeps".  The sounds of electrical sparks and clanging of metal echoed out into the hall as they drew closer.  Hadvar readied his blade, yelling back to Jack.  "More Stormcloaks"!  Jack clutched his blade hilt tighter and ran into the room with Hadvar.  An imperial mage kept his distance from the nearest Stormcloak.  Blue lightening shooting from his hand at the nord's sword.  Jack cringed as he watched the lightening race along the length of the blade to the nord's hand.  The male nord let out a piercing scream as his hand clamped tightly to his own sword as the electricity coursed through his body!  The imperial mage didn't stop electrifying him, until the nord stopped screaming.

Jack swallowed back the horror he felt at seeing the mages toothy yellow smile, beneath his brown hood.  Jack couldn't decide how he felt about this.  On one hand, the Stormcloak tried to attack the mage, but on the other... the mage appeared to take pleasure in the mans prolonged death.  Hadvar and another imperial nord overpowered the last nord, but Jack couldn't take his eyes off this mage.  The imperial mage even had a creepy voice to match as he dryly told him and Hadvar.  "You fellows happened along just in time. These boys seemed a bit upset with how I've been entertaining their comrades".  Jack couldn't stop himself from snapping back bitterly.  "Entertaining? That's some sick way of phrasing torture".  The imperial mage turned to face Jack, his voice still dry and lifeless.  "Don't have the stomach for it, boy? Then get out. I don't have time to waste on milk drinkers like you. Cowering at your mothers tit and living in a false sense of peace and comfort".  Hadvar broke up the tension growing between them, snapping back at the mage.  "Don't you even know what's going on? A dragon is attacking Helgen"!

The imperial mage turned his head lazily away from Jack to look at Hadvar, answering in lifeless disbelief.  "A dragon? Please. Don't make up nonsense".  Before anyone could add anything to the conversation, the mage sarcastically added in a dry attempt at false humor.  "Although, come to think of it. I did hear odd noises coming from up there earlier. Must be spending too much time around the nords".  Jack side stepped a bit to his right, trying to get a better look at the hooded mage in the hanging torchlight.  It wasn't a lot better, but this new angle revealed enough.  An old Elf and highborn from his attitude.  At the very least, he had friends in high places to talk to an imperial solider like that.  Hadvar's voice came out professional and a bit demanding.  Jack could almost hear the fowl words that he wanted to say... but instead he had asked the mage.  "Come with us. We need to get out of here".  Jack turned to Hadvar in surprise.  Hadvar may have been bound by honor to ask that, but he personally didn't want this asshole coming with them!  The mage answered back bitterly for him though.  Snapping back in a fowl tone of disgust, aimed at Hadvar.  "You have no authority over me, nord". 

Hadvar's voice rose in anger as he yelled back at the mage.  "Didn't you hear me?! I said the keep is under attack"!  The mage waved Hadvar off with a dismissive hand.  Clearly unfazed and not believing a word of it.  The other imperial nord turned to Hadvar then, spitting in the mage's direction, before telling Hadvar boldly.  "Forget the old man. I'll come with you".  Hadvar nodded, telling both Jack and the nord quickly.  "Take anything you need. We won't be coming back".  The imperial mage strolled passed them like a ghost, telling them all in that dry lifeless voice of his.  "Sure. Take all my things. Please".  Jack had never spit at someone in his life... but this old elf made him want too!  Jack quickly distracted himself by picking up a knapsack that was laying on a small table.  Jack guessed it used to belong to the young nord mage that was laying dead in the rusty iron cage along the wall.  Quickly pulling the potions from his pockets, Jack stashed them into the knapsack and froze.  Something was in the bag.  A black book.  Carefully lifting it a little from the bag, he stared at the bright silver metal corners and the same silver metal symbol of a dragon in the center of the books cover.  In bold white print under the silver dragon was the title; "Dragonborn".