Thalia started to wake up slowly, her eyelids heavy and her body aching as she stirred. As she regained consciousness, she heard someone across from her speak in a gruff voice,
"Hey, you. You're finally awake. You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked straight into that Imperial ambush — same as us… and that thief over there."
Blinking in confusion, Thalia raised her head groggily, only to realize her hands were bound tightly in front of her. She frowned and muttered under her breath, her voice dry and laced with disbelief,
"…Not how I thought this would start."
She glanced at the blonde man sitting across from her, narrowing her eyes slightly before asking,
"Who are you? And where are we headed?"
The man gave her a small nod, his expression grim but calm.
"I'm Ralof of Riverwood… and I don't know where we're going. But Sovngarde awaits."
Thalia tilted her head slightly, her brows furrowing at the unfamiliar word.
"I… don't know what that is… but from your tone, I'm guessing it's your version of the afterlife?"
Ralof gave a solemn nod.
"Aye, lass."
Thalia leaned her head back against the cart's wooden wall, exhaling sharply.
"Great. I'm about to be executed. Fantastic start to my adventure…"
Ralof offered a faint chuckle despite the tension.
"They may not execute you, lass. You're pretty young… I doubt they'd assume you're with us."
Thalia exchanged a few more words with him, and the two continued chatting until the cart finally reached the end of the line.
When they arrived, chaos unfolded around her. After witnessing the thief attempt to escape — only to be struck down by an arrow mid-run — Thalia's stomach twisted uneasily. Soon after, she overheard the soldier with the list speak up.
"Captain, she's not on the list. What should we do?"
The captain barely spared her a glance before replying coldly,
"Forget the list. She goes to the block."
The soldier hesitated, his tone softer when he turned back to her.
"Understood… I'm sorry, young one. I'll at least make sure you're properly buried."
Thalia gave a dry, hollow laugh, her expression unreadable as she muttered,
"…Thanks, I guess."
One by one, she watched men being led to the chopping block — and then it was her turn. As they pushed her forward and forced her head down onto the rough wooden surface, a surge of panic finally clawed its way up her chest. Her breathing grew shallow and rapid, her heart pounding against her ribs like a war drum. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to brace herself for the inevitable.
Then —
"What in Oblivion is that?!" someone shouted.
A deafening crash shook the ground violently beneath her, and Thalia's eyes shot open just in time to see the towering black dragon descending onto the keep. Its massive wings blotted out the sun as glowing red eyes locked directly onto her.
Before she could react, the beast unleashed a torrent of scorching flames. Acting purely on instinct, Thalia rolled hard to the side, feeling the heat singe her skin as the fire struck where she had just been.
Ralof rushed over, grabbing her arm and yanking her to her feet.
"Come on, lass! The gods won't give us another chance — run!"
Thalia didn't need to be told twice. She sprinted after him as they ducked into a nearby tower, the heavy door slamming shut behind them. Inside, Ralof immediately approached a man clad in a black fur coat, his voice tight with urgency.
"Jarl Ulfric — what is that thing? Could it really be a dragon… like in the legends?"
Ulfric, his expression grave, responded firmly,
"Legends don't burn down villages."
While the two men spoke, Thalia's curiosity got the better of her. She cautiously made her way up the stairs, hoping to get a better view of the chaos outside. But just as she reached the top, the tower wall exploded inward with a thunderous crash.
The dragon's massive head shoved through the breach, its burning gaze locking onto her. Time seemed to slow, and she instantly knew what was coming. Her muscles reacted before her mind caught up — she dove forward, narrowly dodging another blast of fire.
Rolling back to her feet, Thalia didn't hesitate. She sprinted, leapt onto the dragon's head, and slid down its scales before launching herself onto the roof of a nearby building. She didn't stop moving, weaving through collapsing structures and burning streets, her lungs burning from the smoke as chaos consumed the town around her.
By the time she reached the fortress on the far side, the dragon was still pursuing her, its shadow passing overhead as it roared. Without wasting a moment, Thalia darted inside the nearest door, slamming it shut and leaning against the wall as she tried to catch her breath.
Then the door creaked open behind her. She spun around instantly, hands clenched and body tense, ready to fight — only to see Ralof step inside, relief washing over his features.
"Lass! You're okay — that's wonderful!"
He hurried over to her and pulled out a dagger.
"Here, let me get those bindings off."
Thalia held out her wrists, and with a swift motion, Ralof cut through the ropes. She rubbed her sore, reddened wrists, grimacing slightly.
"What… was that?" she asked, her voice still uneven from the adrenaline.
Ralof exhaled deeply, glancing toward the window where smoke still rose.
"A dragon. I can hardly believe it… they were supposed to be extinct."
Thalia scoffed lightly, giving him a pointed look.
"Looked pretty alive to me."
Ralof gave a tired chuckle.
"Unfortunately, lass."
She frowned at him, crossing her arms slightly despite the chaos outside.
"Stop calling me 'lass.' My name's Thalia."
Ralof smiled faintly.
"Well met, Thalia. Now… you'll need to arm yourself."
He gestured toward a fallen Stormcloak soldier nearby.
"My unfortunate comrade, Gunjar, over there won't be needing his gear anymore. Make use of it."
Thalia approached the lifeless body, her expression momentarily softening before her gaze drifted to a small folded note on the table beside him. Curious, she picked it up and began to read.
"Dear Thalia,
This letter is to inform you that I've given you an inventory. It's sort of like a magical pocket dimension that you can use to store your stuff. Inside, you'll find some useful items for your journey. To use the inventory, just say or think the word.
Next, as an added bonus, I've made it so that any time you want to learn a spell — just like in the game — you only have to open the book, and you'll learn it automatically.
Sincerely Tet.
Then Thalia said, "Well… that's nice, I think," her voice carrying a note of uncertainty as she tilted her head slightly, trying to process everything. She slowly opened her inventory, and before her eyes, a large transparent screen materialized, glowing faintly with a soft golden hue. Rows of neat, clear boxes stretched across the display, each holding something different.
Her electric blue eyes scanned the items carefully. In some of the boxes, she found a spell tome, a set of sleek black leather armor, her familiar leather jacket, a hunting bow, thirty iron arrows bundled together, an iron spear, and a small pouch containing 500 gold coins that glimmered faintly in the light.
Glancing over at Ralof, she narrowed her eyes and said firmly, "Turn around. I'm not changing in front of you."
Ralof's eyes widened in surprise, and his face flushed red as he quickly turned on his heel. "O-Of course! Sorry," he said, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly while staring at the ground to avoid even a hint of a glance.
With a soft sigh of relief, Thalia reached into her inventory and pulled out the black leather cuirass, the material smooth and cool under her fingers. She slipped it on carefully, followed by the matching pants and boots, adjusting them snugly to ensure they fit just right. Once dressed, she tugged on her leather jacket over the armor, giving herself an approving nod as the combination looked both practical and stylish.
She then strapped on the leather bracers, tightening them securely around her forearms. Afterward, she slung the bow and arrows over her shoulder in one smooth motion, the weight settling comfortably across her back, and finally, she gripped the iron spear tightly in her right hand, spinning it once to test its balance.
Turning back to Ralof with a confident smirk, she said, "Alright, I'm ready. Let's go."